Ways to Say Thank You

Saying thank you can be so difficult, but also so important. Whether we’re accepting a gift, have been given a new job, or somebody has done us some sort of favor or service, it is part of human culture (and one of the better parts of human culture) to say thank you. It’s not always easy, but there are loads of ways to say thank you and show your gratitude to your fellow human being, whether they’re a loved one or a stranger. Here are some of our ideas:

With an embrace

We don’t live in a world where hugging strangers is accepted as the norm, but to a loved one or a good friend, a hug might go a long way, especially if it’s somebody you don’t always show a lot of love to and take for granted, say a mother or grandparent. You need to use your own initiative to tell whether in a particular situation a hug is appropriate, but assuming it is then why not hug it out, guys!

With a letter

Writing a thank you letter is an old classic, but it definitely works. This costs you only a tiny amount of money to write and send. It may take quite a bit of time, but people will know that you have worked hard on it, and appreciate the thought that goes into even a brief thank you letter, and may well treasure it. To family, letters can be very precious and a keepsake to remind them of past events and happy times. If you have a way with words this can also be one of the most emotional ways to say thank you and can bring a smile to a face or a tear to the eye.

Letters are also useful for formal situations, say for somebody who has helped you greatly at work or in a professional manner, a gift or a hug is not going to be appropriate but a nicely worded letter is perfectly fine.

With a gift

A gift not always called for and can sometimes even be considered a little strange, but lets say a neighbor has looked after your pet whilst you took a much needed holiday, a gift is a fantastic way of showing your appreciation. It doesn’t have to be expensive, or particularly inventive either, how about a bottle of wine, box of chocolates or some flowers? The old ways are always the classics, and of course it helps keep them sweet for next time you need a helping hand. Be careful not to make somebody feel uncomfortable, if you often do each other favors this can quickly become a competition about who can buy the more expensive bottle of wine. You wouldn’t buy someone a ferrari because they watered your plants for a week, make sure the gift is a token gesture rather than something they might think twice about accepting.

A Thank You Card

Similar to a letter in sentiment, but also shows that you’ve gone out of your way to think of the person and buy them something that will look good on a mantelpiece, and will undoubtedly be kept. What I love about thank you cards is that they can say a lot more than a letter through their use of images, I love buying funny cards (just make sure you’re not dealing with sensitive issues when you buy a humorous thank you card. Again, they don’t have to be expensive, but will go a long way and bring a smile to somebody’s face, which is what saying thank you is all about.

Check out some really lovely (and some funny) thank you cards you can buy on Amazon.

Repay Favors

This is probably the best way to say thank you if a favour has been done, with your effort! Show somebody that you’re willing to help them out with your skills and efforts as much as they are with theirs, and that you care about their needs just like they cared about yours in the first instance. The ultimate gratitude, and one that doesn’t usually cost any money, which could be argued to even more effectively show how thankful you are.

Buy them a drink

My favorite  A personal, friendly and sociable way to thank somebody is to take them out for a drink, not necessarily romantic at all, just a friendly way to thank someone, and to build a friendship. Of course, this could even be the perfect way to find an excuse to ask that special someone to your favorite bar, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

With a Skill You Possess

One of the great ways to say thank you is to think long and hard about a skill you have and how that can help someone, this is a far more unique way to thank somebody. and often combines the gift element with the effort element, for instance an amateur flower arranger could create their own bouquet of flowers as a thank you gift, a mechanic could fix the problem on somebodies car or a musician could compose a quick song for them or include a thank you in the sleeve notes of an album! It depends how big a gesture you would like to make ultimately.

In a Different Language

Well this is certainly a fun one! I realize your situation may not call for this, but if you are thanking somebody from a foreign country it can be great to do so in their native tongue! Check out this brilliant video describing how to say thank you in lots of different languages.

That concludes my guide, for now at least, I’m always making changes to the site. Happy thanking, folks! If you have any more ways to say thank you you’d like to share, drop us a comment!