When it comes to buying gifts for men most of us become really frustrated. Why is it so hard to buy for men? When you are buying a present for a girl for example it can be so easy because there are so many choices available you are sure to find something they will love, there are literally hundreds of ideas from cute cuddly toys, jewellery and perfume, but not so much with guys!
Take my uncle George for example. He is really passionate about golf, but he already has every golf related gift and gadget imaginable, so how am I supposed to choose something he will love for his next birthday that he hasn’t already got?
Things can get Complicated
When it comes to buying gifts for men, things can get complicated – way too complicated in my opinion. Are you frustrated with this too? You could go down the route of buying him things like shaving foam or gel, aftershave, a mug with his name on it, but these regular run-of-the-mill gifts lack any real thought, and will probably end up on a shelf with the other 15 similar gifts he has had from other people. Then there is how many times per year you are faced with the situation again – birthday, Christmas, Valentines Day, Father’s Day, Wedding anniversary …..!
A few men in my life have said to go with a gadget, but I just don’t get it, what is fun about gadgets? It drives me even-more crazy because all the men in my life are the sort that will just go out and buy something for themself if they really want it, leaving me totally high and dry for any ideas when a special occasion rolls around.
My brother is even worse to buy for because when I ask him what he wants, he always says “anything will be good”, anything? ANYTHING…??? And what exactly do you mean by ‘anything’? Honestly! Or what about that old chestnut “don’t buy me anything”- Really? Wouldn’t it be much easier for everyone if men had more specific wishes.
My girlfriends have suggested buying clothes, which is all well and good but I thought most men hated getting clothes as presents from girlfriends and wives because it reminds them how their mothers used to always buy them clothes for Christmas and birthdays, and always managed to slip in a pack of new underpants or socks – I don’t what to be thought of in the same way as my partners mother! Shudder…
When it is close to my birthday or coming up to Christmas, I will stop at shop windows and point at things I like, or I will bring them up in conversation with a hint so obvious the men in my life would daft not to take heed of. I have to say they are all pretty good at picking up the clues, and great at buying gifts, even when I don’t give any hints, so it is only right that I want to find something perfect for them too isn’t it?
Gift cards have also been mentioned in conversation with friends, but I think they are so impersonal, and absolutely no thought goes into them so how can you delight and surprise your loved one on a special day by handing them a thin envelope with a generic gift card inside. “oh, thanks darling, that’s ummm…. Great!
Get Creative
So this year I have decided to get creative with my gift buying for the men in my life. How does the old saying go? “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, this being the case I have finally found something that will suit the taste of every man in my family – gift hampers for men – am I a genius or what!
Traditionally hampers were always those family affairs that only seemed to surface at Christmas time and contained tinned ham and chocolate mint thins, but gift hampers have evolved over the years and now offer gourmet items that make great presents for men. So if you want to make any man in your life feel special, a collection of edibles that he likes will be the perfect gift for him. This will make a refreshing change to the ‘too boring’ items of toiletries and gadgets, and you know that the food or drink contained within the hamper will be the stuff he likes.
I don’t know why I never thought of hampers to my men before. In the past I have given my girlfriends wine and chocolate baskets and hampers for special occasions, but never for the guys! I have even found beer hampers that would bring a smile to Uncle George’s face – so I can forget stressing about finding a golf-related gift for his birthday this year. I can think of at least three other men in my life that would love to receive a beer hamper, so this discovery alone has solved a lot of present-buying frustration for me. I found some great hampers for men here the other day.
There are hampers for guys with a sweet tooth that contain delicious sugary treats and chocolates, and even a coffee-lovers hamper with a variety of different coffee and coffee syrups to go with them – just about any taste you can think of can be catered for with a gift hamper. The combinations on offer will surely spark some creative ideas with your gift giving too.
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This insightful content was written by David who specialises in carefully selected hampers for men.