By Scott Lariviere, Staff Writer

Buying gifts is a time honored tradition for many occasions. Some people buy gifts or make them for birthdays, anniversaries, and of course, Christmas.

Here we are in November, not even a month away from December. It’s around this time to start gift shopping. Unless you already did your shopping in advance. Congratulations if you did!

But buying gifts is not your only option. Gifting can be creative whether you’re buying gifts or making them.

Gifting can also be fun! But first, you need to know what interests the person you’re giving a gift to. Perhaps a significant other – what do they like? What would be a pleasant surprise to them?

But why be ordinary? Why just buy the gift they want? Sometimes, it’s fun to change it up. This year, why not do just that.

Instead of buying your significant other something they’ve asked for or they’ve make known they want. Go out on a limb and buy them a gag gift.

Gag gifts can be fun. You just have to get to know the person a little bit if you don’t already. For instance, perhaps they’d like a gift card to Starbucks. Get them a gift card to Dunkin Donuts instead.

You could also shop for something that is the complete opposite of what the person would like. While it sounds like you’d be spending money on something “stupid,” think of it this way: you not only get the laugh of doing a gag gift, the person has the option of returning it if they truly wanted to.

And how you do it can be creative. For instance, you can do a Secret Santa. If you do a Secret Santa plan, you can even save money, too! Talk about a great surprise when you have someone who doesn’t know another person.

Do the secret Santa in your dormitory! Set some rules, for instance, a money limit. Can’t have someone spending $50 while someone else is spending $5.

Then, assign the secret Santas by doing a draw from a hat or any other idea of how to pick at random your secret Santa (though the hat idea is a classic).

When doing a secret Santa, it makes it even funnier when people are opening gifts unsuspecting of who bought them, or made them, the gift.

Good ideas for gag gifts, included, but not limited to: a pooping garden gnome, a pooping Santa (or elf, anything silly like that), a box (literally wrap a box), a box with something in it (something such as plastic water bottles just to make it seem like something substantial is in it).

But apart from gag gifts or secret Santa, there are other methods for gifting in the jolly season. Perhaps you want to take a more serious approach.

If you’re thinking of gifts for your significant other, a gag gift may not be so suitable compared to a romantic one.

Chocolates are a nice extra treat by the way, so get them chocolates along with any other gives you give them. It’s taking it the extra mile and you should enjoy going the extra step for that person.

Gift items are nice. Charm bracelets are a nice idea for a lady-counterpart who might enjoy them, but they can be expensive. Spend wisely. However, I would suggest gifts more in line with experiences. While material gifts are nice and can bring a smile to their face, experience gifts are just as fun.

A nice dinner out somewhere special, perhaps a play at a playhouse. Trinity Repertory in Providence offers the show A Christmas Carol every year. A nice dinner and a show could be a great thing for a couple to do.

Other options include movie nights. Does your significant other like movies? Go watch a good movie. Either do so in a theatre, or if you have a living space you can watch movies in together.

Perhaps your significant other is a gamer. In this case, pick a great video game you can both play together. Depending on what you want to do and how much you want to spend is your first step to picking the ideal gifts.

Remember, what you’d buy for your mom is not what you’d buy for your dad. Or what you’d buy for your cousin is not what you’d buy for your grandma. Always be aware of who you’re giving a gift to. For example, do not buy a professor a gag gift.

So there are many options to pick from for your gift giving experience. Many methods. Cheap or expensive. You can gift a store bought item, or make one yourself.

You can be romantic or funny. You can do one person gifts, or a secret Santa. Whatever you decide on doing, make sure to think about it first.

I look at the following phrase as having two meanings: “It’s the thought that counts.” When people say this they mean just thinking about someone and buying them a gift because you care is a nice gesture that means something.

But, they don’t mean simply that. The other meaning to that phrase when looking closer at it is the “thought” of the gift. Think before you gift. Then, it really is the thought that counts.