Hoarders love collecting all sorts of knick-knacks: cups, plates, clothes, etc. It’s hard to get something for them because it ends up in a pile. So what should you get?
The best gift for hoarders is memories. You can visit and spend the day with them at home or eat and cook together. You can also get tickets and take them out to a museum, park, or anywhere fun. These memories won’t get stockpiled except in their hearts.
There’s great pressure attached to gift-giving, especially when the receiver is a hoarder. Let me help you with that through this article.
Best Overall: Memories
When we plan gifts for people, our first thought is usually material things like collectibles, appliances, toys, practical items, and more. We show our care by getting them a physical object they like or need.
But you can’t do that with a hoarder. Not because you don’t care, but because you do. Getting them another material object would expand their present treasure (or trash) trove.
Thus, the best gift to give a hoarder is not one that can be stashed in their home but rather in their minds and hearts. The best gift is a memory. But how do you give a memory? ‘
How to Gift a Memory
People call these experience gifts, and I agree. A memory is a special experience you can gift to a person.
Here are some examples of experience gifts:
- Tickets to a museum. A museum date is unique, educational, and relaxing, especially for people who love the arts.
- Watch a movie together. You can buy a ticket or set up a movie at home, with some popcorn and snacks.
- Visit a theme park. This would make a great family trip so you can bring everyone, from grandparents to children.
- Cook and eat a meal with them. Making food together is heartwarming and memorable. Make sure to prepare just enough, though, to avoid leftovers.
- Spend a day with them. Ask your loved one ahead of time about things they want to do or experience. Consider their ideas and set a date for when you can do those things with them.
If you plan to give someone a gift like this, think if they’d appreciate it and see it as a gift. Some people aren’t really fond of trips or going out, so you’d need to tailor your ideas according to their needs, wants, and personalities.
Personalized Coupons
Another unique way to gift memories is through personal coupons. Each coupon entitles the receiver to an extraordinary act you will do for them.
For instance, you can give them a coupon that states you will spend a whole day with them. You can also include a coupon for breakfast in bed (made by you), a movie night, or a walk together to the park.
You can also visit this wikiHow tutorial for ideas on how to make your coupons.
If you want to be more creative, try making a coupon booklet by following this YouTube video:
Pros
- Special and memorable. The most significant advantage of gifting people memories or experience gifts is their sentimental value. Hoarders are sentimental, so they keep everything they can. These memories are valuable to them, and they can keep them without cluttering their homes.
- Does not physically accumulate. As I’ve mentioned, these gifts don’t fill homes because they aren’t physical. Help hoarders by not giving them material objects that could worsen their situation.
- Help deal with stress or loneliness. Many hoarders are lonely or are going through stressful situations. Hoarding objects may be their way of coping with the situation. By spending quality time with them, you’re giving them an outlet for such stress and loneliness besides keeping tons of junk.
- Affordable. Depending on the experience you give them, you won’t have to spend much. Since making a memory is pretty personalized, you can customize the budget based on your capabilities.
Cons
- Time. Many prefer giving material objects because it’s straightforward. However, experiences like spending the day or watching a movie require time, which is a luxury for many busy, working adults.
- Effort. To come up with a great and sentimental experience gift, you need to make an effort to plan and actualize your ideas. You need to understand the person and what they would appreciate.
- Hard to think of ideas. Every person is different – some people may be happy if you spend a day with them while others won’t see it as a gift. This makes it hard to think of ideas.
Most Practical: Subscriptions or Masterclasses
Sometimes, an experience gift is just not possible or appropriate. Thus, instead of going for sentimentality, you should consider practicality instead. What are practical gifts for hoarders?
As I’ve said, material objects aren’t the brightest idea. For instance, appliances are generally practical, but in a hoarder’s home, they’re just part of one too many.
Instead of getting practical and physical objects, get them practical and virtual items such as subscriptions or masterclasses.
For instance, you can give them a year-long subscription to a movie streaming site, like Netflix or Disney+. You can also go for a music subscription, like Spotify.
If your receiver isn’t too techy, try giving them a class membership. For instance, you can gift them a couple of yoga classes, art workshops, or online courses, like Skillshare or Coursera.
Pros
- Educational. Learning new things is always enriching and satisfying. Gifting classes would allow your receiver to acquire new knowledge and skills while providing a diversion from their hoarding habits.
- Convenient. Subscriptions and membership classes are easy to find nowadays, especially on the internet. These gifts aren’t too personal either, so it’s not hard to think of them.
Cons
- Expensive. Certain subscriptions and membership fees may be too expensive, especially if for an extended period (i.e., one year).
Most Convenient: Food
One of the most recommended gifts for hoarders is food. It’s not just because nearly everyone loves food but because these are consumable and disposable.
Giving durable objects to hoarders is tricky because they are likely to hide them. However, with perishable items like food, they are less likely to keep them.
However, if your loved one hoards food, you may have to think twice about this. If you decide on giving them food, it’s best to eat with them to make sure there are no leftovers and for memorable company, too.
Pros
- Convenient. It’s pretty easy to find food anywhere. You can go to their favorite restaurant and order. Or, you can make their favorite dish yourself.
- Affordable. Generally, food is relatively cheap. It does depend on what kind of food you get and the quantity.
- Simple. Giving food isn’t an over-the-top gesture but is still appreciated by many.
Cons
- Simple. Buying food might appear effortless, depending on the person. To avoid that, you can make the food yourself or make sure to get their favorites to reflect the care and effort you have for the person.
- Leftovers. You may bring too much food, and the leftovers will stay in the hoarder’s home. It will then become a new addition to the hoarding stash. Avoid that by bringing only enough food or bringing home the leftovers if you can.
Final Thoughts
Despite the thousands of trinkets they have, hoarders don’t have everything. Often, they feel lonely or isolated from the world, and keeping all those things is a way to cope. Choosing a well-thought and effortful gift would mean the world to them and would help them recover easier from their situation.