My mom is VERY practical as well as thrifty, so she hates seeing money spent on things that won't get used. That makes it difficult to find things for her, because, as she and my father age, they don't really need "stuff" anymore. In recent years, I've been getting her gift cards for things that would be a splurge for her, things she wouldn't normally spend money on for herself or things I know she'd appreciate using if she didn't necessarily think about it herself. For Mother's Day, I sometimes get her a pedicure as I know she'd only use it in warm weather when her toes might be showing. I also will give her gift cards to local restaurants that I know she would like but hasn't been to before. I also have gotten her tickets to a show - we are fortunate to live outside of Wash DC so there are plenty of options for theatre and performing arts.

Just a few suggestions!

Consumable presents work for a lot of giftees. Either get a lot of something they use all the time--6 months of their favorite coffee or tea, a year's supply of paper goods (tissues, toilet paper, paper towels). They don't have to spend time or money for months on boring necessities. Or extra-special versions of things they use--gourmet coffee or tea samplers, really good chocolate, a fountain pen, pretty file folders instead of the manila ones.

Or something very useful that they wouldn't buy for themselves. After Hurricane Sandy, everyone in my family is getting a battery-operated radio/flashlight, that can be hand-cranked if there aren't any batteries.

Or solve a problem. Give her a motion-activated back yard light, say, and then install it for her, or take her car for tune-ups. Or a day of handy man help, where you deal with all the loose knobs, squeaky hinges and leaky taps in the house. If there's something she complains about a lot, figure out how to fix it for her.

If she likes to eat out, a certificate for three meals at nice restaurants--maybe a "restaurant of the month" club just for her. Give her three certificates, one for January, February and March, and a choice of 6 restaurants. She chooses the restaurant for each month. And she gets to go out with her handsome son and charming DIL.

Gift cards/certificates for personal services like a manicure, pedicure, hair styling/color/cut?

This may seem sort of generic, but I love furry throws and they are available in all price ranges...so nice when you are snuggled on the sofa watching television.

Does she drink tea? One of those glass tea pots with a selection of blooming teas might be unusual and interesting to her.

An umbrella that automatically opens and closes...love mine.

Tab top can opener (linked below)...one of the most appreciated gifts I ever bought my aunties. Works great on soup and tuna cans with tab tops.

Here is a link that might be useful: Opener

Thanks, these are great ideas! I like the idea of consumables. She loves DD coffee, so getting her a few bags of those would work with maybe a gift mug from Shutterfly.

I like the can opener, too.

Hope I am helping out others as well.

The beauty angle doesn't really work for her since she cuts and colors her own hair. I used to get my mother JCP styling salon gift cards which she really appreciated.

Last year I got her new bedsheets, which she seemed to like. I could also get another set. I like the beautiful throw ideas, too.

Does she have those stacks of pictures that aren't labeled or organized? If so, consider giving her your time and talents to either put them in albums for her, labeled of course or digitally do them if possible.

We are picking up where we left off years ago with our family tree history. I''m giving DH, who won't let me buy him anything "big" like computer stuff or sports equipment cause I won't get the one he wants or will spend too much on what the would want but won't buy himself, a years worth of ancestry.com so we can go back as far as possible and orgainize it into a tree form as we go. Plus I am having a friend come over today to show me the best way to go about it - then I will teach him how to do it also.

How about a nice package of stationery, a roll of stamps and some return address labels? It is something she would use. Add a nice pen, too.

My mom uses a Brita pitcher so I get her some filters.

Bottles of liquor, of course!

You mentioned she cuts and colors her own hair. What about a nice little organizer (something like shower organizers that college kids use in the dorms) filled with hair products. If you can snoop and find out what type of products she uses, i.e. if she uses permanenet or semi-permanent color, specific colors, a nice bowl and brush for mixing color, a new pick comb for separating the hair, disposable gloves, a nice pair of salon scisssors, etc. Maybe even throw in her favorite hairspray, texturizing products, etc.
Sally's is a good place for this. One more thing I just thought of - they have the little .99 cent packs of conditioner that you use after coloring.

