Christmas shopping for the spouse

We are beginning our 24th year of marriage and it seems that every  year that goes by, Christmas shopping gets more difficult. Speaking for myself, I have learned over the years what I can and cannot give my wife as gifts. On the cannot list are kitchen items, clothing, and perfumes. The can list has jewelry and craft related items. I've almost reached the point of mutual gift buying, meaning she gets what she wants and I get what I want, but that really isn't fun.
For the more seasoned folks, how do you handle Christmas shopping for your spouse?

For spouse, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, etc.:
For a major gift, just ask them what they want.
For "surprise" gifts, pick something unusual from their favorite category (in your case, jewelry & crafts); or a gift certificate to her favorite (or a new-in-town) craft store or jewelry store. 
Does she have a favorite animal?  If so, a piece of jewelry in the shape of that animal, etc.

We've been married 53 years, 14 of them happily! We don't give gifts to each other anymore. Instead, we use that $$$ to buy airline tickets to go see the Grandkids and take other trips. We both enjoy that more than some superfluous gift to each other. If you and your bride enjoy doing something together, suggest you try that option. 

Foodbme


We don't give gifts to each other anymore. Instead, we use that $$$ to buy airline tickets to go see the Grandkids and take other trips. We both enjoy that more than some superfluous gift to each other. If you and your bride enjoy doing something together, suggest you try that option. 

We do something similar.  Money that would've gone for birthday, Christmas, anniversary, and other gifts is instead used for a baseball season ticket package.
 
Brad

Life at Christmas is easy when you're married to a Muslim!
 
(Interestingly enough, she is the one who insists on a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations)!

It must be at least a dozen years since our family stopped exchanging gifts and decided we'd rather spread Christmas cheer instead.  We start out by buying $20 worth of $1 scratch off holiday themed instant lottery tickets the day after Thanksgiving.  Then we give them out with a "I hope you have a lucky holiday this year" greeting.  We replenish the supply as it gets low.
 
It could be to a clerk or cart person in a retail or grocery store, a teller at the bank, a shopper trying to handle a crying toddler, and dozens of others.  They're usually a little bit surprised and then a smile lights up their face.  
 
It gives us a warmer feeling than an "as seen on TV" Snuggie.

Pay attention to the clues throughout the year. Believe me, there are clues. That's what you buy.

Foodbme


We've been married 53 years, 14 of them happily! We don't give gifts to each other anymore. Instead, we use that $$$ to buy airline tickets to go see the Grandkids and take other trips. We both enjoy that more than some superfluous gift to each other. If you and your bride enjoy doing something together, suggest you try that option. 

LOL, which 14?

ScreamingChicken

Foodbme


We don't give gifts to each other anymore. Instead, we use that $$$ to buy airline tickets to go see the Grandkids and take other trips. We both enjoy that more than some superfluous gift to each other. If you and your bride enjoy doing something together, suggest you try that option. 

We do something similar.  Money that would've gone for birthday, Christmas, anniversary, and other gifts is instead used for a baseball season ticket package.

Brad

 
You have a baseball team in Wisconsin?

I bought my ex-wife a handgun for xmas one year. She told me that if I bought her anything but jewelry the next year, she'd use it on me. She got a lovely diamond and ruby necklace the next year, to match a ring her great grandmother had given her (that was my idea).
 
At least I got the gun in the divorce.

we have only been married 30 years, we don't get each other anything, if we want something  we buy it during the year when we want it

Same here - we've been married either 25 or 27 years - I'm not good with time passages - I remember dates but not years. 
 
For the first few years we did the gift buying thing for each other and it was okay.  Now we just do it all year and skip the Christmas, birthday & anniversary thing.  It's much more fun for us to both select things we want to buy - whether at a store or online - when we decide to buy something we really want.