Everyone wants to get their gift giving just right, no matter the event. You probably have a good selection of guys to buy for, and in this wonderful age of the internet the first thing you’ll do is Google some cool gifts for guys and away you’ll go to buy them.
But STOP! You’re going to get it wrong, and here are 7 reasons why. And don’t worry, I’ve included some actual good ideas, along with links for where to get good deals on them, just to help you even more.
Contents
- 1 1/ You Pick The Christmas Presents You Like
- 2 2/ You Don’t Listen To Him
- 3 3/ You Decide To Buy Him ‘Cool’ Stuff
- 4 4/ You Pick Present Ideas You Think He’ll Like
- 5 5/ You Don’t Consider What Present Ideas Other People Are Thinking Of
- 6 6/ You Can’t Be Bothered To Think Of A Good Present For Him
- 7 7/ You Decide You Know Best
1/ You Pick The Christmas Presents You Like
Whenever the time comes for you to buy a gift for a guy, whether it’s for Christmas or a birthday, the temptation sets in. What temptation? The temptation to really buy something for yourself. Oh, he’d just love that new coffee machine! Even though he… erm… doesn’t drink coffee.
That’s just for you isn’t it?
You went on a ‘cool gifts for guys’ present guide, and you picked out something that you thought could be useful for ‘both’ of you. Now that’s not in the Christmas spirit, is it? Instead, this year, sit down and think of something just for him. Whatever cool gifts you’re looking at, write down the ones you think he’ll like and that you won’t like at all. That way you can be sure you’re not being selfish.
What, you don’t know how to buy something if you personally don’t think it looks that great? Well, why not get him an experience day, like one of these Gifts for Men from Virgin Experience Days? If it’s a gift that only he can take part in, then you’re onto a winner. Just… make sure it’s an experience he’d actually want to do. No sending him around a racing track if he absolutely hates cars!
2/ You Don’t Listen To Him
So you’ve bought your grandad, bless his socks, a Kindle for Christmas because you found a deal… Problem is, he absolutely hates technology and he can’t get his head around it. Now he doesn’t use it until you come around; at which point he pulls the neglected Christmas gift from a drawer and tells you how much he adores it while reading the instruction manual (and pretending to you he’s reading the latest bestseller. Grandad’s sneaky like that.).
What you need to do is listen. Really try to get a feel for what the guy you’re buying for likes, loves, and needs improving.
If he mentions really wanting to lose weight and get in shape in the new year, and you know he doesn’t shy away from new tech, consider a fitness tracker like one of the ones we love here at Sensible Reviewer. If he loves games, check his collection to see what types of games he plays the most and then search the top games of the year in those genres to find one he doesn’t have. Don’t just pick out any old things the shops are trying to push as the best Christmas presents for men. Personalise your selection.
But now I hear you asking – what are the best presents for men that haven’t given away what they love…? And so we have point 3.
3/ You Decide To Buy Him ‘Cool’ Stuff
If you think you can go online, look up a cool gifts for guys and pick any old thing, then what planet are you living on?
My dad thinks socks are cool. Am I going to buy them for my brother and expect him to be over the moon? No, because he wants a Chromebook. Laptops and Tablets are an awesome present ideas for guys, there are some great deals around, but they’re not for everyone. Obviously, every guy is different, and stereotypical present ideas for men aren’t always going to be right for the guys in your life. What you can do though, is take these ‘cool gifts for guys’ idea lists as a starting point.
You’ve listened to the guy you’re buying for, and you know the kind of things he loves. So if you stumble across a present ideas list that mentions a Nespresso Coffee Machine and you know he’s a coffee nut, then that idea would be perfect. Just don’t go for a secret spy pen with torch, lazer and screwdriver attachments that he’s just going to bung in a drawer and not appreciate. Put your money where his happiness is, not where other people say it should be.
4/ You Pick Present Ideas You Think He’ll Like
Any guy would love their local team’s football shirt, right? Well, turns out your brother’s hated football since he was 11, and you just missed the memo. You know what he’d actually love?
This matches up to the listen to him point. Getting the idea now? No gift guide can give you the magical present the guy you’re buying for will love, it can just give you suggestions. Don’t just assume because he watched that one RomCom with you, that one time, and said that he liked it, that he’s desperate for the latest one on DVD. And just because he’s technically an adult and living in his own place, doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll love getting some new pillows for Christmas, however much you want to give him some.
It’s ok to pick a surprise you think he’ll like if you know he actually has an interest or passion in that area. It’s not ok to assume you know what he wants and get him any old think without putting much consideration into it.
5/ You Don’t Consider What Present Ideas Other People Are Thinking Of
If you want the guy you’re buying for to absolutely love the present you give him this Christmas, you need to step up your ideas. You probably have so many people to buy for that you’ve made a list, so getting something spectacular on a budget really isn’t an option. This is where collaboration comes in!
Talk to his parents. Talk to his friends. Talk to his grandparents. Talk to anyone you think would want to make him as happy as you do, and find out what they’re thinking of buying for him. Chances are they still don’t have a clue, or their ideas are absolutely rubbish (sorry, ‘not as good as yours’, is that less arrogant?). They’ll probably appreciate you throwing a more expensive present idea out there and suggesting you all band together.
On a whole bunch of different present ideas for boyfriends lists this year I’ve seen large screen TVs mentioned, and I just don’t know how you’d afford them without a little help from your friends. Same goes for your dad, grandad, brother etc, they’d probably appreciate one big present from all of you than a terrible little one you got alone.
6/ You Can’t Be Bothered To Think Of A Good Present For Him
You can’t change people, and what he decides to do in his spare time is his choice. But if you’re so irritated that this keeps happening, why on earth would you think of buying them a present that only encourages this behaviour? You can’t complain that your boyfriend or husband spends all night on games and not with you, and then buy him the latest big hit because you couldn’t be bothered to think of anything better. It doesn’t work like that.
Don’t fuel bad habits. If you really can’t think of what to get him, just know that you don’t need to look up hundreds of cool gifts for guys ideas, you can just get him something more usual that he’ll still absolutely love. Beautrina suggests chocolate hampers from Thorntons, and although chocolate might feel like a ‘stereotypical’ gift to you, it could mean so much more to him than something he otherwise wouldn’t use or end up using too much!
7/ You Decide You Know Best
Wish lists are still a thing right? If the guy you’re buying for has explicitly given you some ideas of what he wants, then buy him something that he wants. Don’t decide you want it to be a big surprise and get him something he really couldn’t care less about. How stupid are you? He’s literally spelt out what he wants, on paper, and you won’t accept that. Well not this year.
Although you might think that making him a jar full of hearts and stars, or sewing him a blanket is just the best idea ever, he doesn’t. He’ll accept it, he’ll look thrilled by the attention to detail and thought you’ve put into it, but really he couldn’t care less. It’ll be stuffed in a drawer never to be seen again. Or even worse, ‘lost’. Save those kind of gifts for your mum and best friends, they’ll love them.
So, have you made any of these mistakes? Do you have any to add? Let me know in the comments below, or over on Facebook or Twitter.
Pictures from:
Firebox.com, Currys, Thorntons
Leave a Reply