Another idea - you mentioned coffee. I made up a grab gift for my office with a wooden serving tray, a nice can of coffee, flavored creamers, Ghiradelli hot chocolate mix (THE BEST!), and a pretty mug. I think I threw some Ghiradelli chocolates in the mug.

Another consumable idea would be a baking basket filled with muffin, cookie, and cake mixes, flavoring and spices, nuts, chocolate chips, canned frosting. Most of your baking mixes will have at least 6 months to a year shelf life. This would not be a good idea if she is a "cook from scratch" baker.

The hot chocolate gift is a great idea. I've given the Williams-Sonoma hot chocolate mix along with their out of this world giant marshmellows. Oh my gosh. What a treat they were! This is something people generally don't buy for themselves because they're kind of pricey. That reminds me, I need to order us some marshmellows!

Does she cook for herself? I ordered for stocking stuffers this year various mixes from The Old Mill. Biscuit/Cheddar mix, Soup mixes, & dip mixes. They're good and save time & money. And fun to try.

We'd give my late MIL, who had earlier informed us NO kitchen gifts, lol, little care packages. Stamps, gourmet food, gift cards to her specialty grocery store, etc. And new PJ's. She loved those.

What about a window cleaning or gutter cleaning service? I would LOVE that! I hate it when DH gets on the roof to clean the gutters and then he'll do a half-a**ed job, so I end up hiring a kid to get on a ladder & HAND clean the gunk out.

Any type of handyman thing like that would probably be appreciated. My Grandmother always had my 6'4" brother clean her light fixtures when he came over.

I also second a 'splurge' item of something she uses frequently. My one DD always gets me some really high end moisturizer or lotion. Much better than the drug store variety I buy! The other gets us Kona coffee directly from Hawaii. This is stuff I could buy myself but never want to spend the $ on.

We give my in-laws tickets. We check out the winter/spring theater offerings in their area and then we purchase tickets to the events. I make up a decorative "gift certificate" and present that in a card. Sometimes a dinner gift card is included for a restaurant near the ticketed offering.

My older aunt and uncle get edibles. They LOVE LOVE LOVE cranberries so I make up a gift basket of cranberry items purchased from a Wisc. Cranberry website.

We've gifted annual memberships to zoos and museums. Gardeners get gift certificates to gardeners.com. Heirloom bulb lovers get oldhousegardens.com. Golfers get a pre-paid pass to the driving range. Magazine subscriptions are another we've done.

I hope these are useful ideas.

My dad & new-ish bride are very challenging. Three years ago I went on trip advisors for reviews on nice B&Bs near or on the water, close to pubs and dining and something with a lodge feel with fireplace and hot tub. I sent a gift certificate for a night and they were thrilled (my sister kicked in a bit). Last year I bought a high-end chefs knife and this year I bought another gift certificate for a different B&B that has a separate cottage with fire place on a marina. I think they will love this one because it's not far from the convalescence center where they take the long drive to visit my uncle.

I have had luck with the hotel or B&B gift certificate as well for my parents. They could afford it themselves, but this kind of forces them to take a break and go. They can't let it go to waste:)

I have a dad who is hard to buy for. This year, based on a recommendation from a friend who got the same thing for her mom last year (who loved it) I'm getting him a fruit-of-the-month club from Harry & David. They have a small package suitable for one person. I'm also getting him a few gift cards for his favorite grocery store. I usually get him a shirt or sweater too, since he doesn't think to buy himself clothes. I'm always careful to buy it at a chain store with a location near him, though, in case he needs to return it (he lives in another state).

For past occasions, I've sent him a box of treats from Nuts Online, which he enjoyed. They have nuts (duh), dried fruits, and other snacks.

Last year we gave him a Kindle, which I don't think he has ever used. Lesson learned. A few years ago, we gave him an iPod loaded up with music he likes, and a dock/speaker for it. He looooved that. Problem is, if he wants to add music to it, he has to bring it when he comes to visit us so we can do it for him!

Another gift I bought for a hard to buy for older man is a pair of "Texting Gloves." I saw them on GMA Friday morning so I looked on Amazon. I'd never heard of them before.

He's an appraiser and is out in the cold a lot, and he's also addicted to his iPhone. I'm hoping he'll like it!

