Giving and receiving gifts in a relationship can be one of the best parts of the entire experience – unless it manages to become a source of too much stress.
But if you pay attention, and you communicate, you might just find yourself in some wonderful situations, like the ones described in this Reddit thread:
A lot of men in the thread spoke hypothetically about what they would like, but here are some of the best answers regarding gifts already received.
1. “I do love some good blackberries.”
I don’t celebrate birthdays much, but my girlfriend got me a few pints of berries.
She listened when I told her that berries are my favorite food, and brought them to me on my birthday. I nearly cried, because I felt seen and understood.
I don’t like cake, I don’t like praise or attention, and I don’t really want any gifts, but godd*mn, I do love some good blackberries.
– shmonsters
2. “She sat me down with some chips.”
My best birthday present I ever received was more an experience (not sex (well that too)). At the time she didn’t have a lot of money
I came home from work and she was wearing a pretty sun dress and holding a cold cider for me (we didn’t live together btw).
We went through to the family room where she sat me down with some chips and told me some of the reasons she loved me, and the ways I make her life better.
Then we had a delicious dinner, watched a movie she knew I’d like (Die Hard, how can you go wrong?) and then the aforementioned sex.
Just being told she loves me and having someone compliment who I am as a person was enough to make it the best gift. The rest was icing on cake.
Oh yeah, and an Ice Cream Freddo Cake, the greatest of all the birthday cakes.
– darktorana
3. “I never ever have to go clothes shopping again.”
i am very particular about the stuff i like, and i f*cking hate clothes shopping for myself and dont care for fashion, so my gifts are as follows:
birthday: t shirt and jeans
Christmas: socks/wallet/belt
valentines: undies/ties
anniversary: shirts and pants
if this relationship goes well, i never ever have to go clothes shopping again, and that may be the best gift of all for me.
– fatmancantloseweight
4. “Encouraged a new hobby.”
My bf started to get into fly fishing so I got him a few classes on how to tie his own flies.
I think it was the best present I ever got him because it was an experience and encouraged a new hobby.
– -mushroom-cat-
5. “A nice block of cheese.”
I’ve never been a gift person. When we first got serious, I told my ex-wife that if she wanted to get me something good, a nice block of cheese would be great.
Every birthday thereafter, she got me cheese, often carved into a heart.
– Captain_Hampockets
6. “The best gift, hands down.”
After 4 years of hearing of Hamilton and 2 years of listening to the album, for my birthday in 2019 she got us tickets for Hamilton in Chicago.
The best gift, hands down, anyone has ever gotten me. Never had to ask, she just knew.
I cried. I cried when she got them, I cried during the show, and I still cry just thinking about how much I wanted to experience something, and she worked so many extra shifts to make it happen.
– RustedAntique
7. “More than I expected.”
Thoughtful gifts are appreciated a lot, more than I expected, it makes me love her a lot and know she loves me. She made a card that had pictures of us and it was cute.
We couldn’t make our Vegas trip cuz of COVID and knew I was bummed, so she decorated the kitchen Vegas themed, hid money around the house and bought a bunch of scratch off tickets for me to play lol most unique and THOUGHTFUL thing anyone has ever done for me. Trips or experiences are by far the best, plane tickets or a mini getaway would be amazing.
Experiences are better than things.
– EvolvingSunGod3
8. “The summer sale.”
Every Father’s day my wife gets me a $50 steam gift card.
The summer sale usually starts right around then. Best gift ever!
– Auxiron
9. “If your guy has a hobby that requires supplies…”
Wife here, but my husband makes it really easy: stuff for tabletop RPG’s.
Minis, terrain, books he doesn’t have yet, dice, accessories. If your guy has a hobby that requires supplies, there ya go.
– NotMyNameActually
10. “The ones you can tie into your favorite things.”
My wife always nails it. A got a new wallet made of fire gear, the ducky tie from how I met your mother, a how I met your mother mug.
The best gifts are the ones you can tie into your favorite things you do together which for us is the fire dept and how I met your mother
– medicff
11. “I don’t want anything from her.”
My wife just let me purchase a new motorcycle. It was expensive and I told her that this is gift enough for the next few years.
I don’t want anything from her. I owe her really good gifts for a long time.
– Powdrtostman
12. “It was pretty freaking insane.”
My GF has it down pretty much.
she knows I love tech stuff, and she knows I like space, fitness. pretty much the things i’m into.
so she fuses the two into things she also likes. 2 years in a row, things are working out great for her.
first birthday she got me a framed picture (she likes decorating) of the night sky on the day I was born (space) and a bunch of under armour clothes ( she like fashion and i like fitness)
this year, she likes to do meaningful gifts, but she knows i like tech, so she got me a digital picture frame for my desk setup. however, on the picture frame, she pre-loaded every picture of me she could find. I mean EVERY. PICTURE. she has met pretty much every living member of my family. my father passed when i was 1 so I dont remember him at all.
long story short, she contacted everyone she could, and got them to send pictures of me as a baby, my father, my mother, even my best friend sent some pics of us at concerts as teenagers and stuff.
it was pretty freaking insane, some pictures I had never even seen before.
then I have to match it and I get stuck, every time lol.
– GrumpyKitten514
In the end, gifts are usually less about material needs or even pleasure, and more about letting each other know that we care.
What’s your favorite gift you’ve gotten from an S/O?
Tell us in the comments.