Retirees have decades worth of accumulated possessions and often don’t need more stuff. They also have different priorities and generally more time and less income than working people. Here’s how to select a gift the retirees in your life will actually want.
Social experiences. It’s easy for retirees to become lonely and isolated. A gift can provide an opportunity to interact with others. “Generally speaking what retirees want most is social connection. They have more time and they’re part of a generation that prizes face-to-face human connection,” says Kit Yarrow, a professor emerita at San Francisco’s Golden Gate University and author of “Decoding the New Consumer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy”. “One year I got my mom a gift certificate to one of her favorite lunch restaurants along with the suggestion that she host a reunion with the five women she was closest to when she was a teacher. What a hit.”
[See: 10 Classic (and Unique) Retirement Gift Ideas.]
Experiences with grandchildren. Many retirees cherish creating memories with their grandchildren. “Buy them something they can do with their grandkids, such as tickets to an amusement park, zoo or children’s theater,” says Barbara Pachter, a career coach and author of “The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way to Success.” For savvy parents, this could double as an afternoon of babysitting.
Consumable gifts. Almost everyone has a favorite sweet or savory food they love to stock up on. “How about an annual subscription for something like cheese or wine or flowers?” Yarrow says. And there are few people who wouldn’t enjoy a nice dinner out. “Gift cards, especially cards to nice restaurants, are always a good suggestion,” Pachter says.
Boost their health. Some gifts can be used to nudge your loved one to be a little healthier in the coming year. “I would recommend a Fitbit Charge 2 as a great gift for retirees,” says Deacon Hayes, author of “You Can Retire Early!” “It not only will help them track their steps, but their heart rate as well. This is a great gift to make sure you stay healthy in your retirement years.” Gifts aimed at helping a retiree to get more exercise or eat healthier can help show you care.
[See: 10 Ways to Celebrate Your Retirement.]
Learning. Retirement can be an opportunity to learn a new skill that you never had time for while working. “Top gifts might include social, experiential goodies like pickle ball lessons or classes such as cooking, dancing, painting or guitar,” Yarrow says. “It’s really essential to do a bit of recon first, though. Dance lessons for one retiree could be the best gift ever, and for another the ultimate gift from hell.”
Hobby gifts. Some hobbies require a constant stream of new supplies, such as beautiful yarn for a knitter or interesting seeds for a gardener. “Find out if they have any special plans for their retirement,” Pachter says. “For example, if they will be relocating to a warm climate and plan on playing a lot of golf, buy something golf related such as golf balls or clothing.”
Encouragement. The beginning of retirement is often a welcome respite from the daily grind. But after a few years of retirement, some people are searching for a new sense of purpose. Consider “two or three sessions with a career or retirement coach for the person who has no direction and is struggling with identity issues,” says Nancy Schlossberg, a professor emerita at the University of Maryland and author of “Too Young to Be Old: Love, Learn, Work, and Play as You Age”. “Gifts like this could provide a start for something new in their lives.”
[See: 10 Financial Perks of Getting Older.]
Relaxation. Just because you are retired doesn’t mean you couldn’t use a little extra relaxation. A trip to the spa or a gift card for a nice haircut can help retirees to feel their best.
Mementos. Some of the most meaningful gifts include photos of loved ones or are reminders of shared experiences with friends. “One should not discount the on-going importance of things, objects, possessions for elderly people, such as reminders of family and friends, or indeed of trips and experiences taken,” says Frank Trentmann, a history professor at Birkbeck College, University of London and author of “Empire of Things: How We Became a World of Consumers, from the Fifteenth Century to the Twenty-First”. Whether it’s an old object from the past or a current photo of the grandchildren, gifts with emotional meaning can be powerful.
Emily Brandon is the author of “Pensionless: The 10-Step Solution for a Stress-Free Retirement.”
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Holiday Gift Ideas for Retirees originally appeared on usnews.com