She loves DD coffee, so getting her a few bags of those would work with maybe a gift mug from Shutterfly.

Great idea, but skip the gift mug. Just another dust collector.
Once you reach a certain age, consumables are what people want.
If she likes plants, an orchid or two would be nice.

Does she use a computer and Netflix? We were given a Roku last Christmas and absolutely love it. My son-in-law set it up for us and we can watch lots of movies and documentaries instantly on our TV without dealing with the post office. You can't access all Netflix has to offer, but there's still a lot to see. There's no limit on how many movies you can watch since they're not new releases, but you do need a subscription to Netflix. I've watched a lot of the old PBS shows this way.

Here is a link that might be useful: roku

Think warm. A luxury throw.

My grandparents were very hard--my sister and I shared the cost of a housekeeper for a year. Much more than we'd normally spend but since we were also busy, it allowed us to help out throughout the year. My parents gave them a snow removal service.

All the kids used to pitch in to send my parents on trips. A weekend in New Hope-- GC to a B&B and restaurant, Las Vegas-- or some years, just an airline gc. They stopped traveling so much because of my elderly grandparents but they loved the trips.

I have a learning disabled nephew who won't use GCs and is just hard to buy for in general. He loves comedies-- so I gave him a netflix GC.

I bake for a lot of friends-- I usually make something a little special or with an odd twist to make them stand out as a gift. This year, I'll try earl grey cookies for my tea loving friends. The bf gets baklava at various times throughout the year-- because it's a labor of love.

My siblings and I don't exchange gift-gifts anymore but last year I gave them bags with fresh made bread and a garlic roaster another year it was homemade sauce and some awesome pasta tongs.

One year I gathered family recipes-- I used Tastebook.com which allowed me to upload recipes, stories and photos and to personalize the cover and add a cover page. They published and delivered beautiful hard bound binders that would allow pages to be added. This was especially meaningful because my dad's family recipes were in his head.. but he'd had strokes a number of years ago and couldnt just relay them. I followed along as he made the family favorites and wrote out the recipes. It was a lot of work all around but it brought many tears and they're still getting a lot of use.

Some other gifts that have been especially loved over the years..

- Ruana in my grandmother's family tartan
- decorated Rosemary tree
- membership in a local CSA (organic veggies delivered weekly from spring to fall)
- dried herbs from the garden
- Middle Sister wine-- "Drama Queen" lol
- Makings for a special drink.. like chocolate martinis
- Mariebelle dark european hot chocolate (i like the aztec)
- Vosges chocolate truffles-- extraordinary and unusual pairings. I've given their dark chocolate collection and also the italian collection.

I'm in my 70s. Do not need a thing. Please don't bring me a live plant to take care of and kill. Or perfumed things.

I told my kids to buy me seeds for the garden. Every time they came across some, buy and and save the packets for a gift...they didn't get it. Would thoroughly enjoy magazine subscriptions. And off the wall, brackets for my car to install Road/driving lights on my MINI. A day of help around the house on little things would be great too. Even dog toys are welcomed.

Glad you are all thinking ahead. We don't try to be difficult, but the little things mean the most.

(Sigh!) I'm right there with you, as my parents are also at that same "don't-need-any-more-stuff-to-clutter-up-the-place" stage of their lives, and I can totally understand and sympathize. But, it does make gift giving challenging!
Like many older retirees, although they may be able to afford certain luxuries, they're too frugal to indulge in many. Here are some of the past gifts I/we've given them that they have appreciated . . . and used:
- a Tempurpedic mattress pad for their bed
- down pillows
- a weather alert radios (at their winter home on the Gulf near Tampa it's great during the hurricane season; at their summer place in Michigan, they like it for tornado alerts)
- gourmet dinners from companies that specialize in individual frozen meals, although it's hard to find the good ones
- gift cards to restaurants they like
- cable service for their summer place (they simply can't work their DVD player-sigh!)
- these "garden benches" were a big hit and very much appreciated to use inside their home as well as outside. They're lightweight and sturdy making them easy to use inside as a kneeler when accessing lower cabs or looking for lost things under the bed, etc. They're great because they cushion their arthritic knees and the side bars help them to stand up safely and (fairly) easily again. Out in their garden, they're also a huge help for the same reasons. Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:

