adopting an animal

i once got a day with hawks.. best gift i ever got. hanging out with raptors is a great day out if you're into birds of prey

Wow, @silvereyes, how timely you are with this thread! All of these ideas are so good that I know I'm going to use a couple of them at least.

I agree that time is a great gift. I've given coupons to siblings for babysitting their children (a night, or day or weekend at my house), and when my father suffered from dementia and couldn't be left alone, I gave my mother coupons for either watching him at home or taking him somewhere so she could be home alone. Naturally, I did this regularly as a daughter, but these were times during the day when I would take off work at her convenience (the same with watching my nephews).

It's amazing how much people enjoy the gift of just being home alone!

Having worked as a chef I have given away my services for preparing an intimate dinner party for the gifted one and their family/friends. I have also done this for fundraisers charging for the party but giving all proceeds to a charity including the actual costs of preparation.

An ebook.

“I'm OK with spending some money on experiences over objects too.”

Yes, shared time doing something the other person enjoys — a sporting event, a concert, an art exhibit, a nature walk, etc. — those are the things that seem to truly matter. They may or may not cost money, but the real gift is your time, and that can't be bought in a store.

The arbor day society will plant trees in someone's name if you're into conservation.

I'm with you. My partner got me to really approach this issue on another level. We NEVER gave each other or even others bought gifts. She would make things as lavender wands or herbal sachets. I like to can (I have a small orchard and grow a variety of fruit). I always have way too much and give canned fruit and/or preserves. I also host gatherings during the holidays or special occasions (our island in BIG on potlucks - A joke is: how many Lopesians does it take to change a light bulb - The answer is 10, one to do the work and the other 9 to organize the potluck). Another idea is to donate time. This place is the volunteer capital of the state and often people give their time and effort in lieu of gifts.

I'll sell you my soul if you like. That's non-material & makes a great Christmas gift!

A Christmas card with a heartfelt message and some jokes you can all share. I did an acronym for my fathers day card. Farter Argumentative Relaxed Tired Hungry E R . Something along those lines, I can't remember what I actually wrote since I gave him the card a long time ago. But he still kept it.

A photo album is also good. I just left my homeland and I left behind a photo album from the time I was a baby to the current day with all of my photos around the world as well. Plus I burnt 2 CD's of my favourite classical music. Which is strange for an 18 year old boy I guess but hey, I'm awesome so it's all good