My wife often complains that I am impossible to shop for. One reason is that I am a cheapskate who would rather have 20 bucks in the bank than a DVD of Batman Begins.  Another reason is that I am an adult, and when there is something that I want, I can buy it for myself. 

So, I already have everything I want, and don’t want what I don’t need.  What is a wife to do?  This article will attempt to give you some food for thought when you are shopping for your man.

1)      Food:  Guys love food.  Two of the gifts that I have most enthusiastically accepted were a can of cashews and a giant Snickers bar.  An upscale alternative would be a Meat-of-the-Month Club subscription (not kidding, btw), or some kind of grilling accessory that will make his meatcraft more exact.

2)      Hobby Enhancers: While each man has his own interests, one thing is the certain; someone has devised a way to make it even more awesome.  Whether it is a rumbling seat for his racing videogame, increased peripheral vision paintball goggles, a 10x zoom nature photography lens, or a simple book light, there is a gift to make his hobby experience even better.  This will also provide the secondary benefit of signaling that you support rather than resent his “man time” (whether that is true or not).

3)      Intangibles/Service:  I don’t mean coupons for “nookie” (we know that “certain restrictions apply”).  If your man says that he doesn’t want anything, that means he doesn’t want any “thing”.  He would probably still appreciate someone else cleaning the basement, his favorite meal (back to gift idea #1), or a day to devote entirely to enjoying his gift from idea #2.  For example, when my wife gave me the final Harry Potter book, she also gave me the entire day (chore and cooking free) to read it.

4)      Make his life easier:  Similar to Hobby Enhancement, this category seeks to make his daily grind easier.  Does he have a long commute?  Maybe an MP3 player could make it seem shorter.  Maybe it could even BE shorter with a GPS.  Does the dog make messes, run away, etc… how about obedience school? Is his computer agonizingly slow?  Try a RAM upgrade.  Maybe you can give him the best gift, more time for himself and you.

5)      A Personalized Children’s Book:  No man’s library is complete without one.

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