And these are some of the well-meant gifts they've received from myself and others that have NOT gone over so well:
- flannel pjs, flannel sheets: they say it makes it too difficult for them to move easily in bed (my bad)
- cheese, sausage and nut gifts (not mine): bad for their cholesterol and with their partials.
- the cutesy saying tee shirts, such as "bald, old fart, retiree, etc. (not mine!): My former banker father did NOT appreciate those, saying they were very undignified!
- Tchotchkes: for the obvious reasons
- Large hams and other multi-meal food items: their appetites are minimal these days and a big ham, etc. just means more stuff in the freezer taking up space to my mom.
-pretty throw rugs for their kitchen and bathrooms (my bad): tripping hazards
- scuff-type slippers (not mine): tripping hazards

Anyhoo, those are some of the gifts that worked and some that didn't.
On a personal note, I think I've finally figured out a gift for my own parents. My sis called yesterday to tell me our parents have decided to fly up to stay with her family in Michigan for Christmas this year. Most of my siblings still live there, so this is a good thing all around. I'd been fretting, as this year I couldn't think of anything else they might need. Now I finally have something, a private limo service that will pick them up at their Florida home and deliver them and their luggage safely to the Tampa airport. The driver, bless his heart, gets all their luggage safely checked in for them, too, before leaving. On their return flight home he, not them, waits for all their luggage and then gets them safely home, taking in all their bags as well. It's actually not as expensive as it sounds either. Not much more than 2 round trips on the airport shuttle bus service, but with no extra stops for other passengers, less drive time and a LOT more personal help for them. I can't tell you how much that means to me and to my parents who are not so steady on their feet these days, get stressed out driving in busy traffic, tire easily and aren't able to handle their bags very well either. I know about this service because I use them myself instead of renting a car when I fly down to visit my parents (I use their car once I'm there). I've also gifted this to them for several years now, as they fly to and from their Michigan home in late-Spring and mid-Fall. I wish so much that they'd just move back to Michigan full-time, but they're stubborn. So, in the mean time, this keeps them safer and makes their lives a bit easier until they come to their senses (LOL)!
Lynn

Some great ideas here! My parents and siblings quit gift giving several years ago. When my mom was still with us, in lieu of gifts for each other, we would give to a charity, find a family or individual who needed help, etc. It was great. After my mom passed away, that kind of fell apart. Since my dad is alone, we have started buying for him again. It's hard because he doesn't really need/want anything. He likes to eat out so we give him gift certificates to his favorite restaurants, a gift certificate to a place to have his car washed, things like that. I love Funky's idea of trips for parents and we did this several times before my mom passed away. We loved being able to pamper our parents as they have always taken such good care of us.

Oh another my dad and my MIL's "male friend" like is gourmet coffee. . .

tina

Amazon Kindle with gift card for tech capable people that love to read.

Gift cards to pharmacies where they get their prescriptions or grocery store gift cards.

Reminisce magazine subscriptions if elderly.

Wall Street Journal subscription for people like my mom, lol.

Large print Readers Digest subscription.

Go to Cracker Barrel...make a basket of consumables. Sourdough bread, coffee, candy, pancake mix, syrup, candle, hand cream, etc...

Can you tell that I have an elderly mother and mother in law??

Some ideas we are employing:

--Cheesecake from a local shop for my in-laws. They do not need or want anything but this will be a nice splurge.

--Gift cards for an oil change for a sister.

--Gift cards for a nice car wash for step-dad to help take care of his "baby." For my hubby, I would consider a larger amount to cover good detailing of the inside.

--I will be doing a gift card to a very nice meat shop for my mom that she adores. She cannot treat herself there very often, so this will be welcome.

For really old people, this jumbo clock in the link is great. My mil loves it- Mother's Day present this year-, and we set it up at home first ( to make sure it worked) and my Dad thought it was great too. It's huge and tells what day of the week it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: clock

I bought this as a gift this year. It's a book you don't have to read, just look at the pictures. It's really neat!

