What to buy for a young man who wants nothing?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

23
Has already got a phone, headphones and an iPad so doesn't need or want any tech. Doesn't want or need clothes.
Am getting some 'posh' fragrance
Have bought a new duvet cover
Absolutely no ideas for anything else, and doesn't want money either!

I've a difficult to buy for 23 year old DS too, so placemarking for ideas.

I'm stealing the chocolate in a shoe box idea though, he loves chocolate.

Ds18 is getting a Spotify premium subscription

My DH is 23 and I struggle every birthday and Christmas as he never asks for anything and hates spending money on himself (joint account so hard to hide amounts)
He also really looks after everything he has which means he never has anything that's old and needs replacing! Complete nightmare
This year I have got him electric toothbrush, a few gym items shorts tops etc, multi tool, new drill set, football boots, suitcase set and some other normal bits aftershave etc...
Quite a difficult one this year as I was thinking what's the point in buying nice things that we might never be able to flipping wear or do until next summer

Feel a bit as if I'm being lectured by some people on here, and am really not in the mood for that.
I didn't mean to lecture. I didn't know you didn't want to responses from others who want nothing for Christmas. I'm guessing he doesn't actually want nothing like I do then.

DS2 (27) is getting a cast-iron casserole dish - Argos knock-off, not le Creuset
(Obv this is no help if yours doesn’t cook! DS2 lives alone & is quite keen on cooking nice meals some of the time.)

Pjs. If he wears them. X

What about nice home stuff young men may not buy themselves - nice towels, nice sheets.....?

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Main hobbies are painting and playing the guitar.

Just seen this one. What sort of guitar does he play & what sort of music? DS2 plays (acoustic & electric) & several years ago requested an Ebow, which is a metal thing for making different noises. They’re about £100 though. He managed to lose his in a house move (they’re quite small & unobtrusive).

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBow

Also for electric guitar there are tiny portable amps like this (about 6” square)

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0798TJW8Q/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

DBro is around that age and I tend to get vouchers as he's a pain to buy for 😂

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Main hobbies are painting and playing the guitar.

Books related to hobbies?

Sheet music for the guitar.

Get him to set up a LISA, I use one attached to a proper bank but accessed through they moneybox app and put some money in it. Govt give £1 for every £4 saved and he can use it to buy a house in the future.

Otherwise I'd get him some furniture for when he eventually moves out. My parents started picking up things when I was about 20, normally I'd chose it when out shopping with mum. Crockery, cutlery, saucepan sets etc. It wasn't so expensive setting up home when I moved into my own place at 23. My Hetty hover is still going strong 15 years after it was gifted to me.

If he's an artist there are lots of options, maybe some beautiful paint brushes? Have a look at a proper art shop. Or a high quality print of one of his favourite artists.

I have a DS just turned 24 who also says he doesn't want/need anything when asked - with the added complication that he's just had his birthday this week too!
Birthday gifts consisted of;
Selection of beers from local small brewery, a Persian cookery book with some of the unusual ingredients and a history book (as he's very much into History and cookery). All seemed to be appreciated.
So far for Christmas I have ordered a book on the Science of Spices, will be buying some chilli related products from a local market stall, a cocktail book and shaker and a voucher for a Jamaican restaurant which is near where he lives.

I think a good gift for young adults would be a small tool kit with basic items. My dad got me a few bits like this & they are useful!

Does he have a Victorinox Swiss Card? I've had mine for over 10 years, it's the size of a credit card, and only 4mm thick so it fits easily into a slot in a purse/wallet.

It contains a pen, scissors, nail file, letter opener, toothpick and tweezers, plus it's marked out on the side in cm and inches, so it's a little ruler too. A really useful handy wee thing. Be aware though, the proper one's about £20, my DB bought himself a fake one for about a fiver and it fell to bits.

I do think some people say “ nothing” because they can’t be bothered with the effort of thinking. It’s a stock answer. I sometimes say it and then literally I’ll go home browse a website and think “ mmm. that’s nice”.

Could you ask him what websites he likes browsing and hope it jogs his memory?

@bestbefore - I think a good gift for young adults would be a small tool kit with basic items. My dad got me a few bits like this & they are useful!

That's a great idea. Ds22 has a birthday shortly after Christmas so I might get him that.

they do one at IKEA which is basic but all in a box. I thought abt it for kids off to uni as well..

I have 2 son's in their 20's and unfortunately no new ideas have popped up on this thread. I out did myself last year with coming up new ideas, but when you have done everything over the years it becomes increasinly difficult to think of something different.
To make it increasingly difficult neither live at home, one is abroad and they do not want to carry too much back. So now I have to think small.
The last few years there has been a lot of edibles, right down to their favourite cereal. Now I am also being asked to scale back on chocolate! Mind I am eating until Easter what they leave behind.
One thing that went down very well last year was a cube type multi charger, if that helps anyone. Both also got an echo dot which was reduced on amazon, again very portable.

A multi charger thing is actually a really good idea. :)

Coffee machine
Guitar stand
Jim Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal
Wok
Acid-free paper sketch book
Paints
Tate membership
Just Eat or Deliveroo Vouchers
Fire Pit
Binoculars
Tool Kit
Drill
Eastpak wheely case

Mine’s getting a breville

Haven't read the whole thread, so don't know if a Ukulele has been mentioned. You can get them fairly inexpensively. I have a family of guitar players, and they have all loved tooling around on them as the cross over from guitar is easy, and they are a super fun instrument. They are also great to pack along for trips if you don't want to bring a large guitar.

Also have gotten fun picks, straps, and extra strings for guitars for stocking stuffers.