Gifts for older people who don’t want stuff

[Ladybird37]

What to get for men and women who do f want ‘stuff’, no to food/drink/smellies, have loads of photos, clothes etc, don’t like theatre/meals out/spa. Tearing my hair out but have no idea this year and want to buy something nice because we love them :)

Bargain alert, Aldi has small skimmias for £2.99. Mine is going into a nice pot for Christmas then out in the garden in the Spring. For those who want to put together a few small gifts rather than one big one.

Respect their choice and give them nothing.
This
If I say nothing I really mean nothing and I’d rather you saved your money

For those who want to put together a few small gifts rather than one big one.

So lots of tat rather than just 1 item to get rid of

We always had to buy my late grandad a bag of gromore compost. We were in trouble if we ever bought anything fancy.

I'm only 45 and I can see where he was coming from.

So lots of tat rather than just 1 item to get rid of

That's a bit nasty. They could be consumables, a soap, some biscuits, miniature of whisky. I tell my DC not to get me stuff, but they feel the need. Gifts are surely as much about the giver as the receiver.

If they don't like going out for food, could you maybe buy the ingredients and cook their favourite meal at home? That way you know that everything you buy will be used, and it would (presumably) be nice to spend time with them. Or a charity donation as has been said, or a magazine subscription (only if you know there's a magazine they buy all of the time anyway, and not one for the sake of it).

When my grandmother died we had to sort out her home, there were years worth of Christmas presents- all gifts chosen carefully, nice soaps, scarves, foodie gifts ... all unused and presumably unwanted, we ended up clearing all the ‘tat’ that we had given her in the first place. I now respect my own mother’s request, she genuinely doesn’t want anything so I don’t feel ‘obliged’ to give her anything.

Bare root roses / raspberries or shrubs and trees can all be planted in the winter during the dormant season - unless the ground is frozen. But even if it is if you store the plant according to instructions it can be planted when the frosts gone.

for one firend I always make a garden pot.
It has little violas on the top, which will flower all winter.
(you could make it much nicer, but for my friend I don't spend so much)

then underneath it has a load of bulbs, so that they grow up in the spring.

It sits by her front door, doesn't require anything at all, but gives her pleasure for ages.

I got my dad an OS map of his neighbourhood for about the year he was born (1930s). He spent hours picking out the houses of his friends, his primary school, his aunt's house, the places he made dens in the park, where his dad worked etc etc. It cost me £3.50 on eBay plus a bit for a frame and it led to one of the best conversations I've ever had with him. It was so sweet. It's on the wall now and he stops to look at it all the time.
(This worked because he grew up in a fairly high density urban area and lived in the same house his whole childhood so all memories were geographically concentrated).

Just bumping this as I think that is a great idea Dilkhush - would be good for 70th/80th birthday present too.

My mum goes for a shampoo and set every week. I secretly gave the hairdresser money so a couple of sessions are free.

Dilkush that's a brilliant idea.