Ideas for hard to buy for people

[Remudamom]

Have we done this yet? Here's what I'm doing. Please add ideas and maybe we can survive the present giving fiasco this year.

 

For people who have everything.........

Gift certificates to their favorite wine stores, restaurants, spas, hair salons, or even doggy day care type places.

 

For an older relative that can't get out much....

Digital picture frame. Course, you have to take new pics and change it for them regularly.

 

And not quite a gift, but a hand......

I'm making batches of cookies for mil to give to her nurses and such since she can't do it herself anymore.

 

More????

[newbie]

For people in the snow, hand warmers or I saw the cutest glove/ice scraper combo at Lands End.

[Nakia]

All the hard to buy for people in my life (my parents, fil, grandmother) are getting a no sew fleece blanket and a gift card to a restaurant. I also bake a lot at Christmas so everyone is getting a tin of cookies and treats.

[RoughCollie]

For elderly relatives who don't get out much, stamps and an assortment of greeting cards (birthdays, Valentines Day, Christmas, sympathy, get well). It's nicer if you can buy or make a file box that goes with it -- the tabs are marked with the genre of the card and there is also one for the stamps.

 

For Culture Vultures, gift certificates to theaters (plays), the symphony, the ballet.

 

For people who are on a fixed income, gift cards for gas, groceries or advance payments made on their utility bills (including internet, phone, electricity, gas, propane, heating oil).

 

Netflix and something to stream it to their t.v. (if they already have a computer and whatever they need for that to work).

 

Arrange to hire and pay a yard man to do spring clean up or to mow the lawn however many times you can afford it.

 

For people who don't like to cook, for whatever reason: frozen drop cookie dough, already formed into balls, so all they have to do is put it on a cookie sheet & bake it; frozen pre-baked cake layers (plus cans of frosting), frozen chili (plus cans of beans to add when they heat it up), frozen spaghetti sauce (plus boxes of spaghetti), frozen lasagne, frozen whatever else you can think of that still tastes great when reheated. All could be packaged in containers that have double the number of servings needed, so they can have leftovers.

 

Coupons for personal services the person Needs. Driving, errand running, taking someone out of the house for a day of fun. I have a friend who cannot drive due to having advanced glaucoma, and I know plenty of people who can't drive at night, and these are the ones I'm thinking of. Other personal services: babysitting, cleaning the person's house (people who are chronically ill or who are mothers who need help, who are on bedrest), taking a car in to be serviced, washing and detailing a car and changing the wiper blades. The giver may have to follow up on the coupon use as some people would still be loathe to ask for help.

 

Provide handyman services for people who would want it.

Edited December 6, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Harriet Vane]

Gourmet tea from Todd & Holland's

 

Snacks from Cherry Republic

 

Steaks from Omaha Steak Co.

 

Spice blends from Penzey's

 

Fruit from Harry and David's

[springmama]

We just callled all of our family members and told them that we are no longer buying gifts for adults. Kids only. We requested that they do not give us anything and that if they'd like, they are welcome to give a gift to our children. That way, we don't have to buy for people who already buy whatever they need/want.

[Carol in Cal.]

For older relatives you really, really love but are not close enough nearby to help out as much as you would normally do, a lawn service, snow shovelling service, or membership in a CSA that delivers are things that I'm investigating this year.

[hillfarm]

I am trying to put together a calendar with old family photos for each month (from the 1930s - 1950s). Most of dh's relatives are in an income bracket where nothing we could purchase for them would be anything they would want or need. However, when his mother gave us custody of the family photos, last year we copied one fun one of each family member as a teen and made a DVD of all the family Christmas photos over the years. They all loved it and dh's millionaire uncle pulled me aside and told me it was the best Christmas gift he had received in years. HTH

[Jeanne in MN]

I buy animals through Heifer International or help for others through Samaritan's Purse. I might also buy coffee, soap, etc. through Ten Thousand Villages or places that sell items that help those in need. For those who "have everything", things like this go over well.

[OnTheBrink]

Single moms: Offer to take the children out to shop for the mom. Even if the other parent is involved, sometimes shopping for the mom causes strife that ends up making the child feel bad.

 

I know that 's not really a "gift" per se, but it is very helpful.

[Remudamom]

Single moms: Offer to take the children out to shop for the mom. Even if the other parent is involved, sometimes shopping for the mom causes strife that ends up making the child feel bad.

 

I know that 's not really a "gift" per se, but it is very helpful.

 

That's brilliant. Since I'm not close enough I'm going to make sure someone does this for my sister. Mother's day was horrible for her girls because they had nothing to give her and the lousy dad wouldn't help. I didn't know until too late.

[T Baer]

Have we done this yet? Here's what I'm doing. Please add ideas and maybe we can survive the present giving fiasco this year.

 

 

For an older relative that can't get out much....

Digital picture frame. Course, you have to take new pics and change it for them regularly.

 

More????

We did the picture frame for my mother-in-law and went through the trouble of updating it for her too. For whatever reason, she would only look at the pictures when we brought them over and then the frame would go back into the box. LOL What she liked was a monthly calender with her our son's photo's on it with commentary on what he's been doing each month. She would use this and keep her appt on it.

[Nakia]

Single moms: Offer to take the children out to shop for the mom. Even if the other parent is involved, sometimes shopping for the mom causes strife that ends up making the child feel bad.

 

I know that 's not really a "gift" per se, but it is very helpful.

 

That is an absolutely beautiful thing to do!!! Thank you for sharing!!!

[MamaBirdX7]

One idea for those you are close to and will be visiting or picky people, is to make a menu of the desserts or meals you would like to offer them and while visiting have them check off a dessert of the month club menu.

 

Then every month you show up for a visit bearing goodies.

[ktgrok]

A donation to a relevant charity in their name.

[i.love.lucy]

My MIL loves magazines and her favorites are Country, Country Extra, Birds and Blooms and Taste of Home. They just remind her of her old fashioned country roots. A subscription to one of those would be lovely for an older person especially.

[T'smom]

For my grandparents and one great-uncle we're doing meals. My sis, mom, and I are going to take a day and make lots of different food and package it in single servings. (frozen) It'll be a fun way to spend a day together and hopefully give them a gift that they will actually use! I really hope they like it.

 

I'm fresh out of ideas for my mil and fil. I only know that my mom wants music CDs because she told me. I'd really like to think of something for her.