Gift ideas for men who hate gifts

Someone recently asked me, “What kind of gifts does your boyfriend like.” I answered, “He likes things that make him feel like he has fewer things.” Makes you dizzy, right? Well, my man is a minimalist and if your’s is too, then gift season is stressful. So here are 15 gift ideas for the man who hates gifts.

Airline gift card

It’s personal because you can include in the card the places he can go like, “To visit your mom” or “To finally see the Great Wall” but it takes up almost no space.

Time with a trainer

Your guy might not want to spend money on a personal trainer for himself, but he’s probably always wondered what it would be like to have one. Buy him five sessions.

A gift card to a tailor

Every guy wants a nice, tailor-made suit, but those are expensive! Get your guy a gift card to a good tailor. If he already owns a misfitted suit, you just saved him money: getting a suit tailored is less expensive than buying a new one.

A good belt

I know it’s technically a thing, but he wears it on another thing, so it takes up no extra space on his person. Not to mention, guys rarely remember to buy themselves nice belts that they can wear to weddings and such.

A Costco membership

Yes, Costco is full of stuff but it’s also perfect for the guy who hates to shop: your guy can go there every few months and stock up on the essentials.

A flight for somebody else

Does he wish his brother could visit but he can’t afford it? Get on the phone early with his brother, secretly cross check your man’s calendar with his brother’s, and book his brother a flight. Time with loved ones is priceless.

The nice grocery store

Does your guy shop at the 99 cent store for produce and “treat” himself to Whole Foods twice a year? For goodness sake, buy the guy a whole foods gift card.

A survival guide

Guys pride themselves on knowing how to get out of bizarre and unlikely situations. I don’t know why but I do know that there are plenty of good books on the subject out there, and they can fit in your man’s coat pocket.

Computer software

PhotoShop, Final Draft—whatever pricey software that would make his job so much easier. He can upload the contents of the floppy disc, and throw it away if he likes. (Don’t let him do that, though, okay?)

Good sunglasses

If your man goes through $10 pairs of sunglasses every month because he thinks it’s silly to drop $100 on a good pair, just get them for him. He’ll love them, and he can tell his friends that he didn’t buy them.

A Lyft or Uber gift card

Your guy will cherish this when he’s already had an expensive week; he wants to get drinks with his friends, but he can’t afford the cab.

A good bat

No matter where your man’s political views on gun ownership lie, he can’t deny that a bat is good home protection. It also serves as cool décor. Get your guy a solid, quality bat.

NFL Sunday Ticket

Purchase your guy the NLF Sunday Ticket and you’ve just purchased him endless Sundays where his friends will drive to him to hang out.

And if all else fails, go the tech route. No man will turn down a big screen TV, a set of speakers, or a smartwatch. We hear Samsung’s having a pretty great Black Friday sale. *wink wink*