Birthday gift for adult chilren who have everything!

Teatime hope you set her a budget! "Running shoes" are not regular trainers!

Agree with Daisymae

annodomini thank you for the suggestion(s)
I must get a move on as there's not much time left.

annodomini

Yes! And a wonderful gift at that!

I got DS to take me out to lunch and I insisted on paying for it. Does that count as a gift?

I'm in the same boat as your AC. I don't need anything or want for anything. I'm very lucky to be content in what I have and able to afford to buy what I need or want. Even with my husband, I tell him no gifts, just take me out on a date. I'd much rather have experiences than "stuff".

In the past i've asked for a ticket to a cooking class, magazine subscription, concert tickets, seeds for my garden, even a manicure/pedicure gift card, etc. But i'm running out of ideas to give them, too.

Given that, there have been some great suggestions that I will be keeping in my pocket for the next time my mom or husband as me what I want.

The best I heard were a bottle of wine or liquor, the monthly flower subscription delivery sounds lovely (although probably not helpful for you son).

Whatever you do, don't do the "free babysitting coupon" idea. Baaaaad. Terrible suggestion.

Ha ha Milo27 I wouldn't wish that on anyone! I have been given photos in frames and they are NEVER ones I'd choose! Unfortunately I'm stuck with them because someone else likes them and went to the bother of gifting them to me.
I do smile and thank them through gritted teeth though. My son would just leave them here!

How about printing out old family photos and putting them in a lovely frame? Memories are so precious, particularly if they have children of their own xx

11-year-old DGS, that is!

When I asked my 11-year-old what he wanted for his birthday, he said, "a ten pound note". So I bought him a lockable cash box and put the cash inside. I think that for his 12th birthday, in December, he will be more savvy and ask for rather more than a tenner. Sports gear is always welcome at that stage. In his case, tennis or rugby.

I am watching avidly because it's the same here. AS used to leave his gifts behind if they were opened at ours! Seriously, I'd find them after he'd gone. He always buys himself what he needs and wants. I just send a card.
Now it's the DGC. What do you get a boy of 11 who has everything?
I will find something. I'm determined.
I have a present drawer where I collect lovely things to be given in emergencies. They are all things which I would like myself. Occasionally, when I have bypassed some things for too long, I give them to charity or use them myself.

We have a theory in our family regarding gifts; so, I go to the shop and choose a gift for my daughter, she has all she needs in life and chooses her own clothing perfume cosmetics etc., and I spend £x on a gift. Daughter then does the same for me and spends £x on a gift that she thinks I will like.

The outcome is we both have a gift we don't particularly like/need/want and we are both £x out of pocket. However, the shopkeeper is £x + £x in profit and we are stuck with a gift that no doubt will find its way to the next raffle, jumble sale or charity shop!

Moral to the story: we hang onto our cash, send a lovely card and have a good night out together several times a year making memories and having fun!

I always buy for the GC, all 8 of them and if they don't want anything in particular they have the cash to put in the bank!

My daughter earns and spends well. I asked her what she would like from me for her birthday and she said she needed new running shoes - she will get them I will pay - job done.

we give the adult children a voucher for a local restaurant we know they use for birthday gift and last year for Christmas gave hotelbreak.com vouchers These have been better received than gifts of things and were considerably less hassle to purchase !

I think that is an excellent idea tedber helps the children your friend teaches and your family are putting the money to much better use.

I don't think you can go wrong with sending a book for a gift.

Peonyrose - I don't know if my post will be help in any way but for the past few years I have not bought my (extensive) family (not children or grandchildren) any presents for Christmas or birthdays. Instead I have sent money to a school in India. Several reasons for this....first and foremost my grandchildren don't actually NEED anything and get so much (it is embarrassing). When one of my grandsons held his had up one year and said "enough" I realised just how much these kids got!!!

I looked at one of my friends who was running a school in India with very little financial input and decided that I would not buy MY KIDS anything but send it to their kids. The gratitude from those kids...well...a few crayons and books is like them winning the lottery!

I do still 'treat' my family throughout the year...just not specifically for Christmas or birthdays.

I think that the op is sad that the AC have made it plain that they don't want any gifts. It's sensible to stick with that rather than trying to come up with something more wonderful. I agree that it is sad that they can't find time to go for a meal. I would treat yourself instead! X

Lots of good ideas already given. But here are what I’ve received from my daughters...Online you can buy a months subscription of flowers to be received by them every week/ month. Or a magazine subscription for your son of a hobby or something he is interested in.

Donate to a charity in their name. I have done this before. It has gone down quite well.

My best friend ( who is older than me) asked me to stop buying her presents I was sad as I love giving but she’s right she’s not in need of anything and my gifts were just clogging her up and making her feel she needed to buy me something in return
So now I give her some flowers or some seeds out my garden or a painted pebble and told her she can make me a cake for my birthday (she’s a great cook)
I think you need to acknowledge what your child is asking you to do and either do something charitable in their name or bake them a cake like my friend it’s hard because it’s good to give but they don’t need or want it so go with them on this one
Grandtante they are not ungrateful they are being honest far better than accepting something that s not needed and won’t be used what’s the point in that

I have had the same problem with my gc. I now buy from Oxfam a toilet, a goat or clean water. They think its funny to get a toilet for Christmas.

Agree with all saying that unwanted gifts are a pain to deal with - guilt for not being appreciated, and often clutter when we are all trying to minimise. If my daughter sees something at any time of the year that she genuinely knows I would appreciate (a Beatles tote bag a few years back) then she will buy it, but otherwise, time together is the best gift, i.e. going out for a meal with just her during my visit.

I love giving present too, but I think I would stop pronto, if anyone told me they didn't want presents!

They call it being honest, I have no doubt. I call it pretty d***m rude.

In your place I would use my money on someone or some charity that would appreciate it and buy myself a nice present too from my ungrateful children!

I love getting presents. It's still exciting and I am almost 68. I already have some in a pile and I look forward to opening them tomorrow.
I do a long amazon wishlist of varied prices for those who want to use it.

www.marysmeals.org.uk

I do like the look of this.