Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for those of us paired off and in love. If you are in a new relationship, however, Christmas can be a bit unnerving. What do you get for your new love? How much should you spend? How personal should your gift be? These are questions that plague those in the honeymoon stage of their relationship and beyond. There really is no blanket system that will work for every relationship or every person, but here are some basic tips that may make your holiday shopping a little bit easier on you, your piece of mind, and perhaps your wallet.

(1) If you have just started a new relationship, buy a small but meaningful Christmas gift for your significant other. Pick out something that you know that your significant other would appreciate but would not necessarily purchase for themselves. Something like a CD that they have talked about but have not bought for themselves, a movie that you went to see together, or something that they would consider a luxury like a pedicure kit. The more personal, the better, and price should not really be a consideration with this kind of gift. If you find a book that your significant other has been talking about non stop for a month on the half off shelf, consider yourself lucky and maybe throw in a pretty bookmark.

(2) No matter how long you have been together, do not dwell on the price. You should not have to set spending limits. If you spend a lot of time together, you are most likely going to know what expectations are in that capacity. A very expensive but thoughtless gift is not, most likely, going to carry the same meaning as an inexpensive but very thoughtful gift. Just the same, if you set a ten dollar spending limit, but you have had your eyes on a DVD box set that your honey has been drooling over all year, it could cause an argument if you ignore the spending limit.

(3) Do not worry too much about what you think social expectations are in terms of Christmas shopping. Do what feels right to you. If commercials are telling you that your significant other wants a ride on lawnmower, but your gut is saying that they want a new movie and a night at home with you, or tickets to their favorite team's next home game, chances are that you are probably the one that is right. After all, you are the one that is in the relationship.

As a general rule, if you are not sure, anything that initiates together time or an outing/activity is a pretty good and a little bit unusual gift item. Think about planning a Christmas matinee to see that movie that your sweetheart has been talking about non-stop. Make a night of it with dinner before and maybe take-home dessert afterwards. Coupon books are another good idea. Be creative, be thoughtful, but most importantly be yourself.

Michael Contaro About the Author

Michael Contaro is the creator of