Finding Great Christmas Gifts For Men

Finding the perfect Christmas gifts for men can be a difficult process. Sure, the standard dress shirt, tie, tool set, or newest tech gadget are generally “safe” bets for decent gifts, but who likes to give (or receive) the same type of gift every year? If you’re looking to take your gift giving to the next level, read on to learn some important things to keep in mind as you shop for the important men in your life.

Break from the norm. If you’ve given your dad a gift certificate to an electronics store every year for the past 5 years, guess what he’s expecting this year? Giving the same gift or same type of gift (clothes, electronics, grilling tools, etc) sends a message to the recipient that you are not invested in finding a gift that they will really appreciate. Instead, your gifts appear as an afterthought.

Remember what makes people happiest. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine what makes people happy and they have all come to the conclusion that people find more joy and happiness in experiences than they get from material objects. If you’ve always bought “stuff” for people or given gift cards, consider looking in to experience gifts this year and help the men in your life to do things that they’ve always dreamed about doing. The memories will last a lifetime – much longer than the latest and greatest piece of technology will last.

The six characteristics of a “perfect gift”: Dr. Russell Belk published a paper in 1996 that outlined six attributes of a “perfect gift.” To paraphrase, Dr. Belk said that a perfect gift must require the giver to make a sacrifice while wishing to please the recipient (note that a ‘sacrifice’ can mean a sacrifice of time and energy and does not mean you need to go hungry for a week so you can buy an extremely expensive gift). The gift itself should be a surprise, be a luxury, be appropriate for the recipient, and must make the recipient happy. As you shop for gifts this year, keep these things in mind. Remember to keep the recipient in mind as you shop and search for things that fit their personality, interests, desires, and so on. Also try to be somewhat unpredictable in your choice – think outside the box!

Armed with this new knowledge, you should be ready to take your gift giving to the next level this year. A small investment in your time can result in a huge improvement in the quality of gift that you give and the pleasure that the recipient finds in it. Do your best to stay away from “common” gifts and search for something that is uniquely tailored to the interests and personality of the recipient. And don’t forget about experience gifts. Instead of purchasing a new driver for your golfer husband, consider getting him some one-on-one lessons with a PGA pro or if your brother loves car racing, make his dreams come true with a Nascar driving experience.