Whether you’re thinking about your mum, your boss, your girlfriend, or your wife, you can earn major brownie points simply by remembering her birthday. However, you’ll score a lot more points if you buy her something she wants, or at least something you’re sure she will enjoy. There are two main ways to achieve this amazing feat.

If you have some insight into her nature or her hobbies, you can easily find something she might appreciate. Having regular interactions with her can help you do this. If you know her well, you can probably find out her birthday preferences organically, but if not, some concerted effort might be required.

Set out on a quest to find out what she wants for her birthday. You could just come out and ask her directly, though this – obviously – reduces the points you will earn. An alternative is to be more sneaky. Take her on a casual errand to the mall and take note of the shops and items she gravitates towards.

You might also ask those close to her, since they may have a better idea of what she wants and likes. If all else fails, look online for a list of ‘top gifts for her’. Refine your search using her date of birth, or the current season. For example, ‘Top birthday gifts for Spring 2017’ will narrow your scope and improve your chances to impress.

Keep in mind that gifts are not necessarily material things. Depending on the kind of woman she is, she may be happier with theatre tickets, a donation to charity, a mountain hike, a fancy dining experience, or a coupon that lets her sleep in while you take the kids off her hands for the weekend.

Another factor you may overlook is exactly what your gift expresses. You might think a bottle of her favourite perfume is a perfectly logical gift, but depending on the price of said perfume, it may feel more like a marriage proposal … or worse, an inappropriate proposition if she’s an office subordinate.

At this point, you may have decided this is too much work and that you’d be better off with a generic birthday present. Well, if you’re completely at your wit’s end, you could still make a big impression without going out of your way. How? Gift baskets.

In many ways, a gift hamper is a perfect gift. You can spend as little as $50 or as much as $500 and she will still feel appreciated because hampers are designed to pack a punch. Regardless of what you spend, the construction of gift baskets offers value for money.

Usually, a gift basket has more than one item, so the receiver always feels like they’ve received multiple gifts in one, and that ups the value factor. Plus, since gift baskets have different items that are loosely related, there’s a bigger chance that one of those myriad gifts will be something she genuinely enjoys.

Many gift baskets come with a card where you can write a personalised message that takes the generic element out of it. If you can’t think of what to say, you could even put lyrics to a song she likes … or at least a song with her name in it.

Most women love chocolate as birthday gift hamper with some decadent sweets will be a hit, as long as she’s not diabetic or lactose intolerant. Try a Chocolate Box Hamper that has Melting Moments, dark and white chocolate, and some sparkling Chandon. If her tastes are more savoury, go with a Cheese and Wine Hamper that includes crisps, dip, and brie.

For your mum or baby sister, celebrate her sugar and spice with an All Things Nice hamper. It’s filled with pink delights like a plush throw, a cosmetics kit, perfume, lip balm, hand cream, and a scented candle. Avoid giving this one to your colleagues or your boss, since you might get accused of sexist sentiment.

If your birthday girl prefers to lay off the tipple, get her a gift hamper based on coffee or tea, and throw in a good book. It could be something off Oprah’s reading list, or something more personalised. If you’ve spotted with a particular book, get her a title by the same author. It tells her you’re observant, and it will probably carry favour with her for years to come.