How to Select a Gift for Your Best Male Friend

If you are at a loss about what to get your buddy, the following steps can help you.
Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need

* Bookstore/music Gift Certificates
* Greeting Cards
* Ball Game Tickets
* Museum Tickets
* Music Gift Certificates
* Spa Gift Certificates
* Symphony Tickets
* Theater Tickets
* Autographed Pictures
* Sports Cards

Steps

Step One:

Ask him what he wants. A clue could save you a lot of guesswork.

Step Two:

Pay for both of you to take a local fishing trip, play a round of golf, rent Jet Skis or play racquetball.

Step Three:

Surprise him with an unusual piece of memorabilia from his favorite movie or play.

Step Four:

Sign him up for a beer-of-the-month club.

Step Five:

Buy tickets for a sporting event, amusement park, concert or special exhibition.

Step Six:

Find an autographed picture of his favorite sports star or splurge on an old playing card featuring his favorite player.

Step Seven:

Buy something for his car, computer or tool chest.

Step Eight:

Stock a gift basket with his favorite wines, beers and gourmet foods, or give a gift certificate for his favorite restaurant.

Step Nine:

Pay for maid service or yard service for a month.

Step Ten:

Buy a jacket featuring his favorite sports logo.

Tips & Warnings

* Try not to be limited by stereotypes about what guys like. Your friend may well appreciate a book of poetry, a day at the spa or a ticket to a chamber music concert.
* CDs and gift certificates to music stores are always big hits.
* If your friend is into fitness, pay the initial fee for a gym membership or buy him fitness equipment or clothing.
* Prepay for tickets to the car wash.
* If you are a female giving a gift to a male friend, don't give something that implies more intimacy than you are both comfortable with. Photos of yourself, expensive jewelry and racy boxer shorts should be reserved for serious relationships.

Tips for Buying a Cell Phone

There are so many sleek and impressive looking cell phones on the market these days that it's hard to resist the temptation to buy one. There is perhaps very little in the world of modern technology that now rivals the prevalence of the cell phone. Just imagine -- it can help you communicate with practically anyone at practically any time. Plus, you look good doing it, too.

Today's cell phones are so much more than means to communicate. You can use your cell phone as a personal planner, check on breaking news on the internet, send email, take photos, take videos, play games, send text messages and even dial numbers by through mere sound of your voice. Of course, having a phone with all this is not cheap, so it's important to determine just exactly what we need our cell phones to do.

The first choice is almost always dependent on our preference for a wireless service provider. The key items here are the kind of coverage it offers and the type of monthly service plan it has in your location. Once done, you will then have to select from the wide array of phones that your service provider has to offer.

Next, you have to think of the phone's features. If you're a world traveler, then you need a phone with global wireless standard. You will probably need a dual-mode phone that can communicate in both digital and analog. These are much more dependable for globetrotters than single-mode models, especially if you will be going to isolated places or rural areas where digital service may be nonexistent.

The next decision you will make is probably the most fun one: design. Do you want one of those phones that are designed like a clamshell and just flip open? Or are you more inclined towards those that look like candybars and don't flip open? For convenience, flip phones are tougher to use, especially if the base is lighter than the cover. Would you like a phone with a dual screen, the one with a small LCD on the cover as well as an internal display? The main considerations are that the phone should be easy to use, comfortable to your ear and made of a design that reflects your personal tastes.

Finally, you will want to decide on special features. What do you want your cell phone to do? Oftentimes, this consideration is tied in to how much we are prepared to spend, so it's not that difficult a decision after all.