Stocking fillers for men who don't have hobbies

[BusyFrizzyLizzie]

Help me please MN! My husband doesn't need anything or particularly like anything, which makes buying presents for him a nightmare. I've managed to find some under-the-tree gifts but for the stocking have... a multi-tool pen. And that's it. I might get him a cocktail in a bag, but he'll probably think it's silly.

What are you all getting for the middle-aged, handy, reliable and non-hobbyist men in your lives?

Fave chocolate, voucher for kindle or Amazon, new winter gloves/driving gloves/gardening gloves. A Book, maybe an autobiography if he doesn’t usually read such as bear grylls. Some nice sauces like jack Daniel’s for cooking with

My husbands stocking is:
Lighters
Phone cable
Car air freshener
Boxed pen
Hot sauce keyring
Phone case
Men's scented bath and body works hand sanitizers x3 (next)
A £5 greggs gift voucher
Malteaser reindeer
Fizzy laces

We have never done stockings!

Book
Fizzy laces
Hot sauce
Marmite & Crumpets (we are overseas and can't buy them here)
Retro sweets
Terrys chocolate orange
Bottle of beer
Passport cover
Car air freshener
Touch screen gloves
Hat
Beard balm
Happy socks
Cleaning putty for laptop
Key finder
Socks and pants
Spoon rest
Cookbook
Gift voucher for coffee shop
Battery pack for phone and charging cable
Travel size aftershave for work trips
Scratchcards
Fave foods
Magazine
Photo album of kids and family from the year
Face scrub
Quick dry towel for the gym
Water bottle
Protein powder and protein bars

These threads always make me wonder if the DH is going through the same dilemma about what to put in the DW's stocking... somehow I think not.

@calmandcaffeinated and you would be correct. I did my own and bought my own Christmas present from DH because left to his own devices he would buy me something I don't like.

The clue is in he doesn't want anything.

@calmandcaffeinated. In this case I can assure you that he's not wondering because he's already got a box full of things for me. He's annoyingly good at thoughtful presents. Plus, I'm easy to buy for, although I say so myself.

I also wish we didn't have to do stockings. It's his family tradition, not mine. IMHO it's a dreadful waste of money to buy rubbishy little bits for the sake of it. However, as I don't wish to dynamite the in-laws' Xmas traditions, I play the game. Hence asking for suggestions.

Thank you to those who provided their lists. I can certainly scrounge a few ideas and save myself from embarrassment on the day.

I’ve bought DP
Nuts
Dark chocolate orange
L’occitane shower gel and soap
Aesop post shave balm
Christmas ale
Wentworth jigsaw
Water bottle

Sorry, just to clarify, I don't mean the suggestions you've all helpfully provided are rubbishy. That was the wrong choice of words. There are some lovely and thoughtful suggestions which have been provided and I'm sure they will be gratefully received. I suppose I'm just annoyed at needing to buy things which aren't wanted or needed just to have something to give.

Small lego set
Book
Beer mat coaster
Christmas Ale
Chocolate Orange
Wispa Gold bars
Personalised coaster
Photo album of 2024 photos
Coffee bags
Bamboo socks
Fidget toy

@BusyFrizzyLizzie I tend to do stockings with quite useful things as I also hate the idea of tat. So far for DH, I’ve got:

• dark chocolate orange
• snacks from Japanese shop
• headphone cleaning kit
• Luggage scales
• a travel kit for different cables
• a usb candle lighter
• a portable charging station for Apple products
• tickets to a Gary Oldman play
• bottle of pistachio liqueur

Have the same problem here!

Thinking of:

Chocolate (toblerone)
Whisky
Socks
A book

Seems boring but he doesn't appreciate tat

One year I got him one of those luggage tracker tile things as he travels for work. He has never used it.

Honestly at this point I’d just be not doing a stocking for him.
The point of them for adults is surely useful or wanted small items but if there’s nothing he’d want or appreciate then he doesn’t need a stocking.
We don’t do them for adults because we have enough ‘stuff’ and don’t want to buy things for the sake of being able to put them in a stocking.

Puzzle book
One of those pens with a bunch of screwdriver heads in them
Costa voucher
Socks
Nuts
Lip balm
Cheese

Cinema gift card

Not quite middle aged but a man here who doesn't need much or have hobbies... for me the trick is don't buy random crap or gimmick gifts but instead something you know I like or use. What chocolate bar does he eat? What hair product does he use? What deodorant does he use? What kind of pen does he use for work?

Lip balm.

Eau de toilette miniatures (got DH a 5-pack selection of Armani a few years ago, phwoar - and he loved them, too!).

Fancy book and pen for writing down Very Important Things while he's working (he WFH, always had bits of paper cluttering up his desk with notes of things to do, invoices to send, pay scouts, order a book, email his brother...).

Food.

Head torch for when he's out with the dog at night ~i got a matching light for the dog~

Book.

Wallet ninja.

Miniature booze.

Puzzle book (enigmas, sudokus, whatever).

LikeMyHeartIsAboutToStopBeating cross-post on two items!

You might find some ideas on this thread which I started months ago - precisely because I find it difficult to think of ideas if I leave it too late to think about .

I think consumables are good in this situation. I always get mine Rituals foam shower gel, sweets and chocolate, hot sauce, maybe a hat/gloves/etc. Lego poly-bags are another go-to for me.

I think big things that take up a lot of space in the stocking are also good - e.g. a small board/card game, puzzle, travel mug.

I often put a charity thing in there too - e.g. adopt a penguin, a mug from a charity he supports, etc.

I think it's actually quite easy to fill a stocking without any tat.

To me the contents of a stocking should be small and cost a few pounds.
Some great ideas on here but for main presents not stockings!
I don't do a stocking for DH as I have enough trouble thinking of main presents but I do for DSs aged 28/26. Everything has to be ordered online as we live in the sticks.
Keyboard cleaning gunge
Lakeland black garlic ketchup
Lakeland garlic balsamic
Actually loads of interesting condiments at Lakeland

Thank you all! Some excellent ideas.

Dp is no help as he's incredibly easy to think of presents for...
-Lego minifigures of the Beatles (my bet is that this will be his favourite thing I give him)
-Small statue of Egyptian cat god from a museum we went to

• Community Clothing light pure wool jumper

-Pair of wool Nordic socks -John Lewis bee honey dipper (he really likes honey)

• Malteser reindeer

-I might try and make him some Florentines

Main present is a beginners ski lesson at a Snowdome.

My FIL is harder but I'm probably going to make him some crumbles for his freezer.

Agree on the consumables, and new up to date or less tatty versions of things he already has that are a bit worn.

People eyeroll at pants and socks but you wear them literally every day, and if they're nice it starts your outfit (and day!) off on the best foot. It's depressing when you pull out socks with a hole or saggy pants.