Holiday Shopping For Him

One of the most exciting things about gift giving is knowing that a special someone will be on your shopping list this year. If you've been dating for only one month or almost a year it can be a challenge of what to get as well as how much is too much to spend on your new love.

Just Met: (Budget: Under $15) The funny thing about timing, you never know when Cupid's arrow will strike you. The biggest dilemma when meeting someone less than a month before the holidays is you don't want to come off too bold, but you still want to buy something that says "I like you, and I'm glad we get to share this day together"

1-3 Months (Budget $15-35) During the first few months, you don't want to go overboard with the gift giving. Try to keep it modest without revealing how much you spent on him. Things like Gift Cards are an easy tell. Try looking out for items that suit his interest. Books on his favorite sports player, a small gift set of his favorite cologne , or a box set of his favorite movie are great choices. 

4-8 Months (Budget $35-50) Now that you've survived the first trimester of the relationship, you have a bit more wiggle room on what to buy for him. By this point you should have increased your knowledge of him, making it easier to find items that he'll really enjoy. Items such as sweaters, appliances, or a nice pair of Nike's will do the trick.

9-12 Months (Budget $40-100+) Congrats! you've survived or (almost) survived the first year. You're now officially eligible to go a little crazy (if you please).

• The reason I personally feel it's best to wait a year is because you're taking the time to give the right amount of appreciation to each stage of the relationship. As much as you would like him to, he's probably not going to propose after just one month of dating a big gesture like that has to be earned nor does he want to scare you away. In my opinion, a ring is just one of the things that have the same affect. You can't put a value on love, but you can prevent yourself from investing too much money on someone too soon before getting to know them. The last thing you want to do is regret buying that Kindle he's been wanting after only knowing him for two weeks.  At the end of the day the budget is your decision just remember to be wise when making your purchases.