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    32 Practical Gifts For People Who Are Really Dang Hard To Shop For

    What to buy for those people who just don't really love STUFF.

    Shopping for people who don't really love stuff can be frustrating, especially if you kind of love shopping for, buying, having, and giving stuff.

    Christmas bows, branches, journals, bells, pinecones, trees, candles, and tape

    But as someone who seems to know a lot of these practical, non-stuff-loving folks, and has gone through this roller coaster for many holidays, Mother's Days, and birthdays, I've finally cracked the code and figured out what actually works for people like this.

    Here are some of my favorite gifts for people who are hard to shop for:

    1. A 6-foot charging cable so they can scroll aimlessly at 100% battery.

    Silver charging cable charging an iPhone through a laptop

    2. A well-designed and unfussy planner.

    3. A set of toothpicks that are infused with tea tree oil and mint.

    a box of toothpicks

    4. A couple of smart plugs.

    5. A super-practical reference book that'll serve them for years.

    Person holding Home Comforts reference book

    6. A neck, back, and shoulder pillow that relieves muscle pain with heat and four different massage settings.

    Black neck, back, and shoulder pillow

    7. An electric blanket for their car, which would be a godsend for anyone driving to work or school on those cold winter mornings.

    Blue electric blanker

    8. Or a heated seat cushion for their car or their office chair.

    Black heated seat cushion with remote

    9. A few pairs of cushy and warm socks.

    10. Or a pair of compression socks that are perfect for travelers, nurses, athletes, teachers, and/or pregnant folks.

    Three black and blue compression socks

    11. A Squatty Potty.

    Squatty Potty in front of a toilet

    12. A compression eye mask that's a lifesaver for anyone who regularly gets hangovers, headaches, or migraines.

    13. A handheld fabric steamer.

    White fabric steamer

    14. An umbrella that actually does its job.

    Black umbrella

    15. A hot water bottle to keep them nice and cozy.

    Blue hot water bottle and blue knit cover

    16. This absolute UNIT of coconut oil.

    Container of coconut oil

    17. A set of containers for anyone who's about the leftover lifestyle.

    18. An electric toothbrush.

    19. A set of reusable produce bags.

    Five reusable produce bags

    20. A wall-mount plastic bag holder and dispenser.

    White wall-mount plastic bag dispenser on a wooden cabinet door

    21. A set of beeswax wraps.

    Package of beeswax wrapping sheets

    22. Some good knee pads.

    Person in red pants wearing black knee pads while gardenings

    23. A pillow upgrade.

    Memory foam pillow

    24. cold brew coffee maker so they can get their icy caffeine fix at home.

    Promising review: "I bought this as a gift for my husband's birthday, not really thinking much of it. He’s a coffee enthusiast and honestly I didn’t think this would become a staple in his coffee making, just another coffee gadget. He LOVES this thing. He fills it will ground coffee before bed, adds water and puts it in the fridge. His only complaint is that it can be a little tough to get all the grounds out into the trash, but that’s just a common problem with diffuser filters like this. He also loves that it’s plastic because he can be pretty accident-prone. It’s thick and so far we have not had any warping or discoloration. We hand wash this only, I don’t think I would put it in the dishwasher. Overall, awesomely priced product and great gift for coffee lovers!" –Steph

    Get it from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).

    For more info, check out our full review of the Takeya cold brew maker!

    25. A big ol' battery pack.

    26. A set of five reusable stainless steel straws.

    Five stainless steel straws with purple, aqua, black, pink, and blue silicone tops and two cleaning brushes

    27. A deep tissue massage gun to efficiently relieve aches and pains.

    Black massage gun

    28. A super handy wine (and more) stain remover.

    Reviewer photo of a before and after of a wine stain

    29. A set of reusable bags in fun prints to up their grocery game.

    Reviewer photo of six animal printed reusable bags

    30. A silicone colander that'll snap right onto their pots and pans.

    orange snap-on colander straining a pot of pasta into a sink

    31. A rechargeable electric lighter so they never have to spend $$$ on a fueled lighter ever again.

    Promising review: "I love the color and quality of this! It holds a charge for a long time. I use it on candles every night. Love the plastic cover for the tip to keep it protected and the on/off feature so it does not accidentally get pressed. Nice weight and easy to use right out of the box. Excellent stocking stuffer for all the candle lovers!" —Kimberly

    Get it from Amazon for $8.48+ (available in seven colors and various 2-packs).

    32. Some Swedish dish cloths they can use for all types of kitchen messes.

    a model washing dishes with white cloths with painted cherry pattern
    a model wiping a counter with a blue patterned dish cloth
    Amazon

    Promising review: "I originally picked these up to use in lieu of nasty, nasty dishrags that invoke my inner THIS IS NOT CLEAN demon. Since then, I have used them for everything from cleaning the kitchen to wiping up spills. After use, just toss in the wash and they are ready to go again. They are the perfect size and do an excellent job on every task to which I have applied them. They come in a variety of fun prints and I have yet to wear one out. Paper towel usage has taken a real nosedive, which is a good thing given its relative scarcity at present." —sandra simpson-kraft

    Get a three-pack from Amazon for $10.90+ (available in 30 prints).

    Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!

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    Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.