If you know someone who has everything they need, and who doesn’t want more “stuff,” it might seem like giving them a gift will be exactly what they don’t want. That’s not exactly true, though, because everyone likes getting presents, so you’ll just need to be creative when it comes to thinking of what to give them that isn’t something that they have to store, find a place for, or regift because they won’t use it. These gift ideas are perfect for someone who doesn’t want more things, since they’re useful and designed to go away.
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The theory of “Gifts that go away.”
I personally don’t need more knick-knacks, tchotchkes, what-nots, or anything like that. I prefer “gifts that go away” and there are plenty of those.
Giving a gift that’s useful and gets used up is one good way to not force them to store something, and there are plenty of things like that, you just have to know the person you’re giving the gift to and what their likes and dislikes are.
My grandmother HATED going to the post office to get stamps, so every Christmas I would get her a roll of 100 stamps that she could use during the year and to send out her Christmas cards. Most people would say that was a weird gift, but she absolutely loved it, and was very happy to not have to go stand in line at the post office.
Tailoring a gift to the person you’re giving it to is always the best thing to do, but being willing to go outside the boundaries of what a “normal” gift is will often be the best way to go for people who tell you that they don’t want anything.
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A tablet or a Kindle for book lovers.
For someone who likes to read but doesn’t have a lot of room for books, an e-reader or an inexpensive tablet that they can download digital library books on is a good gift idea. It won’t take up much room, and if you set them up with the app from their local library on a tablet, they’ll be able to check books out for free. Plus, you can get a customized cover on Zazzle here: Custom iPad covers
A Kindle or another type of E-reader is a great gift for someone who enjoys getting fast access to millions of books. You can see Kindles on Amazon here: Kindle e-reader (#ad)
You can also buy a gift membership for Kindle Unlimited on Amazon for a variety of months here: Kindle Unlimited memberships (#ad)
Handmade Soap.
I love handmade soap because it’s useful, it’s a little treat for yourself, and it will get used up eventually. This set from Botany Barn is a nice assortment that you can have personalized and it’s a gift that goes away so they won’t have to find a permanent place for it somewhere in their house.
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A subscription for music.
If the person you’re buying for likes music, a subscription to a music streaming service is a good idea. It takes up no room, gives them access to a bunch of music that they probably had at one time but don’t anymore, and it will introduce them to new artists. There are a variety of streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, so you can shop around to find one that they’ll like.
Meal service or food delivery.
If your friend is a seafood lover, get them a special delivery of 12 servings of sushi-grade seafood from Seatopia. They’re individually sealed and frozen so they can be stored and eaten when it’s convenient. Sign up for their email list to get a discount on your order.
A gym or activity membership.
If the person you’re buying for has a physical hobby like working out (yes, some people do have that as a hobby, I don’t understand it but they do) then buying a membership for something that they use already is a nice thing to do. If they’re a member of a gym, a rock climbing gym, or anything that they pay for that’s activity-related, call the gym and pay for their membership ahead of time so that they have the extra time.
Watch out for this gift option, though, since you don’t want to buy someone a gym membership if they don’t go already, that’s insulting. Also, you should kind of hint around to see if they’re planning on renewing when their membership is up, because people tend to move around from place to place depending on what features they’re looking for. Make sure that they want to renew before you do it for them!
Pretzel snacks.
Send them this pretzel gift box from The Pretzel Company, it’s their Oktoberfest selection and hey, who doesn’t like pretzels? You can also get a discount on your order if you sign up for their email list on their website.
Sweet Treats.
Heck yeah, give them fudge. This is a good gift that won’t last long, so there won’t be anything to store. This Fudge from Callie’s Sweets is old-fashioned chocolate fudge, but there are a lot of other options available as well.
Digital books.
Get a subscription to Audible for people who want to listen to their books instead of reading them. This one takes up no room at all and they’ll be able to keep up with their reading when they’re out on a walk or just going about their daily business.
Click here to buy gift memberships to Audible on Amazon for 1 month,3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. (affiliate link)
Chocolate bars of the world gift box.
This box of chocolate bars from around the world from Bar and Cocoa looks like a good thing to give to someone who likes to try different flavors. And it will go away quickly, since it’s too tempting to try all of them out.
Coffee.
Do I even need to say why this is a good idea for someone who doesn’t want more stuff? If they’re a coffee lover, give them this specialty coffee that they probably can’t get at the store. It’s the Colombia Organic blend from Java Planet Coffee, and they’re sure to enjoy it. Don’t even get them a mug to go with it, I bet they already have one of those.
Wine club membership.
Is your friend a wine afficionado? Get them a membership from Nocking Point Wines. They’ll receive shipments of specialty wines a few times a year, and they’ll be able to enjoy the wine all year, plus other benefits like discounts on additional purchases from their website.
World food selections.
For someone who likes to try different food from around the world, get them a gift from Umami Shop Canada. They have a lot of food items from different countries, so you’ll be able to find something unusual to treat them to.
Birdwatching supplies.
If your friend likes birds and has a bird feeder (or would like one), get them some birdseed to fill them up. It’s something they can use and it gets used up, so it fits the “gifts that go away” rule. Check out my list of birdseed and feeders on Amazon.
Event tickets.
Give your friend a couple of tickets to go to an event or concert that they’d like to go to (and don’t expect that they’ll take you.)
Movie passes.
See if you have any movie theaters in your area that have passes where you can see a certain number of movies per month, or get them a gift card to go to the movies. Throw in enough on the card to get some snacks for the show!
Things to NOT buy.
Unless you know that the person you’re giving the gift to really wants these things, don’t give them things that will freak the average person out, like bungy jumping, hot air balloon rides, or things like race track experiences where they whip you around the track at 150 miles an hour. Those are well-meaning “experience” gifts, but they also run the risk of not being used unless the person you’re giving them to is a risk-taker.
Also be careful of giving classes as a gift unless you’re going to go with the person, since some people won’t want to go to a class on their own. Of course, if you know that the person would really want to do that class, it’s fine as long as you know they’re okay going into a room full of strangers on their own. Some people would rather stay home than do that, so make sure you’re fitting the gift to the person!