Surprise – Parents are Using Gift Surveys for Themselves!
The funny thing about a project can often be the difference between how you anticipate it will turn out – and how it actually turns out. If you have ever attempted a recipe, or some home improvements, you know exactly what we are talking about. It hasn’t been any different at Gifting Sense. How so? Well we created Gifting Sense to help parents teach their kids to think before they buy – but adults are using Gift Surveys almost as much as their children!
Gift Surveys were designed to ensure that kids only ask for – or purchase – what they will really use and appreciate; they are a tool for parents to give their children one of the best gifts ever – the habit of thinking before buying. We worked hard to make sure that Gift Surveys ask children the right mix of questions when researching if a gift might make sense. We knew our service had to be all of thorough, free, safe, quick, and easy to use. We were so focussed on being kid-friendly and appropriate, that we lost sight of how universal Gift Surveys are, and how helpful they can be for anyone who wants to make sure they are making a well-thought-out purchase.
Have you ever been surprised at how something you have built ends up getting used? Gift Surveys were designed for kids, to help parents deliver some quick but meaningful lessons in spending wisely, but adults are using them all the time!
We love to hear about kids reminding their parents to add in sales tax and shipping, or how grandparents feel they are getting their grandkids gifts they really use and enjoy for the first time. But we have also been approached on several occasions by parents who re-considered a purchase for themselves when they weren’t able to generate a DIMS (Does It Make Sense) Score of more than 8/10. We’ve even talked to adults who were on the fence about large purchases, such as family vacations, who decided it was a good way to spend their hard-earned money after completing a Gift Survey for an experience and realizing that it would be a rite of passage and that their kids were willing to put some of their own money towards the cost. Of course we are happy to help anyone spend their money wisely – but it has to be said, we are surprised at how many non-kid users we appear to have.
Realizing that the all-in cost of a dinner out includes childcare, and taxi-fare, does present a fuller picture. Certainly taking a fancy single-wear dress to a consignment store is a great way to recoup some of it’s cost. Forwarding a completed Gift Survey is indeed a gracious way to let your spouse know what you would really like and appreciate for an upcoming holiday or birthday gift. Yes, the embedded photo of your “thoughtfully preferred” gift does help guarantee that no wife buys the wrong tool, and no husband buys the wrong boots (shout-out to our friend Greg). We knew thinking before buying was a life-long skill, we just didn’t appreciate how often people over 19 years of age would use our service.
It sometimes makes us laugh when we are made aware of a Gift Survey completed by an adult:
“Hi! How’s it going? Hey, you know, I really loved these red shoes, but my DIMS (Does It Make Sense) Score was only 6.5 – so I couldn’t buy them.”
But we have come to realize that we’re doing exactly what we set out to do: help families reduce waste and increase happiness. We are bringing financial literacy to life in a simple and engaging way. And perhaps the most important thing parents have taught us so far – is that maybe the best way to get children to use Gifting Sense, is for them to see the adults in their life, doing just that!
Wondering what a Gift Survey Is or How They Work? Click on the pink and/or green buttons below and start understanding the true value of a potential purchase today – even if you aren’t asking your parents to pay for it.
