How to Buy for People Who Have Everything

Everyone has a friend or family member that seems to have everything and can be impossible to buy for when it comes time to give gifts. Instead of focusing on things that you can buy in the store, consider giving them something personal, like a donation to their favorite charity in their name. You can also share the things that you love by giving them a copy of your favorite book. There are subscription services for almost everything that you can think to keep the gift-giving going all year, and the gift of an experience, shared or not, can be unforgettable.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Giving a Personal Gift

1
Write a journal of your favorite memories with them. Describe what happened in each instance and what was so memorable about it. Include big things, like special occasions, and little things, like good conversations you remember. It’s a great, personal gift that shows the recipient you appreciate your relationship with them.^{[1]XResearch source}
- For example, you could write something like, "On July 4, 2001, we tried to go to the fireworks show downtown, but couldn't find any parking. So instead we drove out to the middle of nowhere and sat on the hood of the car, watching the fireworks from the shows all around us."
- You could also write something like, "I had a cold once, but had to go to work anyway, and when I woke up, you'd packed me a lunch with chicken noodle soup in a thermos. It was so thoughtful and reminded me how much you care."
2
Make them a compliment jar. Ask each of their friends and family members to write down their favorite thing about them on a slip of paper. Then place all of those slips of paper into a glass or decorative jar. The recipient can read them all at once, or pull one out when they need a little boost to their day.^{[2]XResearch source}
- For example, people can write things like "Your eyes are my favorite color blue," or "You always tell the funniest jokes!"
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3
Make a scrapbook of old photos. The photos you choose are up to you and can vary depending on who the recipient is. You can place the photos in a photo album, or you could go a few steps further and make an actual scrapbook with different colored paper and decorations.^{[3]XResearch source}
- For example, if you recently lost a loved one like a grandparent, you could gift your siblings with a scrapbook of photos of them with your grandparent.
- You can also make a scrapbook of a vacation you took with the recipient (or that they took with someone else).
- If you don’t have enough photos on your own, ask the recipient’s friends and family to help out and send photos they have.
4
Donate to their favorite charity. You can choose the charity one of two ways: you can donate in their name to a charity that supports a cause close to their heart – like the ASPCA for animal lovers. Or you can donate to a charity related to something that’s happened in their life – like the ACS if they or someone they love has had cancer.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Donors Choose is a great website for looking up reputable charities to donate to.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Sharing Things You Love

Inscribe the book with a note explaining why you love the book and what it means to you. You can also include an invitation for a drink (your treat) once they’ve finished the book so you can talk about it.^{[5]XResearch source}
You can invite them to your home and cook your favorite meal for them. This lets them try a type of cuisine they might not otherwise try and gives them a night off from cooking. You can also put together the ingredients for your favorite meal or treat, and include detailed, step-by-step instructions. In both cases, they’ll get to enjoy something you love, too.^{[6]XResearch source}
You can also burn the playlist to a CD if you like. The more variety the better – you might introduce them to music they’ve never heard before, and make a new fan for one of your favorite groups.
4
Give them your favorite bottle of wine. You can also switch this to beer if the recipient prefers beer to wine. Choose your favorite bottle (or two), and include a card that describes what you like so much about that type of wine. You can even include a suggestion for the type of food they could enjoy with them.
- For example, you could say something like "I found this wine when I was on vacation in New England. I love the fruity flavor of it, and how light it is. Try it with a piece of chocolate!"
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Gifting Them with a Subscription

If the recipient is a big fan of fresh flowers, try a flower delivery service. Companies like H. Bloom, FTD, and 1800Flowers allow you to choose weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly deliveries. You can also talk to a local florist about setting up regular deliveries, which can be cheaper than using a subscription service.^{[7]XResearch source}
Companies like the Wine of the Month Club, the New York Times Wine Club, or the Craft Beer Company will send a selection of wine or beer to the recipient. The types of wine or beer, frequency of delivery, and price all vary by company, which gives you a lot of freedom to personalize the gift to the recipient’s tastes.^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}
If you have a serious coffee-lover on your hands, consider signing them up for coffee delivery. Starbucks Coffee has a subscription service that sends one 8.8 ounce bag of Starbucks Reserve Coffee for one, six, or 12 months. Other companies like Intelligentsia Coffee or Stumptown Coffee Roasters give you a larger variety of coffees to choose from.^{[9]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}
You can try a meal delivery service like Blue Apron for the foodie in your life. Fresh grocery delivery from somewhere like Local Harvest or the Department of Agriculture CSA lets you send fresh, local produce to the recipient that they can use in their own recipes.^{[10]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Giving Them an Experience

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Sign them up for classes. There are so many classes and lessons available to help the recipient hone a skill they already have or learn a new one. You can either sign them up for the classes yourself, or prepay for the classes and let them choose when they want to go.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Tennis lessons are a great option for the athlete in your life.
- Painting or ceramic lessons would be a great gift for the aspiring artist.
- Some race tracks offer racecar driving lessons, complete with a chance to drive around the track after the lessons are over.
The United State Personal Chef Association website will let you search by zip code and cuisine. Prices vary based on how many the chef will be cooking for, the cuisine, and the type of meal, but it’s a great way to gift the recipient with a meal without relying on the same restaurants over and over again!^{[12]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}
Cloud 9 Living is a website where you can search for a variety of experiences for a variety of budgets. You can send a gift card for the website to the recipient, letting them choose which experience sounds the most fun!^{[13]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}
4
Buy tickets for a joint experience. Maybe you have the same favorite band or singer. Or you both love art shows, or there’s a play you both want to see. Buy two tickets and make it a night to remember with dinner or drinks before or after the show!
- For example, if you and the recipient both love classic 1940s films, you could buy two tickets to a film festival.
- If you both have a need for speed, buy tickets to a race. It could be a boat race, car race, or air show.
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If you're a close friend, can you give a sentimental thing such as a framed photo of us guys?
Bethany Ward
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Yes.
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Tips

Before you buy gifts in the form of lessons or classes, verify return policies or refunds with the institution you are buying the lessons from. The person you are buying for may have scheduling conflicts with the lessons.
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