Gifts for people who have everything
If you’re still scratching your head over what to buy someone on your Christmas list, you should think about buying them an ‘experience’ instead of a traditional ‘wrap it up and put it under the tree’ present. For someone who has everything that opens and shuts, the last thing they need it two of them, and long after a traditional gift has gone out of style or given up the ghost, the memory of a great experience remain.
There are a few sites on the Net that offer these ‘experience’ gifts, some of which I’ll cover between now and Christmas, but the newest kid on the block is iWish iWish, and it offers something a little different from the adrenalin rush of a parachute jump or a relaxing day on Sydney Harbour.
The offerings on the iWish iWish site focus more on services that are performed in your home. The idea for the site was born when a new mother found herself surrounded by gifts after the birth; as grateful as she was, all she really wished for was someone to do the housework or wax her neglected eyebrows, which will strike a chord with anyone who’s been in the same situation — hence the site’s name.
At iWish iWish, you can buy a range of services from home maintenance to a five-star romantic dinner at home to a personal style makeover or a dog walker. Prices range from $1 for a one-hour trial IT consult to $6,500 for a live-in personal trainer for a week, so there’s something for every budget, although you won’t get a whole lot for under $100.
You can search for services by category, keyword, location and price, and if you can’t choose, the site has suggestions by gender or you can buy a gift voucher.
Gail Lipscombe has worked for some of Australia's hottest tech magazines for over 10 years. In her blog, she focuses on demystifying technology, gadgets and the web for average consumers.