5 Ways to Satisfy Your High-Maintenance Friends and Family Members This Christmas

Let's face it - they are almost impossible to please. Most of us have at least one in our lives - a high-maintenance friend or family member whom we agonize over buying a gift for each year as Christmas approaches. We fear that the gift won't be appreciated, so we either get them nothing at all or spend inordinate amounts of time shopping for the "perfect gift" that will finally earn their seal of approval.

While not giving a high-maintenance friend or family member a gift at all for Christmas might seem like a way to teach them a valuable lesson, this is hard to do when one is in the giving spirit. Therefore, if your heart leads you to do something special for them anyway, you should consider the following options:

Treat them to a day at the spa. What better place for a high-maintenance person than the spa, where they will be spoiled and pampered? Of course, they may complain that they "just can't find the time" to get there, in which case you can offer to drive them (use this as an excuse to schedule your own appointment and get a little pampering for yourself while you're waiting).

Give them a Visa Gift Card. This is a little classier than just giving them straight cash (many high-maintenance people will criticize those who give them cash, believing that it was merely a way of getting out of buying a "real" gift). Visa Gift Cards are prepaid and can be used anywhere that accepts regular debit cards.

Invite them to go Christmas shopping with you. If you can stomach taking your high-maintenance friend or family member along with you on a Christmas shopping trip, they will be likely to comment on at least one item that they like. If it is within your price range, you can either offer on the spot to buy it for them as a Christmas gift or make a mental note of the item and return to the store at a later date to get it for them as a surprise.

Buy them a personalized gift. Anything tastefully crafted that has their favorite photo on it, their names or monograms should go over well. Things Remembered and the Personalization Mall are two of my favorite internet sites to visit when searching for such items. If they love sports or have special hobbies, you can also get them gifts that relate to these specific themes.

Play Santa. You don't have to dress up like Santa (although this would certainly add to the entertainment value), but you can give your high-maintenance friend or love one an opportunity to create a "wish list," and offer to buy at least one item on the list for them. Unfortunately, many high-maintenance people have expensive taste, so you may need to preface your wish list idea with a statement like, "My funds are kind of low this year, but I would really like to buy you a special gift..." Let's hope they'll get the hint and be sensitive enough to scale down their choices!

If all else fails, at least you tried... Christmas isn't about jumping through hoops to try to make someone happy who can't appreciate the sentiment behind your efforts. Opt instead for making the holiday shopping process stress-free so that you will still have some energy left to enjoy that special day.