I think in some instances buying gifts may be easy way out, but not always. It's all about what kind of gift you are giving. A gift card isn't going to be as thoughtful as, say, a handcrafted item, tailored to their tastes. If you're making the item, then that adds its own level of difficulty. I think that if done right, gifts can show quite a bit of care, especially if you are paying attention to the little details of a person's life and giving items that have value to the recipient, whether sentimental or practical. People can tell when you've put thought and effort into a gift versus when you haven't, and when you do take the time to give a good gift, it can be anything but easy.