Here is a link that might be useful: Optical Illusions

My dad is in his mid 70s, retired, and has vision problems.

He is very particular about his clothes, and has said for none of us to buy him clothes any more. So we don't.

So I have found that the thing he really likes are music CDs...especially a mix of songs. They have one of those Bose CD players, and he can work it by touch. But as most music lovers would agree, with the state of today's commercial radio, it is tough to find out about good musical artists because they aren't often played on the radio.

So now I just give my dad a CD for fathers day, birthday, etc. and if he likes it great, and if not it hardly takes up any room to set aside.

He keeps a folio out that holds about 20 cds, and he can memorize their order in the folio, to select the cd he wants to hear.

As I was washing the windows on my car and sweeping it out, it struck me that someone my age (68) or older or even younger, would like a coupon for having their car detailed. It's really difficult for me (I'm horizontally challenged) to stand on a stepstool to reach the top of the car and the middle of the windows, and to get all the nooks and crannies inside.

I'm thinking of getting my dad, a SIRUS radio subscription, for his newish truck. He won't spend the money on that himself.

I normally get him a golf package for one of the golf courses that he and his "old croanies" play.

I'm copying and pasting all of your ideas and saving them on my phone to refer back to later, so thanks!

I had already thought of getting my mom a roll of stamps. The price is going up again in January.

My mom will love having someone else wash her car and clean the inside. Great ideas :)

One of my favorite gifts was stamps made from pictures of my grandson. You can order from these sites posted on USPS.

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture postage.

Car wash tokens are great if they still have a car, especially if they live in the snow belt.

My mother liked jelly on her toast, so I would buy a collection of small different jellies.

One year I bought her a phone with large numbers.

Dad always wanted socks and underwear....I guess they fall into the consumables category.
:)

I was going to suggest the car wash coupons but that's already been mentioned.

One gift I've always wanted and never received (though it can't be wrapped or be a surprise) is to get my knives and scissors sharpened. That would be such a treat!

Can you get gift certificates to a gas station? With the price of gas these days, I'm sure that would be welcome to all drivers....

I would imagine for a lot of older folks, taking them out would be welcome...I think as I get older, time with friends and family becomes even more valuable, and things less so.

THanks for everyone's feedback. I hope the rest of you are finding this helpful. MIL emailed she is almost out of some Clinique makeup and she would like a lightweight cardigan. These help, but like I mentioned she has a birthday the following week as well as Christmas. I do think I will get her the coffee and gift cards.

Struggling with this whole what to buy the people on my list as well. Great thread, love some of the ideas.

AnnieD - SurLaTable does offer a free knife sharpening once a year. I don't know if you have a store local to you, but it might be worth a call. IIRC, it takes place around Thanksgiving?

Just wanted to update that MIL really loved the coffee basket. We also got her a bean grinder and ordered the pop-top can opener linked above from Amazon. Also included the supermarket gift card.

She gave us some other ideas for clothing and Estee Lauder.

One thing I've given is a address stamp. Office supply stores and make them while you wait. Pre inked and easier to use than address labels.

I like to give gift cards to a restaurant someone wouldn't normally frequent~McCormick & Schmidt, Roy's, even the Cheesecake Factory. It's not only an occasion for a sumptuous dinner but a chance to dress up a little nicer than usual. Make sure it's large enough to include a house wine or a couple of drinks. Make sure she has an escort.

Book a facial at an upscale spa, usually a cost of $125-$200, depending on the city as well as the type of facial. Make sure you accompany her~it's no fun going alone.

A movie and dinner. It's that special time just for the two of you.

A 'date' for a limo and a winery~'nuf said. This can be a gift from several people, maybe two children/spouses. For Mom/Dad, one OR the other. Make it a Sunday afternoon, it's more quiet. I'm sorry if you don't have a winery near you. ;o)

Lynne, I got my mil the garden kneeler thing as part of her Xmas, she loved it, I think it was her favorite gift! Thanks for the great idea!

Of all the gifts I bought for my parents/grandmother, a last minute purchase of fleece lined tights were very well received.. as well as down throws. I considered them the more practical (vs fun or interesting) gifts.. and they were by far the most appreciated.