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When I first started going with my future wife, I would occasionally buy her things I thought she’d like. How wrong I was. She would look at the thing I bought for her and then look at me like I just bought her a lump of coal.
However, the same woman does not like cash for a gift. “Why can’t you buy me something?” she would wail. No gift cards either. So she must explicitly write down what she wants, and then I can go and get it for her.

Many women seem to want a man that is just like her, only with a hairy chest and something between the legs. Unfortunately for those screwed up morons, its a complete package which includes the “I don’t think like a woman, never will and don’t want to” option, as well as the decided lack of a mind-reading gene. Too bad for them.

I go through the same crap - I’m supposed to read her mind and figure out what she wants, but she never DOES want what I get for her, and then she rejects the cash option. Must be female “logic” (yeah, I know, there’s no such thing, but I’m just trying to illustrate a point here). However, every time we have to buy a present for someone’s wedding or birthday or whatever, I immediately begin lobbying for a pre-paid Visa card or cash - usually it is cheaper, and it definitely involves much less of a waste of time. Plus, I try to reinforce the idea that I can’t read minds, or have the same taste as someone else, and we don’t know what they really need - why don’t we let them choose for themselves, etc. Maybe it’ll begin to pay dividends in another 10 or 20 years.

"we don’t know what they really need - why don’t we let them choose for themselves, etc."

For some reason females seem to think they know what everybody else wants. I've argued the same thing...just send them a gift card or a check. OH NO!!!...can't do that.

How callous of me to suggest that a young person might want a gift card or cash. We must send them a gift of some sort. Of course, my wife is always consorting with her daughters, so she'll usually get something the grandkids like.

But I remember talking with my sisters who used to send me items of clothing I detested for Christmas or my birthday. Most women love clothes and clothes shopping, so they think everybody else i.e. men must love clothes and shopping as much as they do.

One time I told them that sending me food (candy, nuts, etc.) was better than sending me some article of clothing I'd never wear. OH NO!!!... that would be tacky. "You don't really want that" they'd say. They couldn't give me something I'd actually use/eat.

So there was a case of me telling them what I would like, and them telling me that I actually didn't want what I asked for. Female "logic" is very difficult for a male to decipher.