Everyone has at least one pedestrian condiment, seasoning, or consumable sundry that they burn through at an alarming rate. I have two—Diet Coke and Maldon salt. For my significant other, it’s ketchup. As I’ve mentioned previously, identifying and then purchasing an obscene amount of someone’s favorite mundane food item makes for a fantastic gift:
The food or beverage doesn’t have to be fancy—in fact, it’s much more effective if it’s not. The cheaper and more common the food, the more you can buy of it, and the more visually impressive your gift will be. My friend Dan—you know Dan—bought a college girlfriend a Costco-sized amount of instant ramen, and she was thrilled by the veritable wall of noodles. (Besides your local restaurant supply store, Costco is the best place to purchase this type of gift.)
I have given my boyfriend a large amount of ketchup several times now, and he is always—without fail—absolutely delighted by it. (Is it a little lazy? Sure, but there’s nothing wrong with buying someone a lot of something you know they love.)
