I don’t know about you, but I am hopeless at choosing gifts for other people.

Buying something for myself - no problem. Buying something for someone else - big problem.

It’s not that I’m stingy or cheap, and I love the thrill of giving someone the perfect gift. The problem is that I get a huge mental blank when it comes to deciding what to get, even if it’s someone I know well.

My brain becomes wracked with thoughts of “they’ll think I’m lame if I get that” and eventually I end up going with the trusty old bottle of wine or box of chocolates.

In fact it’s gotten to the point where family members have to tell me specifically what they want, preferably with written directions to the shops and a store map.

I’m not a big fan of giving gift vouchers - I always think, you might as well just give cash - however the vouchers from the Gift Card Store are a great idea as you can show you’ve put a bit of thought into the recipient’s likes and dislikes.

You can pick up a gift card in denominations ranging from $25 to $200 for a range of over 40 Australian retailers across a diverse range of categories including fashion, hardware, electrical, books, fitness and lots more.

Best of all, you can literally get these vouchers at the last minute because they can be purchased from newsagents, Australia Post outlets, 7-Eleven stores and Caltex petrol stations.

What a great idea!

By Caroline Warnes