Pensioners who don’t drink or eat sweets or go out?

[CamillaRose]

Absolutely stumped for gifts. Both on medication and diabetic so they don’t want sweets or alcohol. They’re still staying home because of Covid so don’t want memberships or tickets. I’ve tried books and magazines in the past but they don’t read. DVDs have been left unwatched. They like being cosy, watching Netflix and gardening in their tiny back yard. But they already have blankets and gardening tools. Help!

Gardening books?

Some nice garden containers/pots to fill?

A nice houseplant?

Do they drink tea? Would they enjoy new cups/mugs/tea/teapot?

Nice handwash? New slippers or diabetic socks or uggs?

Jigsaw puzzle or good quality paint by number? Not to everyone's taste I realise

Jigsaws?

Audible subscription?
Alexa?
Seed subscription?
Sheepskin slippers? There's nothing cosier.

Heated throw for the sofa when watching Netflix? I love mine.

Nice teas and coffees
Plants for the garden
Voucher for garden centre
New curtains / bedding / blankets - something to brighten indoors up
A food box like Gousto etc
Freddies Flowers subscription
New slippers, cardigans, jumpers, hats
Gardening gloves, kneeling pad, gardening tool's

If you know what kind of food they tend to eat, could you get nice versions of that. For instance mil often buys her parents lots of nice meat from a local butcher to fill their freezer as they are very traditional meat and 2 veg cooks

Electric heated blanket?

Bird feeder?

Bird table, bird bath with solar panel that generates a little fountain….
Throws, slippers, dressing gowns.

How about oversized hoodies or new dressing gowns, new slippers, some nice scented candles or heated blankets. Good luck OP.

Some really nice sheepskin slippers or a plant for the garden (or for the house I suppose!)

An oodie , those cashmere wrist warmers

planted baskets /containers with cyclamen or pansies , hyacinths or whatever you think they would like

Subscription to Netflix or similar

Hanging bird feeder

Monthly or quarterly flower delivery

Potted amaryllis for indoors

Magazine subscription
Bird box camera
Donation to RNLI with gift certificate if there's nothing they want?

Battery or solar powered fairy lights for their backyard would give a lovely cosy glow.

Otherwise my go-to for tricky people to buy for is a luxury version of something they use regularly. I take your point about avoiding sweet stuff for diabetics, but for instance if they drink tea you could get tea from pukka or fortnums. If they like cheese Neals Yard does fantastic gift selections etc etc.

If they are close family I’ve also had success with things that take more of your time, like making photo books or transferring old slides or cone film to modern versions,

You can get chocolate specifically for people with diabetes. I did this for my grandad once and he was so happy I had remembered about it.

What about just a photo book?

Online gardening store vouchers? Then they can choose and it will be delivered to their door.

slippers
warm clothes or decent cardi or jumper
plants
house plants
garden ornament
remote tidy for lounge
rugs or cushions
fan if have log burner
fire proof gloves if have log burner
netflix vouchers

TV mag subscription . Posh tea bags and a selection of nice biscuits ( obvs take health into consideration ) likewise different cheeses. Bird table .

A hamper of nice food.

Second vote for garden vouchers - if they don't get out much try Sutton’s or Marshalls or similar- they can snuggle up for the winter browsing the catalogue and order what they fancy in the spring - double the pleasure! I don’t know a gardener that wouldn’t appreciate that.

My husband grandparents are the same
We usually get them a calendar each year with pictures of their grandchildren/ great grandchildren.

Agree garden voucher - one of the ones you can use in any garden centre. Or you could get a specific one for somewhere you know they like, together with the seed catalogue which as above is always lovely to look through in January!

If it's a tiny garden then a nice planter to go on the wall might be nice, together with the offer to put it up for them!

Sorry to hijack the thread but My father in law goes to work and goes to church and that's it.

He doesn't drink, smoke, eat chocolates, he doesn't go out for dinner, like the garden or gardening.

He has a tv and a radio. That's it and he's very happy with that. The tv is an old tv from the 90s that he won't part with because it works just fine and he knows how to use the remote.

He does not know how to use the internet.

He's very difficult to buy for, vouchers go out of date and are unused, he doesn't buy himself new clothes or shoes. He's still wearing clothes from 40/50 years ago.

He also doesn't like "fancy" food. Cauliflower cheese is a fancy food to him.

He uses pear soap so no upgrade from there (I've bought him nice smellies in the past and he throws them away full)

I bought him a hat and gloves a few years ago but he didn't like the one I bought him.

He doesn't go to the shops so giving him cash, the money will just sit there.

He's not interested in his grandchildren so pictures of them or a calendar is out because he doesn't go anywhere after work unless it's to church and back and doesn't want to know his grandkids.

I don't think he will get anything this year unless anyone has some suggestions for me. He's in his mid 70s

Similar issue here as my dad is so awkward and has everything he wants.

I bought him a funny faced holder for his glasses, rings and niknaks. I worried he would think it was stupid and shove it in his cupboard, but he uses it and its full!

So maybe little novelty like useful things?
A lamp or even a light bulb that has a remote to change the colour? It's another of my dads favourite possessions, his light bulb! He thinks it's amazing that he can change the "ambiance" with the push of a button. It's also handy that you can switch it on and off with the remote, so no need to get up to hit the little switch on the lamp.

Ooh and those little crystal things that hang from the window and when the sun hits, it sends rainbow colours around the room. Simple things can bring so much joy