Great Indian Middle Class and the Science of Gifting.

I am also part of Indian Middle Class, not only it reflects in my less than abundant income but also on my abundant “middle” – so don’t take it personally .

It starts with a humble invitation to your son for a birthday party and, the ordeal begins. Parents quickly get into a huddle and start discussing as if Bhutan has attacked India, all they are deciding is what to gift?.  It’s a big thing, and it’s a rocket science. 

To make your job easier, here are rules which you must keep in mind before buying that gift.

Venue of the party: It’s a big thing, an average buffet lunch at the Yellow Chilli at Powai or a meal at Piizza Hut costs around 300, so take that into consideration. Actually, lunch at five star would be more than 1500 per person but as I said it’s about middle class, so forget it. 

Quid Pro Quo: You may have heard “What you give is what you get”, so rack your brains on what you got when it was your kid’s b’day. You can always use a magnifying glass to read the price tag of those gifts. If you are confused between 699 or 899, assume it’s 699, add inflation and you are ready. In case you are finding it difficult to read the price of the gift you got, google it. 

Recycling: This is actually eco (economics, stupid ) friendly . Pick up any of the gift you got at your kid’s b’day. Yes,  you can even use the same wrapper but at least buy a new gift tag. Caution : Always tag the gifts you got with “who gave them” so that you don’t end up giving the same back. 

Discount Sales: In India, twice a year, there are discount sales where leading stores offer discounts as high as Up to 70% , this is actually a good time to buy gifts. I know that your friend’s daughter’s b’day is two months away but then that Barbie store is offering discounts now, so buy the gift now. 

Disclaimer : This post doesn’t cover if it’s your Boss’s son’s b’day. Actually, those gifts are not mere gifts they are investments which may impact your appraisals. So be a little generous there, even if you have to apply for a small loan, do and invest in buying a gift which is not only costly but also perceived to be costly. It’ll go a long way.


PS: Do comment, share if you got some more gifting ideas, would be happy to post ( with credits).

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