Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
While some people love getting gifts, others are bigger fans of giving instead of receiving them. Well, to each their own. Yet, even those who love the latter option might still struggle with finding the right present from time to time. Luckily, we’re here to help them with today’s list.
It’s full of the most seemingly random presents, yet netizens’ experience has proven them to be good choices for gifts, especially for those people who claim or seem to “have everything,” since these people are the toughest to shop for. Hopefully today we’re going to make this challenge a little bit easier.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Years ago when we lived in a big city with small children, and limited funds, my MIL gave us a membership to the Zoo. The following year, The Nature and Science museum. We used these so often and they were wonderfully enriching, and helped reduce being out in the hubbub and spending money. We have so many fond memories with our kids.
RELATED:
#2
So my lifelong bestie (both F over 60) decided a few few years ago to forgo all the tchotchkes and such in exchange for experiences. So we gift things like museum tickets & Shows, food delicacies, Day trips, dinners ect. Nothing that takes up space. One great one is the National Park Pass. Seniors’ is lifelong others are yearly.
#3
Baked goods are things older people who either have it already or can get it if they want. I just made banana bread & snickerdoodles & took them to my neighbors. They're in their 80s and seemed over the moon to get goodies. She said if he's good, he can have a small piece & he said she won't know that I sneak pieces all day long. They were SO cute! They said they planned to have the bread tomorrow morning with coffee. I was glad to take them a little treat & that they were so appreciative. Sometimes it's hard to know what to give, but home baked goodies usually goes over pretty well.
Firstname Lastname 1 month ago
I am giving my mate homemade banana bread! Plus there are so many puns to add to the card instead of buying a generic one for five dollars off the shelf.
It’s likely that gift-giving exists as long as humans do. For instance, cavemen used to give each other unusually shaped rocks, animal teeth, and things like that. Nowadays, you probably would consider it rather weird if you gave someone stuff like that, but luckily there are plenty of other things you can gift.
This list is full of such ideas. All of them were suggested by people in various corners of the internet, and so we decided to make one comprehensive list for your convenience. Hopefully, this list will be a good gift guide for you, especially when it comes to buying presents for those people, who seemingly have everything they could want.
#4
Recommendations- car safety kit with jumper Cables and a windshield breaker/ seatbelt cutter tool. Something I've never thought to buy myself but def need!
Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
I am astonished that the average person doesn't know how to jump a car battery. And apparently they no longer teach you how to change a tire in driver's ed!
#5
I gave my dad socks with my face on it last year. He gets a kick out of wearing them when I’m around.
#6
I really enjoy when someone makes something for me. It can be anything, it doesn't matter. In a world where A) I can buy what I want through the year and B) I try to not accumulate stuff, it means a lot when someone spends their time and talent to create something new that I can have. It's unique and means more than anything they could possibly buy me.
But why do we as humans feel this need to give gifts at all? Well, when we mentioned cavemen gifting things to each other, they did it to strengthen their bonds. The same accounts for the modern day too – by giving someone a present you acknowledge them as a part of your life, as a bond worth strengthening.
Gifts also help people build lasting memories, demonstrate thoughtfulness, express feelings of appreciation, and benefit their social lives in many other ways.
But there’s more than just social bonds when it comes to giving presents. There’s also inner satisfaction. Several studies have shown that a person spending money on someone other than themselves promotes inner happiness.
#7
If you’re using standard size Bath Towels, do yourself a solid and upgrade to a Bath Sheet. Standard towels feel like a napkin by comparison.
#8
A pot of honey. Actually, any good food/drink that the gift receiver will enjoy (bonus if it’s a speciality to the area the gift giver is from). Even if they have everything, they’ll use up food. And they can always regift it, too, if it’s not exactly their cup of tea.
#9
Recommendation: Thermapen thermometer
I’ve gotten many people thermapen cooking thermometers. I love mine and everyone that I’ve gotten them for all seemed to love them as well.
Sillywaster Stayalone 1 month ago
Kudos that you understand the need to measure the temperature of what you eat or drink, for I just understand two states - will it burn my tongue or not.
Basically, being generous creates interaction between the parts of the brain associated with processing social information and feeling pleasure, something that’s called a “warm glow.” With this interaction, the brain receives oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone.”
The “warm glow” sometimes can be described as an “impurely altruistic” feeling, as it encompasses both altruistic and egoistic motivations. A person might simply want to do a good deed, which is the former side, but at the same time, they might not be opposed to being recognized for said deed. Yet, some people are just truly altruistic and do good things for the sake of it.
#10
I got my dad a titanium Stanley mug. I took it out to check it out (I mean, a $100 mug come on) and it is indeed very satisfying to hold.
Guy has everything. I found a k****r discount to get it in the $60 range.
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
People have been sneering at Stanley a lot lately because of their recent popularity, but the fact is their products are about the best on the market. They have been for decades. Virtually indestructible and they come with a lifetime warranty. Well worth the money.
#11
Recommendation - Custom calendar
I give my parents this every year. My siblings and I collaborate to compile photos throughout the year, so we can put those photos for each month. For every sibling’s birthday, we have photos of us with our parents AND a custom message for them. It’s something we all get to see in our home daily :)
*Not BIFL, but shoot the concept can be xD.
