Deciding whom to buy presents for during the holiday season can be a daunting task. Of course parents, siblings, significant others, relatives and close friends go on the list, but what about casual acquaintances? Is it possible to ever go back to the hairdresser without the fear of them chopping off all your hair because they did not get a Christmas gift?

The list of acquaintances can go on forever – the postal worker, the newspaper delivery person, the cleaning lady, the front desk staff at an apartment building, the bank teller and on and on. The holiday season is the time of giving, and a little appreciation for most acquaintances always scores some extra brownie points. The biggest problem is figuring out what is appropriate to give and how much to spend, but a good rule of thumb for these types of presents is to link the present with the person’s job.

Books always make good presents. A security guard may like a thrilling best-selling novel to read through the long hours of the night. The mailman might appreciate a nice scarf or pair of gloves to wear while on route in the blistering cold. Christmas socks are always fun and creative, too.

If there is no time left to be creative, a good bottle of wine is a sure bet for anyone on the list. If all else fails, home baked goods make good presents, and, of course, everyone always loves cash.