Desperately need gift help

[la79al]

I still have no idea what to get my dad . The only thing I know he likes is to hang out with his friends, doing what, I'm not even sure. He works a lot and seems to spend his off time fixing stuff. I hate to go the gift card route and it seems like I am usually scrambling for his gift the day before we go to see him. Any ideas at all? I seriously think the last 2 years I went with alcohol, which I seriously doubt he even drank.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

food? Omaha Steaks, Hickory Farms, Harry & David...

 

[babyrich]

I still have no idea what to get my dad . The only thing I know he likes is to hang out with his friends, doing what, I'm not even sure. He works a lot and seems to spend his off time fixing stuff. I hate to go the gift card route and it seems like I am usually scrambling for his gift the day before we go to see him. Any ideas at all? I seriously think the last 2 years I went with alcohol, which I seriously doubt he even drank.

There is nothing wrong with the gift card route. I dont feel its a cop out. I feel it gives the receiver the opportunity to choose what they want.

If your dad likes to fix things, how about a gift card to a hardware store (like Lowe's or Home Depot), this way he can buy tools or other supplies.

or a family photo. You can always get a sweater or a vest to wear in the cold weather.

 

[cornflake]

You don't know anything else about your father?

What he likes to do?

What he likes to read? Listen to? Watch?

What his favourite sports team was when he was little (there are old-school jerseys and stuff available), what it is now (tickets for him and his friends)?

What does he like to fix? They still make kits to build your own radios and stuff, and more advanced things....

What does he like to wear? Favourite types of shirts, ties...

I won't do gift cards for people I know, I think it's just...

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Parents can be so hard to buy for!! I know this may be too specific, but for both my dad and FIL this year I got them Paul Harvey's books. They both loved to listen to him on the radio, figured it'd be something they'd like. Neither of them are big readers, but these short, interesting stories will do well. (Actually Dad got his already, ended up having quadruple bypass surgery suddenly so I gave them to him so he'd have something to read in the hospital and he love them!)

The other thing I've done for my dad, though it would depend on your situation, is to give him a coupon for something like one dessert a month or a meal a month, where he could pick what he wanted and I'd make it for him. He really liked that, though I had to keep on him each month to be sure he told me what he wanted. Or you could do a "date" coupon, to take him to go see a movie and go to dinner sometime in the near future.

Oh, I also get him a calendar each year and put all the family's birth dates, anniversaries, anything he needs to remember in it for him.

We've also gotten things like gift certificates for a professional car cleaning or maybe you could do a housekeeper to come in. Doesn't seem so generic when it's for a service.

 

[Earstou]

Since he likes to fix things, how about tools. So many guys like tools.
My dh hardly ever fixes anything but always drools over tools, especially checking out the new tools that come out. The ones he's been checking out lately are the dogbone wrenches.