Whether it’s a family member or a friend, everybody has an anti-stuff person in their life. These people are the birthday buzz kills. The holiday killjoys. Kindly ask the anti-stuff person what he or she wants for Christmas, and you get a long-winded tirade about the evils of consumerism. You get an “I don’t need any more stuff.” Ok. Fine. Forgo the marathon mall trip. Stop searching for that cute or quirky or one-of-a-kind gift that is destined to end up buried in a hall closet or a dresser drawer. When it comes to shopping for the anti-stuff person in your life, you need to give the gift of experience.
The Cultural Experience
Who wouldn’t like a night on the town? We’re talking about tickets. Concert tickets. Theater tickets. Sports tickets. Whatever type of entertainment floats the anti-stuff person’s boat. An evening of arts, culture, or sports is sure to appeal to the person who has it all and doesn’t want anything. He or she may have more argyle socks, paisley ties or holiday sweaters than they could ever need, buy they’ve never seen Cats or Cirque du Soleil. Bingo. That’s your ticket to ride, shopper.
The Weekend Trip
It all depends on who you’re shopping for, of course, but a weekend trip is the perfect memory-making event. Whether its taking the hubby skiing for a weekend at a quiet resort in Vermont, or planning a relaxing spa getaway for your best friend’s birthday, these types of bonding experiences are far more meaningful than traditional gifts. It’s also like two gifts in one, because the following year, you can give your Hubby or best friend a photo album scrapbook of your weekend trip together.
The Perishable Party
If it’s clutter the anti-stuff person is concerned about, then go the perishable gift route. Holiday gift baskets of fruit, cheese, chocolate, fudge, and charcuterie will be gone so quickly, it will not have time to collect dust. Pair the gift basket with a nice bottle of wine. A basket of Belgium chocolate or Florida oranges isn’t stuff; it’s sustenance. After one bite, the recipient is bound to agree.
Gift Certificates
Gift certificates get a bad wrap. Gift cards are what you buy for someone when the creative well has run dry and you don’t have any other ideas, right? Wrong. Gift certificates are the best thing since sliced bread, especially for the picky, anti-stuff, “I have everything and don’t need anything” person in your life. From restaurants and electronics to beauty certificates and gas cards, there’s a magic card for everything these days. According to Forbes, gift cards are no longer just a last minute gift. On Black Friday weekend in 2012 almost one-third of the shoppers bought gift cards, which is a 40% increase from 2011.
Bake a Cake
No. We’re not talking about following directions on the back of a box, either. That German double chocolate cake needs to be homemade. Baking a cake may seem like a silly idea. Isn’t it easier just to buy one? While it may be easier, it does not mean baking something from scratch. Depending on who’s receiving the cake, it’s also the type of present that will be gone in a day or two. No clutter. Just a bit of a chocolate mess.
