Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Invisible and unique Christmas gifts
MoneyMagpie team
10th Dec 2014
Are you getting tired of buying gifts for your loved ones that end up in the bin on boxing day? Well, why not go for something a little different this year?
We at MoneyMagpie have found a fantastic range of ‘invisible gifts’! You can’t hold, wrap them up or put them under the tree but they’re guaranteed to make a big impact, and save you a packet in the mean time! Why not check out our hands-on buyer’s guide to the gifts that can’t be thrown away.
High-tech Gifts
If you can’t afford a shiny new iPad, don’t fret! There are plenty of presents you can buy for techies to download straight onto their computers.
iTunes gifts
For musical gifts, TV episodes or creating your own custom mix, the iTunes store has everything you’ll need, and it’s great for last-minute gifts. When you buy a gift, iTunes will immediately send an email to the recipient who’ll click on a link and the gift will start downloading.
Alternatively, you can buy a gift certificate for almost any denomination, so your friend can have their pick from iTunes’ enormous digital library. Certificates can be emailed directly to a recipient or you can print one out and deliver it in person.
If you’ve got children who just love occupying your bandwidth with downloads, you can even set up a monthly iTunes allowance that enables them to download music legally without a credit card.
Buy a website
Give someone their own piece of internet real estate by buying them a personalised domain. You never know, it could be the start of an online empire!
With their own domain your friend can upload pictures, write blogs and manage their own website – they could even set up a business.
A domain is basically just a name for a website, for example, https://www.moneymagpie.com/. In order to own a domain you have to register the name with the Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC).
You can do this through an accredited registrar. The most popular is GoDaddy.com, where you can get a free ‘getting started’ guide, blog and starter page.
Something special
Why not give someone a memory? It’ll last longer than anything you can buy in a shop, so this Christmas give your loved ones an experience they’ll never forget.
Red Letter Days
Red Letter Days specialises in providing unique experiences for individuals, couples or families. The range of gift ideas is staggering, with everything from off-road driving to a gourmet meal.
You can give a gift card that is redeemable against any Red Letter Day event, or a ‘perfect for…’ voucher for a package tailored for him, her, the kids or for whole families. Alternatively, you can buy a flexible gift pack that allows the recipient to choose from a range of fixed options.
Red Letter Days’ cheapest gift is about £25, but be sure to check out their special offers section for some impressive reductions.
Plan your own unique day out
For a cheaper alternative, why not plan your own unique day out? Organising it yourself will mean it’s completely personal.
You could do something as simple as cooking a gourmet meal at home or putting the kids in charge for a day. There are hundreds of things you can do that are absolutely free and provide the invaluable chance to spend time together.
Think of something that your friend or loved one has always wanted to do and then make it happen! It’ll give you both something to look forward to in those dull January days.
Pampering
Everybody deserves a bit of pampering, especially after the stress of Christmas. Give someone the gift of luxury and relaxation and you’ll see the difference it makes.
Get the ball rolling by registering for free with Wahanda. Wahanda specialises in health and beauty offers at massively discounted prices, so if you’re in search of a relaxing treat at a reasonable price this is the place to look.
Spafinder is another good place to look. They offer gift vouchers that are redeemable in over 5,000 spas worldwide and can be used for anything from a facial to a five night stay in a Spanish spa. One voucher will buy a single treatment at a participating spa, but at £25 each they are expensive.
Alternatively, pamper your friend or partner yourself for absolutely nothing. Light a few scented candles, put on some relaxing music and massage those Christmas cares away.
The gift of your time
A voucher for your time is an ideal gift for a friend that you don’t see very often or an older relative.
If you know someone who would value your company above any material gift, make a card with a promise that you’ll dedicate some time to them in the new year and let them decide how to spend it. It’s entirely free and is sure to be enormously appreciated.
Novelties
For some people, novelty gifts are what Christmas is all about. Why not give someone a novelty gift with a difference?
Buyagift.co.uk has lots of really fun and unusual pressies up for grabs. Why not buy an acre of the moon for your loved one for a little as £20, or personalise a nice bottle of red wine for them for just £14.99? For footie fanatics a tour around their team’s stadium would go down very well, while nostalgic types will love a framed newspaper from the year they were born. Check out Buyagift’s full range of unusual gifts here.
Cultural gifts
From the ridiculous to the sublime – if you’re after something more intellectual we’ve got a roundup of the best invisible gifts for culture vultures.
