My wife and I don’t really buy each other gifts anymore. We just buy ourselves something we want and say, “This is my Christmas gift from you!” Repeat for birthdays, etc.
This is what I prefer. Instead of getting a gift card and feeling obliged to buy something from X retailer. Sometimes I just don’t want to buy something from them. Whether it’s cheaper elsewhere, or I just don’t trust them for that item so I either have to pay more just to use the gift card, or risk getting a knockoff.
With straight cash money I can spend it whenever I want, on whatever I want, wherever I want.