Gift-giving guides recommend a shared wishlist, which removes the surprise, the suspense and the chance to be disappointed on purpose.
Seed the hints early. Mention in May that the casserole dish is on its last legs; note in August that you’d love a new tablet if only there were time to buy one. Then, when asked directly in December, insist you want nothing at all. Our researchers have run this for six Christmases and received socks each time, which they also mentioned, in March, that they didn’t need.