Presents for people who don't want 'things'

(64 Posts)
iheartdusty Sun 29-Sep-13 21:38:21

I'd love to hear your suggestions, as nearly everyone I buy for is in this category now, mostly adults over 40.

Charity gifts/ goats etc are always a possibility, but please add your other ideas!

So far I have come up with:

Magazine subscription.
( eg this new cycling mag on special offer, 3 issues for £5)

Theatre vouchers
National Art pass
Cookery course
Food foraging course

iheartdusty Mon 30-Sep-13 21:11:34

yes, good points about not being tactless smile

Kikibee Mon 30-Sep-13 21:13:51

We were given theatre vouchers for the west end once, we don't live in London so we gave them away, total waste of in law's money and crap present!

Would rather have nothing tbh or summat homemade, although I am aware that I am in the minority on mn for that, I would never through homemade presents in the bin unlike some posters sad

Kikibee Mon 30-Sep-13 21:14:23

*not through, throw, sorry blush

YouHaveAGoodPoint Mon 30-Sep-13 21:21:22

My MIL all her adult kids and their partners and an expensive pillow a few ago. I thought that was a great present for people that don't want presents. They were expensive enough to be a special treat.
I really appreciated it.

mirry2 Mon 30-Sep-13 21:22:08

What about vouchers for facials or manicures (for people who like their beauty treatments)?
Bottles of wine are always welcome in our house but not scented candles. I just don't like them. Their smell and flickering give me a headache.

nbee84 Mon 30-Sep-13 21:27:58

We're not that far from London - just outside the M25.

Four times we have received theatre vouchers or tickets for a West End show. Train travel is expensive - tickets for 2 works out at £35 + £5 parking at the train station. And with the timing of the shows and the travel time you need to eat out and a 'reasonable meal' (ie not burger or pizza) will cost around £20 or so for the two of us. So our 'gift' ends up costing us about £60 - which could be better spent elsewhere really.

FavoriteThings Mon 30-Sep-13 21:31:14

I had a drawing done once of my dads dog . That went down very well. Have to get in early with that one though, as the artist has his work cut out to get them all done by christmas. [really this is a "thing", but a bit different?]

Ragwort Mon 30-Sep-13 21:34:41

Why not just ask people what they want? confused.

I am with one or two others on this thread in that I just don't want anything else in my life grin. And yes, I have at least four or five sets of nice wine glasses!

Fortunately my parents, siblings & ILs are all in agreement and we no longer 'exchange' gifts - if we the opportunity arises we share a nice meal or similar.

Agree that theatre/cinema tickets can be of little use unless you live near a theatre or cinema (our nearest cinema is 40 miles away grin); one year I did give my mum a manicure voucher but she confessed years later that she'd never used it !

I don't like scented candles or any sort of beauty treatment (well, I've never had any beyond a haircut, but think I would hate it). But, they do seem to go down well with a lot of people.

The dog drawing is a nice idea smile. Book tokens?

Dilidali Mon 30-Sep-13 21:43:36

Go ape vouchers.
Harry Potter world.
Drawing lesson.
Upholstering/sewing/card making one day courses (I had an indian head massage one, it was lovely!)
Hockey game tickets/ice skating.

Hope that helps smile

iheartdusty Mon 30-Sep-13 21:49:31

more great ideas, thanks

Stinkyfeet Mon 30-Sep-13 21:59:32

Gardening vouchers have always gone down well with my mum and mil.

kiwik Mon 30-Sep-13 22:42:54

I'm notoriously difficult to buy for according to my family (I'm not - I like loads of things!). I was given this last year, which is fab if you like experiementing in the kitchen:

moodyblues Mon 30-Sep-13 22:50:30

I bought a voucher for tea for two at seaside resort hotel (20 miles away from our home town) for my inlaws.

They visit the resort regularly so I knew it wouldn't annoy them to travel there. They got the tiny sandwiches, tiny cakes and tea with a lovely sea view all for the princely sum of £20.00!

They used it this summer and had a lovely afternoon - or so they told us!

Follyfoot Mon 30-Sep-13 22:51:24

Do any of them like walking? One of my DH's favourite presents ever was a year's subscription to Ordnance Survey mapping. He can mark things on the maps and print off the exact sections he wants. Think you can also download your routes to gps. Its only £20.

YouHaveAGoodPoint Mon 30-Sep-13 22:58:46

FollyFoot. That's a good present, I would love that myself.

I have been inspired by another thread How about a Personalised Number Plate. grin grin

The OS one sounds really good Folly - I'd like that and I think so would my brother.

Follyfoot Tue 01-Oct-13 21:57:07

Glad you like the idea, he's enjoyed it so much that he has it as a birthday or Christmas present from someone in the family every year now. More info here:

SunshineAndPeardrops Thu 03-Oct-13 09:38:07
fuzzpig Thu 03-Oct-13 11:15:50

Cinema vouchers went down really well with my DSDs - also got them tokens for the local milkshake bar which had them hopping with excitement. Unfortunately they loved it so much they now have unlimited cinema cards (one paid by me in exchange for fortnightly babysitting grin) so can't use that again! I may do more food related vouchers in the future though - they tend to stick to mcDs as it's the cheapest but I think they'd appreciate something a bit nicer.

Personally I would love to have a restaurant voucher to somewhere nice as DH and I hardly ever go out to eat properly.

fuzzpig Thu 03-Oct-13 11:17:19

Oh and DSS was happy with a ticketmaster gift card (he's an adult so no worries about people having to take them to the show he chose with his gf)

fuzzpig Thu 03-Oct-13 11:26:43

It is a 'thing' but I'm asking for art this year. Am on a mission decluttering our home and in the process of ditching loads of Stuff I began to realise what really makes me happy. So from my parents I've asked for a framed print of The Snail by Matisse smile

You have to really know the person's taste to do that though - DH and my parents have been spot on in the past but they are the only people I really talk about art with.

And it's daft really, I would never actually think to buy something like that for myself, even though the Snail has been a favourite for years.

I'm also going to get a framed poster of DD's favourite (starry night) although obviously she will get actual 'things' too, being 6 grin

MinesAPintOfTea Thu 03-Oct-13 11:51:59

Definitely not vouchers: you have restricted where they can spend money without actually going to the thought of choosing a gift.

DH and I generally buy each other tickets to something, but then we go out together so its not an imposed cost. Why don't you suggest you will treat them to a single pint meal out or in, with you doing all the work, as a family, it would probably be more appreciated than something you can wrap up.

The Spicery are very good for people who like interesting food.

DH was given a 3 month voucher for Christmas last year. Every month he got a spice kit with instructions and a recipe for a particular recipe. The recipes were all very easy to follow, the food was delicious and we tried some really interesting flavours.

He enjoyed it so much that he gave me the same thing for our anniversary (different recipes though).

I'd recommend it 100%.

Rooners Thu 03-Oct-13 12:00:36

I have a mother who hates being given things. So we agreed not to buy for each other. The children will make her cards sometimes or buy her something very tiny.

I honestly think that Christmas gifts are best kept for children, and if someone doesn't need anything then really what is the point?

I don't need anything either, well if I do I tend to get it for myself iyswim. When buying stuff becomes such a chore then maybe it is time to cut off from the obligation to spend, you're helping save the planet too.

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