Advice On Buying Gifts For Gram And Gramps (or Mom And Dad)

by JeanS

posted on 10/14/2009

If you're among the younger generation, you probably are faced with decisions about what to buy your parents, grandparents or other senior citizen friends or relatives around the holidays, or other special occasions. Shopping for folks that are older than you and who have different needs and interests is difficult, because you never know what might be appropriate. And if you're short on cash, it becomes even more crucial to find something that is meaningful and affordable.

So take it from me. Here are some suggestions what we "old folks" could use and appreciate. Note that the first thing on the list you don't even have to buy … it's free, except for your time and maybe a hamburger at McDonald's!

Your time! More than anything else, we appreciate spending time with our kids and grandkids, so give us a "gift certificate" for a visit once a month. You can even take us out to McDonald's or Burger King if you feel so inclined. A monthly visit means more to us than you'll ever know. It gives us something to look forward to and something for us to talk about with our friends.

A book of postage stamps. Many of us older folks don't use computers or don't trust ourselves to use the computer to pay our bills, so we still send our payments in the old-fashioned way: by mail. So buying us a book or a roll of stamps will ensure that we have enough postage to get the checks mailed out in a timely fashion.

Newspaper or magazine subscriptions. If your loved ones don't get the daily or weekly newspaper, they may enjoy getting a subscription. I know I'd love it if one of my kids ordered it for me. The same goes for magazine subscriptions dealing with an area of interest. See if they have large print format for those who have trouble with their eyesight. I know you can get large print editions from Reader's Digest, among others.

A goodie basket of food! This is an excellent gift, especially if you fill it with things that your loved ones enjoy, but don't often indulge in. Some ideas would be gourmet chocolates, flavored coffee or tea, imported cookies, jelly, small cans of salmon or tuna … use your imagination! Stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods often have wonderful and unique selections of products that you can't find anywhere else that would be perfect for putting in a gift basket.

Cleaning or decluttering service. Sometimes having someone come in and help you sort through your junk and get your home all cleaned up would be nice. Consider a gift certificate for three or four hours of a house cleaner or junk removal service.
And finally … if money is no object ….

A wide-screen high definition television! This is a luxury that would definitely be something appreciated, especially as the eyesight of us older folks begins to fade.
There are so many other good ideas out there that you can shop for … just realize that practicality is one of the top things to consider when buying gifts for your older loved ones.

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