Organise a gift-shopping list

Five fields per recipient

One row per person, five columns before you look at a single product: what they actually need, their size or preference, your budget, the date it must arrive by, and the flexibility you have on the substitute.

• Need, in their words where possible, not in yours.
• Size, with the sizing system — UK, EU or a stated measurement.
• Budget ceiling in GBP, decided before browsing.
• Latest arrival date, plus the dispatch time you can rely on.
• Substitute acceptable: yes, no, or only within the same category.

Alternatives and fallbacks

Record one alternative per row, chosen in advance. It stops you panic-buying something unsuitable at full price three days before the date, and it gives you a second option if the first is out of stock. Mark whether the alternative is a genuine substitute or a different kind of gift.

Holiday and celebration dates should be checked for the year in question rather than assumed, especially where a bank holiday affects dispatch or delivery. No promotion is claimed here: if you see an offer, verify it with the retailer and record its terms as described in recording coupon conditions.

Packaging notes

Add two lines: whether the seller offers gift packaging, and whether the outer parcel will show the contents. If the recipient is opening it in front of you, neither matters much. If it is being sent directly, both do — and the packaging choice also affects the parcel size used in packing decisions.

Arrival check

When the parcel arrives, check it against the row: correct item, correct size, no transit damage, and the packaging intact enough to hand over. Log the date and any issue using the parcel timeline, keep the address details from the delivery checklist on file until the gift is given, and price everything at the hipobuy spreadsheet home page.