Why I created Nifty Gifty - your ultimate App for mastering gift-giving this Holiday season - or any occasion!

Every year, I dive into the holiday season armed with a massive spreadsheet. It’s my go-to tool for managing Christmas gift giving. This spreadsheet tracks everyone I need to buy for, gift ideas, prices, where to buy them, and even the status of each gift — whether it’s purchased, wrapped, or under the tree. I love spreadsheets, but this year I wanted something better: an app that could handle all these details in one place. When I couldn’t find the perfect Christmas Gift Organizer App, I decided to build one myself. That’s how Nifty Gifty was born.

Nifty Gifty is designed to be the perfect gift organizer for any occasion, not just Christmas. It helps you manage your gift giving with ease, whether you’re planning for weddings, graduations, birthdays, or even custom events you create yourself.

Why I Created Nifty Gifty

I’ve always been the person who loves organizing every detail of gift giving. But every app I tried felt incomplete. Some had wishlists but no budget tracking. Others tracked spending but didn’t let me manage multiple recipients or occasions. I wanted one app that could do it all — track gifts, budgets, wishlists, and even fundraising — all in one place.

The idea was simple: build a tool that lets me be the List Manager (my role in the app) for my gift giving. I wanted to keep track of every person I’m buying for (called Recipients in the app), all the gift ideas I have, and the status of each gift. Nifty Gifty helps me stay on budget and never lose track of what I’ve bought or still need to buy.

My Favorite Feature: The Nifty Gifty Wishlist

If I had to pick one favorite feature, it’s the wishlist. When friends and family ask what I want for Christmas, I add all my ideas to my wishlist in Nifty Gifty. Then I share it with them. They can claim a gift (which means they reserve that gift on the list), so no one buys the same thing twice. I can decide if I want to know who claimed what or keep it a surprise. This feature makes gift giving less stressful and more fun for everyone involved.

Real-Life Example: How I'm using Nifty Gifty This Christmas

This Christmas, I have over 30 people to buy for, including family, friends, and coworkers. Using my usual spreadsheet was getting overwhelming. With Nifty Gifty, I added everyone as Recipients, entered all my gift ideas, and set a budget. As I buy gifts, I update their status in the app. I can see exactly how much I have spent and what's left to buy. Plus a clever countdown to keep me on track!

My daughter used the Nifty Gifty wishlist feature to share her gift ideas with me and her grandparents. We avoided duplicate gifts and made sure she will get exactly what she wants (and that we get the right things!). It saved us time, money, and stress.