#12
Heating blanket? Everyone loves a blanket. You could also do custom photo blankets or something along those lines but idk.
Some might argue that feeling good about doing a good thing makes the action selfish, a debate that happened in one of the Friends episodes. Yet, one of the TV show’s fans kind of debunked this whole debate by pointing out that feeling good about a charitable act isn’t an inherently bad thing; it only becomes so when the good feeling is the sole motivation for it.
This whole feeling-good thing leads to some people preferring giving gifts over receiving them, or at least feeling similarly about these two actions. Research shows that both of them have similar levels of oxytocin reward response.
#13
Imo as someone who basically buys everything i want (and everything i can't afford don't make good gifts anyways), there are really only 2 types of gifts that I really like:
1. you really really know me well and get me something that I actually didn't know I wanted. but it's super easy to miss on this and end up gifting something that's redundant. for example, I like keyboards and photography - so an artisan keycap is a good gift but a camera bag or camera strap is terrible (since I probably already did a ton of research and got my own already)
2. consumables. coffee/tea is pretty reliable, as is fancy soaps/lotions. my favorite gift to receive is homemade cookies though.
#14
Upgrade an item they have to a BIFL version.
#15
Recommendation: a fire extinguisher
For those dad's that are always helping you around your house, look at their fire extinguisher! It's often overlooked when they expire. Maybe they splurged on an EV and need a special one for that. Maybe they have one for the kitchen but not the workshop.
Got one for my impossible to buy for dad last year. It's something you don't think about often but will be grateful to have.
https://elementfire.com/ is what I'm getting for him this year, something to keep in his car.
So, as you can see, gift-giving is way more than a simple social bonding activity. It’s also a complex inner matter that can lead to, let’s say, interesting life situations – whether it’s unexpected reactions from receivers, the efforts you have to put in to find that gift, or anything else. Well, we can only hope that our list will help you with the latter.
Do you have any other ingenious gift ideas you want to share? Do so in the comment section!
#17
Popcorn Movie Night Kits off Amazon……about $25. Gave them out to my neighbors last year and they were a hit.
#18
If you are making consumable food items, buy nicer ingredients than you might normally. The really nice cocoa, chocolate chips, actual cinnamon and vanilla, more expensive nuts, etc.
#19
I tend to stick to simple items that are used everyday, but a little more $ that folks may not usually want to splurge on themselves. Yeti mugs, bath towels from restoration hardware, etc.
#20
A trail camera to capture pictures of wildlife on the acreage, or a telescope for looking at the moon.
#21
A unique bird feeder and high quality bird seed to attract interesting birds or the rare seed catalogue, which is beautiful and if you like gardening can read for a year, which I do!
#22
One of those digital picture frames and you can send pictures of your daughter.
#24
My parents have everything they could ever want and I’m a broke college student, but they own a bar, and when they started getting into craft cocktails, so did I. When I turned 18 I started working there, and have gotten more and more into hospitality, cocktail history, flavors, etc, and every Christmas I give them a batched bottle of a cool cocktail I think they’ll like, and we get to talk about what’s in it, where it came from, what we like about it.
#25
One I’ve gifted several times now and always had appreciated is a percussive massager. Specifically a theragun mini. Parents love it for shoulders and calves and other family and friends love it as well. Easy to use, doesn’t take much space, and just outside the realm of things they would buy for themselves. The first one I got my mom is going on 3 years and still runs great too.
#26
In the line of experiences, if you’re spending a lot of time with them at the holidays, the escape room in a box or m****r mystery kits. As someone else said, it’s not technically BIFL but it’s great for building memories.
#27
If the wife sews, a pair of high quality fabric scissors will always come in handy
#29
My dad has everything he wants or needs so I send him Harry and David Royal Riviera Pears for Christmas and his birthday and gorgeous peaches for my birthday. I send him a thank you for making me gift. Mom is dead.
#30
Name a binary star after them. For the grandchildren to remember them by. I think that it's about $100.00 for a binary or $60.00 for individual stars.
#32
Hensen razors for anyone that shaves. Much cheaper in the long run, better shave, and it's the thing you didn't know you needed. Expensive up front cost compared to plastic razors, but it's a one time purchase for at least the next year. I paid $75 a year ago and got a deal from a YouTube channel for 100 blades for $5. I haven't even gone through 7 blades since due to me using an electric razor on days I don't leave the house.
20/10: You just saved them money and gave a better shave.
What do you think ?
Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
Your local Little Theater group sells tickets and season passes that are quite reasonable on a budget.
Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
Your local Little Theater group sells tickets and season passes that are quite reasonable on a budget.
You May Like These 50 Mildly Interesting Pics Are Actually Pretty Intriguing (New Pics) Netizen Asks: "What’s One Habit People Think Is Normal But You Find Secretly Disgusting?" Gets 33 Replies 30 Nostalgic Discontinued Products From The Past That Folks Online Wish Could Make Glorious Comeback
Greta Jaruševičiūtė
Denis Krotovas
Rūta Zumbrickaitė
Related on Bored Panda