Theatre tokens
For aspiring thespians there’s no better gift than Theatre Tokens. Available in denominations of £5, £10, or £20, they can be redeemed against tickets to plays, musicals, operas, ballets and pretty much anything that happens at a theatre.
There are participating theatres across the UK, including many top theatres in London’s West End. You can also get gift packs worth £33.99 or £53.99 that includes quiz cards.
Theatre Tokens are available to buy online or by phone on 0844 887 7878.
Gallery membership
Membership of a gallery or a museum is a gift that keeps on giving. Many of the best art institutions have membership schemes that entitle you to free entry and all sorts of other discounts.
The Tate has an excellent scheme. From £62 for a year’s membership it’s not cheap, but the benefits are enormous: members get free entry to exhibitions at all Tate venues including Tate Liverpool, Tate Modern and Tate St Ives, as well as invitations to exclusive previews and talks.
You also get to use the members’ room at Tate Modern, which has unparalleled views of St Paul’s and the Millennium Bridge as well as a discount in the fantastic gift shop.
National Trust membership
Membership of the National Trust is indispensable to anyone with an interest in British heritage. From just £20.25 your friend or loved one can get free entry to more than 300 of the National Trust’s historic properties.
You can visit iconic buildings such as Lyme Park in Cheshire (where Colin Firth’s famous ‘wet shirt’ scene in the BBC’s ‘Pride & Prejudice’ was filmed) as well as many of your favourite film and TV locations.
Loads of the National Trust’s properties are easily accessible by road and make a perfect pit-stop on long journeys. Membership fees go towards preserving some of Britain’s finest landmarks, so your gift benefits everyone.
LoveFilm subscription
LoveFilm has the perfect present for film buffs. A gift subscription allows you to choose from over 70,000 titles and have them delivered directly to your door.
Simply pick the films you want to watch online, watch them in the comfort of your own home and then post them back. There are no late fees and a prepaid envelope is provided.
Subscription packages start at £15, which gets your friend two films a month for three months. If you spend over £24 your gift will be delivered free in a gift box including a free DVD or movie book.
For those of us who leave things ’til the last minute, a gift subscription can be emailed directly to a recipient or printed out to be delivered in person. The best thing about a LoveFilm subscription is that you can enjoy it together – get the popcorn ready!
Charitable Gifts
Cut out the middle man and give someone a charitable gift rather than something that just ends up in a charity shop.
Giving to charity on someone else’s behalf assuages consumer guilt and makes Christmas more meaningful. The beneficiary also receives a personalised card, so they can see their donation in action.
Oxfam unwrapped
Oxfam Unwrapped has a wide range of charitable gifts. You can give someone almost anything, from a donkey to a home carer.
The recipient gets a gift card, a magnet and in some cases a DVD, while your money goes to where it is needed most.
The website is packed with information on Oxfam’s projects around the world and gifts are divided into special interest categories so whether your friend is a foodie, an eco-warrior or an animal lover, you’re bound to find something for them.
Christian Aid also offer a similar scheme with Present Aid where you can buy fruit trees, tents, goats and more for communities in need.
Letters from Santa
For a suggested donation of £5, the NSPCC will send you a personalised letter from Santa. This is an ideal present for children or even for adults who are still young at heart.
As well as delighting your own child, you’ll be helping to save children across the UK from cruelty and abuse.
World Gifts
World Gifts specialises in giving you two presents in one. Buy a friend or loved one a World Gifts bicycle or vegetable garden and they’ll receive a personalised card with details of exactly how their donation is making a difference.
World Gifts is run by CAFOD, a charity that supports impoverished communities. CAFOD supply not only food and water but education, training and healthcare as well.
There are also gifts for kids. Each one comes with a fun sheet with information on how their gift helps people, as well as games, jokes and puzzles.
Adopt an animal
You can adopt an animal with WWF for £3 a month. WWF aims to protect endangered species such as polar bears, pandas and dolphins from extinction.
WWF also works hard to tackle global warming, one of the biggest problems facing the natural world today. So adopting an animal helps to ensure the survival of the chosen species and the planet itself.
Adopting an animal is a great gift for kids; they’ll receive an adorable stuffed toy as well as a certificate and quarterly updates on how their animal is doing.
Let us know if you have any unique or invisible gift ideas in the comments section below.
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