How I stopped saving links to myself
The story of a wishlist that unexpectedly reformed its owner — and saved a few friendships in the process. The characters are fictional, the situations all too real.
Prologue: Morning Chaos
It all started when I opened a new jar of coffee and found a sticker on the lid: "New Chemex." I’d stuck it there about six months ago after spotting a discount online. The discount was long gone — but the desire hadn’t gone anywhere.
Sticky notes, screenshots, saved links. My phone looked like ten different people had been scrolling it for a year. And all of them were me.
Chapter 1: "Make a list," said a friend
As my birthday approached, my friends faced the usual challenge: “What do you want?” I replied, “Anything, I don’t really know.”
That evening, Dmytro (adopt name for the US) sent me a link:
Try wishpicks.com — like Pinterest, but actually useful for gifts.
I rolled my eyes. Another app. But no signup required, so I gave it a go. First, I added the Chemex — just in case the discount came back. Then a book I’d seen in a “10 Must-Reads” reel. Then a few more things I’d recently thought about.
Suddenly, the list felt... calm. No chaos.
Chapter 2: Three discoveries in one evening
1. Tags — not just for Instagram
I added a few tags to my wishes: #coffee, #home, #finally. Later that night, I tapped on #coffee and instantly saw everything related to my little barista dreams. Filtering, no spreadsheets required.
2. "Really want" vs. "Someday maybe"
As a kid, I color-coded candy with markers. On Wishpicks, this is called priorities. I dragged the Chemex into “Top priority,” left the book at “Want,” and the cat-shaped mug went into “Love it” — because cats defy logic.
3. A surprise that stays a surprise
A week before my birthday, I shared the list with friends. Dmytro reserved the book. I didn’t see what anyone had picked until the day itself — when the gifts arrived. No duplicates. No spoilers.
That quiet bit of mystery? Surprisingly powerful.
Chapter 3: Every list has its own vibe
A week later, I made three more lists:
Vacation Mode — swim trunks, towel, power bank, new sandals. Shared it with my travel group so we could all prep without the usual last-minute chaos.
Do Before 35 — a private one. Guitar. Italian lessons. That long-delayed road trip. My little archive of dreams.
Home Upgrade — shared with my partner. It’s public via link, so when family asks, “What do you need?”, we just send it over. There’s always a few towels that match our interior. And we’d genuinely appreciate getting them.
Chapter 4: When price tracking saves the day
One morning: “Chemex -40%.” I clicked “Buy.” For once, I actually bought something at the right moment — not two weeks later when the price hit its annual high 🫠.
Epilogue: Why this post exists
Because now, when someone says “Don’t get me anything,” I just send them a Wishpicks link and add:
Be honest about what you want — or you're getting the cat mug.
Wishpicks is my small way of adding order to a world where forgetting is easier than remembering.
Oh — and the cat mug? Still on the list. Priority: Love it. If you’re hunting for gift ideas... just saying 😉.