Many people do not like the idea of giving vouchers for birthday or Christmas as they believe it to be a present that does not take much thought and they also may not like the idea of the recipient knowing exactly how much he or she has paid for their gift.

In fact, a voucher can work out a good idea in many cases as it can be put towards a larger gift such as canvas print wall art for the lounge, contemporary furniture or even a holiday.

Many people are on a much stricter budget than they were just a couple of years ago and they often do not have the money for large ticket spends for the home or holidays for themselves.

Many people are starting to lead the way in actively asking for vouchers for a particular item or service as they know that if quite a few family and friends give them vouchers for what they really want for their birthday then they are likely to have enough vouchers to get it.

I tried this myself last birthday and it worked like a dream. I know it may sound cold hearted but there was nothing that I really needed for my birthday, but on the other hand, I really wanted a block mounted photograph for the lounge, which I would never have forked out for myself.