1) Ask the recipient what he/she wants. This of course will ruin the element of surprise but at least the recipient will never be disappointed.

2) Ask the recipient to create a wish list of at least 10 items in various budget ranges (£5-£10, £10-£15, £15-£20, £20-£25, £25-£30, £30 plus). There are many online sites and companies who have an excellent wish list facility.

3) Ask a close friend or family of the recipient what she thinks he/she would like.

4) Join online gift ideas forums and ask for other people\’s opinions and get some inspiration. Who knows, someone might have recently bought a gifts for an 18 year old man or 60 year old woman.

5) Give the recipient a gift voucher to spend in their favourite store.

6) Give the recipient money to spend in any store they want.

7) Stick to what you know. If you know the recipient is a music lover, buy something music related. A gadget for a gadget lover would make sense as well.

If possible, have a nose around the bedroom. Are there signs of anything that you could replace? Worn trainers? Ripped T-shirt? However, be warned, you might get a slap in the face if anyone found out.

9 Look for something that is so unique, the chances of the recipient already owning one will be greatly reduced. Of course this will probably involve spending a bit more time surfing the net and less time on the high street.

10) Buy the gift with another family member, and if you\’re smart enough, you\’ll be able to get away with leaving all the responsibility to them!

My Linh Duong writes articles on gifts and gift ideas. Visit MyRedPacket UK to get some inspiration on gifts ideas including birthday gifts.