Buying a gift for someone who doesn't do anything

I've struggled getting my dad gifts for as long as I can remember. He doesn't have any hobbies. He enjoys watching football, but he doesn't play it. He doesn't drink more than a couple times a year and only at restaurants. He doesn't have a beard or a moustache. He doesn't play golf or do any BBQing. He doesn't wear cufflinks and he doesn't really cook. He doesn't read books and he doesn't like soppy personalised stuff. Any gifts will have to be something he can use and is practical. He has a lot of tools so buying him more stuff will only get put in a box somewhere. He loves tea but the mug cupboard is already overflowing so I can't get him a mug. He doesn't wear ties to work. He doesn't do any gardening. He likes computers but that's to do with his job, it isn't really a hobby. He only has keys, never keyrings. He doesn't display photos or ornaments at home. He doesn't use notebooks. He only has 1 coaster he's used for years and isn't interested in changing it.

What on earth is there left that I could possibly get him?

buy him an ssd

You can always buy him some sort of clothing, like socks or something?

Reply 3

Epitype

16

Go up to your dad and tell him you have a gift for his birthday. Ask him to guess what it is and keep a list of what he says for his guesses. These guesses are most likely what he would want as a present. Then tell him he'll have to wait till later to get his present. Then go and buy it, write a birthday card and then give him his present, telling him his guess was right.

Reply 4

claireestelle

22

Original post by DrawTheLine

I've struggled getting my dad gifts for as long as I can remember. He doesn't have any hobbies. He enjoys watching football, but he doesn't play it. He doesn't drink more than a couple times a year and only at restaurants. He doesn't have a beard or a moustache. He doesn't play golf or do any BBQing. He doesn't wear cufflinks and he doesn't really cook. He doesn't read books and he doesn't like soppy personalised stuff. Any gifts will have to be something he can use and is practical. He has a lot of tools so buying him more stuff will only get put in a box somewhere. He loves tea but the mug cupboard is already overflowing so I can't get him a mug. He doesn't wear ties to work. He doesn't do any gardening. He likes computers but that's to do with his job, it isn't really a hobby. He only has keys, never keyrings. He doesn't display photos or ornaments at home. He doesn't use notebooks. He only has 1 coaster he's used for years and isn't interested in changing it.

What on earth is there left that I could possibly get him?

football tickets?

Reply 5

NeonSun

8

Original post by DrawTheLine

I've struggled getting my dad gifts for as long as I can remember. He doesn't have any hobbies. He enjoys watching football, but he doesn't play it. He doesn't drink more than a couple times a year and only at restaurants. He doesn't have a beard or a moustache. He doesn't play golf or do any BBQing. He doesn't wear cufflinks and he doesn't really cook. He doesn't read books and he doesn't like soppy personalised stuff. Any gifts will have to be something he can use and is practical. He has a lot of tools so buying him more stuff will only get put in a box somewhere. He loves tea but the mug cupboard is already overflowing so I can't get him a mug. He doesn't wear ties to work. He doesn't do any gardening. He likes computers but that's to do with his job, it isn't really a hobby. He only has keys, never keyrings. He doesn't display photos or ornaments at home. He doesn't use notebooks. He only has 1 coaster he's used for years and isn't interested in changing it.

What on earth is there left that I could possibly get him?

Yeah, that's really a hard choice! It seems from your description that only tickets for cool football match can be a good idea :colonhash:

However I can also suggest you to try experience gifts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiential_gifts it's an unreal innovation among all other types of them, you can try to choose smth according to his tastes or smth totally new for him, that perfectly describes the whole idea of experience gifts. Personally I always get them for people who are so complicated as your dad :smile:

Also what about cars? Does he like them? As I noticed from examples of my male friends a good gift can also be wooden models https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1469570445/wood-trick-0 , there are very many types of them and you can simply choose for him the one in form of a car or tool which he likes so much as I understood. And I don't think that such model will be kept in a box somewhere.
And as a final idea I can suggest to make a creative gift, if you can draw well or smth else, why not to make for him a handmade postcard or a painting, personally I did this several times and usually such gifts are very appreciated by even those who aren't interested in art at all :redface:

Reply 6

DrawTheLine

OP

22

Original post by NeonSun

Yeah, that's really a hard choice! It seems from your description that only tickets for cool football match can be a good idea :colonhash:

However I can also suggest you to try experience gifts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiential_gifts it's an unreal innovation among all other types of them, you can try to choose smth according to his tastes or smth totally new for him, that perfectly describes the whole idea of experience gifts. Personally I always get them for people who are so complicated as your dad :smile:

Also what about cars? Does he like them? As I noticed from examples of my male friends a good gift can also be wooden models https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1469570445/wood-trick-0 , there are very many types of them and you can simply choose for him the one in form of a car or tool which he likes so much as I understood. And I don't think that such model will be kept in a box somewhere.
And as a final idea I can suggest to make a creative gift, if you can draw well or smth else, why not to make for him a handmade postcard or a painting, personally I did this several times and usually such gifts are very appreciated by even those who aren't interested in art at all :redface:

Thanks for your reply. I decided to get him a screen magnifier for his phone. He constantly asks me to read stuff on his phone so this will be something he uses regularly.

He used to like going to matches, but rarely anymore. He doesn't really have an interest in cars no.

He doesn't really appreciate personalised or hand-made things. He'll say "that's nice" but it'll stay in a cupboard gathering dust forever. I only ever made him something as a little kid where splashing paint on something was seen as cute.

Reply 7

doodle_333

19

clothes/accessories (e.g. belt, gloves, hat), posh tea (whittards is nice), take him out to a restaurant

Reply 8

DrawTheLine

OP

22

Original post by doodle_333

clothes/accessories (e.g. belt, gloves, hat), posh tea (whittards is nice), take him out to a restaurant

Thanks for your reply - I decided to get him a screen magnifier for his phone. I've got him t-shirts in the past, he only wears one belt and doesn't wear gloves or hats in cold weather. He only drinks PG Tips - not a fan of the fancy stuff. He doesn't really like being taken out for meals, always insists on paying for most of it at least.