I don’t know about you but among my friends and family, there are a lot of birthdays towards the end of the year and so it feels like birthday season has rolled around once again. The discussions of what to buy people has left me reflecting on minimalism and what I think are the best presents. I think birthdays a great excuse to celebrate a persons existence but novelty presents that will sit around or be thrown in the bin are unsustainable and for a minimalist it can be frustrating to receive presents you didn’t want and feel obliged to keep them. So here are my suggestions of what I think make the best presents.
1. Ask Them What They Want
There are always a few things on my Amazon wish list or expensive items that I want but have been putting off buying. Even minimalists don’t want to own nothing, they just want to own with intention. So instead of trying to guess what they want, ask them. Trust me, I would rather have the surprise spoilt, that have a gift lying around that I secretly don’t appreciate.
2. Luxury Foods such as Wine or Chocolate
You can never go wrong with buying someone luxury perishables. Most people won’t buy these items for themselves and so it can be nice to receive some expensive wine or truffles to indulge in once in a while. The only caveat here is to remember to buy gifts that align with the receivers values, for example, don’t buy them milk chocolate if they are vegan and don’t buy them chocolate wrapped in plastic if they live a zero waste lifestyle.
3. Luxury Bathroom Products
Similarly, luxury bathrooms products are great because the receiver is less likely to buy them for themselves and they are perishable and so can be used up instead of sitting around forever. Again, make sure that the products you choose align with the receivers values. I would personally recommend Lush and Beauty Kitchen as both companies have many items that are vegan and single use plastic free. Both companies are also slightly more on the expensive side and therefore would make perfect presents.
4. Books (or ebooks or audiobooks)
If you have a friend who loves to read, books are always a great idea! However, here are a few ways to make a book gift more minimalist friendly:
Ask them what books they want or take a look at their TBR if they have one so that you know you are buying them a book they will read.
Buy books in the format that their prefer. If the receiver only ever reads books digitally then send them a digital copy or buy them a voucher for the service they use. Trust me, they will not be offended by the lack of a physical present. Personally I am happy to receive a physical book but I am very likely to pass it on once I have finished it, as I only hold onto books I think I will want to read again in the near future. If your friend gives away the book after they have read it, don’t be offended, the gift is the experience of reading the book, not the physical item.
Don’t be afraid to buy them second hand books. If your friend cares about sustainability they will probably be more excited more by a second hand book and they will not be offended by the likelihood of a lower price tag.
5. Plants or Flowers
If your friend has a house full of plants and flowers, then they likelihood is that they will always have space for more.
6. Gift Vouchers
Another great way to ensure that the person will actually use your gift is to buy them a voucher for their favourite store. This way they can also wait to spend the money if they are not are anything immediately. You can also buy them vouchers for their favourite restaurants or venues such as cinemas.
7. Experiences
Experiences make for great gifts for minimalists. You can read my whole blog post about why experiences are a better way to spend money than material purchases. It can be a great way to spend some time together and create lasting memories. My advice here is to book the experience in advance as I have found that if someone buys me a voucher for an activity without scheduling a date, it may end up never being organised.
Although this gift guide is aimed towards minimalists, I think that everyone would benefit from receive more presents like this instead of novelty items. What do you think makes for the best presents? Leave a comment below!
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