Gift Ideas for the Person You Have No Idea What to Get

By Yourwellness Last updated Nov 15, 2018 70

As a card-carrying minimalist and zero-waste wannabe, I’m definitely not the person you want to pick out of the Secret Santa hat. What even would you buy someone like me? (Chocolate, that’s what.)

Seriously though, some folks—like your aunt who loves knitting or your coworker who adores owl figurines—are a cinch to buy for. Why can‘t everyone be like them?

The thing is, finding a gift for someone like that may be super easy, but where’s the challenge? It takes thought and creativity to pick out exactly the right thing for the person you have no idea what to get.

Holiday Shopping Should Be an Adventure

Pre-minimalism, I’d approach Christmas shopping like a chore. I’d hit the mall armed with a list and wouldn’t leave until I’d checked everything off. It wasn’t fun. Worse, my gifts were probably met with a lukewarm reception.

Gift shopping should be an adventure. It should be something you’re excited to do. Think about it: you have the opportunity to make someone really happy. Why wouldn’t you give it your all?

I’m not suggesting you shop on the fly (there’s definite value in making a shopping list), but neither should you view the experience as a ‘have to’ you’d much rather avoid.

A Little Detective Work Goest a Long Way

Some people are more difficult than others to buy gifts for, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Everyone likes something, you just need to figure out what that something is.

You’d be surprised how much you can learn about someone just by paying attention. We humans tend to talk a lot and not listen enough. Ask questions. Show an interest Before you know it, they’ll be telling you all about their passion for [fill in the blank].

Gift Ideas to Get the Creative Juices Flowing

Okay, okay, so you get where I’m going with this, but you still don’t have a clue what to get for Moira in accounting. You’d really like to buy her something to say thanks for all her hard work, but what?

Helpfully, there are plenty of holiday gift guides populating the interwebs, and most of them have some pretty awesome ideas. (Someone should reward these curation elves, but what to get them?)

Outside Online 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

These guys have gone all out in their efforts to put together a selection of curated goodies for every type of modern adventurer. Broken down by topic (style, adventure, fitness, etc.) and then by demographic (gentleman explorer, fashionista, etc.), the biggest problem you’ll be facing is choice overwhelm.

8 Thoughtful Gifts That Require No Thought

At first wash, the gift ideas on this list may seem quite pedestrian—and they are—but only if you don’t bother ‘upsizing’ them, per the article’s recommendations. As someone who lived abroad for a couple of years, I love the idea of gifting a taste of home.

10 Not-So-Awkward Gifts For Those “Friends” You Barely Know

Just because you barely know someone doesn’t mean you can’t still come up with a really cool gift for them. A personal popcorn popper for that colleague who is always banging on about binge-watching Netflix? I reckon you’ll score some serious points with that one.

Whatever you discover during your detective phase, there’s likely a gift guide for just such a person. You can find gift ideas for minimalists, ethical gifts for the person who has it all, gift ideas for vegans. You get the idea.

Ultimately, your goal is to make the recipient react like a kid on Christmas morning. Is that asking a lot? Maybe. But isn’t it better to aim high and miss than to not try at all? This year, let’s ditch the Grinch and embrace our inner Santa. Ho, ho, ho.

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