Buying Gifts for Foreign Women - When Should You Do It?
Picture this: you’re in a relationship but the relationship is new and you don’t know when to buy gifts for women you’re dating. So you’re wondering whether or not you should splurge for something nice or not.
When it comes to romantic relationships, there are certain things that are going to be expected of you. Valentine’s day is one of those days, as are the days of your anniversary and her birthday. Those are some of the important ones. But another important day on which to give your partner a gift is Christmas day.
But there’s an added complication to your relationship: your partner is foreign. So the things that you think are great staples for a partner aren’t appropriate for her. For example, she’s Ukrainian but warm weather gear may not be the most appropriate of Ukraine women gifts because it’s not like Ukraine is some tropical paradise.
But what if she’s from South America? That scented candle that’s so great for autumn isn’t great when you’re close to the equator and there’s no such thing as autumn, so a scented candle isn’t great when it comes Latinas gifts.
And if she’s from Asia, you might think some spray tan would be great. But tanned skin may be trendy in the West, it’s not the beauty standard in Asia, so it shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the list when it comes to Asian women gifts.
So you know you need to get her a gift. But you don’t know what that gift should be. You rack your brain trying to figure out what you should give her, but your brain comes up with zilch.
For early in the relationship
Okay, so it’s early in the relationship and you’re not sure what’s appropriate. It’s way too soon to be looking at engagement rings or jewelry in general.
But you still want to get your partner a little something. You want to get her something nice, but you’re not sure how invested she is in the relationship so you’re not sure how invested you should be as well.
But don’t fret. While your own may have failed you, there are more than a few gifts you can get that, while they may not always be home runs, won’t strike out either.
- A Phone Case
What device do you think is the most widely used in the world right now? Here’s a hint; there’s probably one in your pocket. If it’s not in your pocket, it’s probably in your hand and it’s what you’re reading this on. It’s the smartphone – that’s the most widely used internet communicator today.
But smartphones are delicate with their screens made of extremely breakable glass and frames made of bendable aluminum or glass. So they need quite a bit of protection. A stylish phone case makes for a practical but also inexpensive gift for someone you just met.
- An insulated water bottle
What do you think is the most important liquid in the world? The one liquid without which most forms of life would not be possible? Well, that would be water and while the conventional wisdom of drinking eight glasses of it per day might not be true, people still need to drink it.
But it’s easy to forget to drink water. But do you know what a great reminder to drink water would be? A high-quality insulated bottle that keeps the water cool for hours. Not only are they inexpensive – with many costing about as much as a good phone case – they’re built to last. So getting your new girlfriend one is going to go a long way toward reminding her to stay hydrated.
For when the relationship is pretty established
Okay so if you’ve been in a relationship for a while, you can go a little bit extra when it comes to the types of gifts you get. You might be comfortable enough in the relationship that you can get her some things that might not break the bank but will crack the glass.
- Clothes
There’s a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t buy your girlfriend clothes until you get to know them a little better. The first is that women’s sizing is all over the place. Your girlfriend might wear a size 6 with Brand X but will have to get clothes from Brand Y in a size 8. So you might not know what size she wears from a particular brand.
Then there’s her personal style. The pieces that you get her might not be pieces with which she’s more comfortable. Maybe you get her a skirt that’s longer than she normally wears or maybe the top you get her is a lower cut than she’s comfortable with.
But after a while, you’ll know what size she wears from which brands and you’ll know what kind of clothes she likes to wear. You’ll know what you need to know in order to get her clothes.
- Plane tickets
You’re probably used to paying for plane tickets if you’re with a foreign woman. Your credit card history will attest to that. But the thing is that now that you’re together, the plane tickets you buy now won’t be so you can get her to you or you to her. It’s so you two can be together in a place that’s unfamiliar to the both of you.
- An engagement ring
If you’ve been together for a while, chances are that one or both of you are going to start to feel the itch to make it a little more permanent. You can start scratching that itch by getting down on one knee, presenting her with a ring and hoping that she says yes and agrees to legally bind herself to you.
Plus, getting engaged is going to make it easier for her to stay until you get married, at which point it’ll be a lot easier for her to say permanently.
Look, people say that it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts. But the thing is that you actually have to put some thought into the gifts. You can just get random items together and hope that she’ll be too polite to say she hates. If you’re getting a gift for someone you love, make sure they love it or at least get some use out of it.