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Marianne Combs, Tiffany Hanssen and Elizabeth Shockman

Giving gifts that matter

Target gift cards for sale.
In the best case scenarios, gift cards give our loved ones the freedom to pick out the items they really want from stores we know they like. They also alleviate the stress of trying to find the perfect gifts for our pickier friends and family members.
Amy Sancetta | AP file

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People who give more are depressed less, so science tells us.

So why is it so hard to find a gift for the hard-to-buy-for people? Why do we tie ourselves up in knots?

Help is on the way if you're looking for creative and ethical gift ideas, or even if you hope to take the minimalist approach and give less stuff.

MPR News host Marianne Combs spoke to Erin Boyle, the author of "Simple Matters," and Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business associate professor Jeff Galak.

To listen to the full conversation select the audio player above.