Please welcome our guest contributor, Maggie Baker, a 20-something living in Chicago, IL. She enjoys iced coffee, her French bulldog named Sampson, and writing about relationships.
Okay, ladies. Your man’s birthday is fast approaching and we feel your pain. If he’s anything like the men we’ve dated, you’ll get no help from him. When you ask what he wants, he’ll grunt and say, “I dunno,” before shrugging his shoulders. Or worse, he’ll be one of those practical types with no love for material possessions. This one simply says, “No need, honey. I already have everything I need.” And he really means it! That’s all well and good that he’s reached nirvana and whatnot, but it still leaves you without a gift to give. And let’s be honest, he doesn’t really have everything he needs. He just doesn’t know yet what he needs to want! And who better to teach him how to want more than he has than the woman in his life! We’re experts at that!
So, like we said, we feel your pain, and we’re here to help. Read on for our best birthday gift ideas for your practical man who thinks he already has everything he wants in life.
For the gadget obsessed
Maybe your man has a thing for gadgets. He polishes the screen of his smartphone every two minutes, pampers his laptop with a leather case, and talks you up and down any chance he gets about megapixels, gigabytes, and RAM, all of which makes you want to ram your head into a wall.
With this type of man, you could spring for a new tablet or computer or TV, but with their high standards, you’re looking at dropping a grand or more. Too rich for your blood? Then think smaller. Buy him a new Bluetooth mouse for when he’s working on the go. Or maybe he has a massive music or film library on his device. Additional storage will always come in handy, so spring for a portable hard drive, a 128GB SD card, or a cloud storage account. Or get him a gift card for Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store.
For the booze connoisseur
Booze is big these days. Whether we’re talking wine, spirits, or craft beer, men love swirling over-priced beverages in their glasses and pretending like they’re cultured. Of course, we ladies know what brutes they are, but it doesn’t hurt to indulge their sense of self-importance from time to time.
So, find that rare bottle of scotch or craft beer he’s always talking about. Hunt around online for it, and if it falls within your birthday budget, grab it. He’ll be thrilled. Or, if your man is more interested in experiences, plan a brewery tour or a trip to a couple distilleries. They’ll get to see how “daddy’s little helper” is made and do some tasting to boot. Still not feeling it? How about an engraved flask or a subscription to a beer of the month club?
For the health conscious
One day your man sat on the couch, his arm shoulder-deep in a bag of potato chips, and the next he announced that, hence forth, he would be healthy. He had probably said that thirty times prior and spent some really effective minutes at the gym that one time, so you were understandably skeptical. But, miracle of miracles, he actually kept with it this time. He goes to the gym three times a week, eats oatmeal for breakfast, and hardly touches the potato chips any more. Good for him!
And good for you, too, because it creates more birthday gift opportunities. Buy him a subscription to a men’s health magazine or gift card for yoga or spin classes (yes, men can do these things without shame). Or what about cookbooks that focus on tasty high protein, low calorie meals? No? A fitness tracker can be a big hit, as it will help him better quantify his workouts and how much energy he expends. Or maybe your man is trying to break unhealthy habits as he gets in shape.
The practical men in our lives are notoriously difficult to buy for. But if your man fits into one of the above categories, we hope our suggestions will ease the burden a bit. Now go, shop, and show your man how little he knows about what he really wants.