Before I start writing about Christmas gift ideas that don’t suck I wanted to tell you this- – don’t buy anyone junk this year for Christmas. I personally hate junk— actually I will go as far as to say that I loathe junk.
What do I consider junk? Not to get off on a tangent but I do need to address this. Junk is any item you buy the person that they will not remotely care about within a few weeks. Junk is also clutter. Anything that will fill up the person’s living space and add no real value.
Yes I also know Christmas isn’t all about gifts and spending money but you don’t want to be remembered as a Scrooge either. Get someone you care about a Christmas gift that they will actually enjoy.
Christmas Gift Ideas That Don’t Suck:
Cologne/perfume.
Every guy/girl wears cologne or perfume. If not then stay away from me at a party. Scents have become one of the top Christmas gift ideas over the years for a reason. Every guy I know loves to wear cologne but none of us are particularly great at picking out the right smell. This is where a female opinion is needed. If you’re a guy that plans on purchasing perfume for a girlfriend then please request some assistance from one of the store’s employees. Your intentions are thoughtful but your perspective may not be ideal. Scents will definitely make every top to Christmas gifts list because you can never go wrong with smelling great.
MMA gym membership.
What are the hot Christmas gifts this year? A gym membership, specifically a MMA gym membership. One of the more unique Christmas gift ideas because every young guy talks about wanting to join an MMA gym but few get around to actually doing it. With the explosion in popularity of mixed martial arts, the gyms are slowly starting to creep up in communities all over North America. If you swing for a couples discount you can get a lower price and gym membership for the both of you.
Weekend getaway.
This is arguably one of the best Christmas gift ideas for Mom & Dad (if you have the money of course). It is also one of the best Christmas gifts for the hard to buy for because everyone loves to relax. Not only do you give your parents a chance to relax for a weekend but you also get the place to yourself. You can get them a hotel downtown or you can send them away to a nice bed & breakfast a few hours away. This can be very thoughtful and unfortunately very pricey.
Liquor store gift card.
This gift is more valuable where I live because there are fewer liquor stores around. This is a practical Christmas gift idea for any twenty-something on your gift list because alcohol purchases can become pretty significant with Christmas and New Years Eve so close to each other. This will easily be one of the top selling Christmas gifts among 20-somethings during a time of the year that isn’t exactly known for sobriety.
Concert/show tickets.
Anyone that lives remotely close to a city of any size knows that there is always some sort of a show or concert happening. Just don’t get your boyfriend a Jonas Brothers concert tickets because I really doubt he will use them (unless he’s into their music, which would be rather interesting).
Sporting event tickets.
You can never go wrong with a Christmas gift that lets someone attend their favorite sport or to watch their favorite team. You can even argue this would be the perfect Christmas gift for Dad. If you can find a way to get some NFL or NHL tickets at this time of the year then I’m positive that it will make the sports fan on your gift list very happy. If you’re a millionaire you can buy someone Toronto Maple Leafs tickets (for those that don’t know- the tickets to a Leafs game are very expensive, unless you are willing to stand in nose bleed section).
Day spa services.
I usually get my Mom this every year for her birthday. A nice relaxing day at the spa. This is the perfect Christmas gift idea for Mom because most Mothers wouldn’t pay for such a thing. Receiving it for free on the other hand is a luxury that they will not turn down. Another one of the perfect Christmas gifts for those hard to buy for.
Gift cards.
No, gift cards are not played out as a Christmas gift. A gift card to some one’s favorite retailer can be the ideal Christmas gift. This is usually an excellent cop out when you have no clue what to get a person. Hey at least you figured out what store to get the gift from. You deserve points for that. With a gift card you can’t go wrong since the gift receiver gets to decide what they purchase.
There you go a list of Christmas gift ideas that don’t suck. Now I want to hear from you guys what I missed on this list.
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Sorry, but perfume is at the very top of my list of gifts that absolutely suck. Same with Spa gift cards. My dad has bought me both of these in the past. I re-gifted the spa gift card to a friend who was having a spa-themed bridal shower. The perfume is still in my re-gift box four years later. I don’t want to throw it out, but I can’t bring myself to subject anyone else to it as a gift.
The only exception to this might be giving your SO a scent. I bought DH a bottle of MY favorite cologne. I’m the one he’s trying to smell good for anyway
@Des Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. Tell me though, what do you consider to be a great Christmas gift? For a female? Male? Mom? Dad?
I agree with you. No junk gift or things that your friends don’t like.
I think beauty or health product is a good gift. Something practical.
Liquor store gift card, brilliant. I’m gonna have to take that idea and run with it.
@Edwin Just please don’t run after drinking the liquor.
Alright I’ll refrain from running, but is driving okay?
Lol do you really expect an answer?
Nah that was just an attempt at being clever.
Ok, I have a question. What do you recommend for a 21-yr-old, male college student? He’s been dating my daughter for about 3 months, and I just don’t know him well enough to know what to get him. I know you recommended the liquor store gift card, and I know he drinks, but again he’s dating my daughter so that’s not really the route I want to take! Thanks.
I totally agree – don’t buy junk. I personally like to buy gifts that people really want and enjoy.
Cyndi – it’s very nice of you to want to get your daughter’s boyfriend a gift. Honestly, unless he’s going to be at your house on Christmas when mass exchange of gifts is taking place, a gift for him doesn’t really seem necessary to me.
I’m a college student who has been going out with my boyfriend for over a year. My mom has met him on numerous occasions, and on top of that, she gets along really well with him. She’s not planning on getting anything for my boyfriend, and I don’t see a problem with that at all.
@Cyndi A great point was brought up by Sandy. However, the purchase of the gift is none of my business. I would personally recommend tickets to a sporting event of some sort. This of course depends on where you live and how expensive the tickets are. I’m sure you can find tickets to an NHL or NFL game at a reasonable price. Just make sure you get two tickets so he can drag your daughter along.
@Cyndi Another good idea would be to get him a restaraunt or food gift card. This way he can do a date night while not having to front the bill. It’s simple and shows a nice gesture on your part.
I would add a beer making kit or beer making supplies to this list. It would be a great gift provided the person you are buying it for is really into beer. I know i would like it, if you want to buy me one just let me know I will give you my address