Retirement is a new chapter in a man's life. For some men, their career was their identity. This makes retirement a more sentimental time in their life. However, for most men, it is an exciting change which will be embraced wholeheartedly. When choosing an appropriate retirement gift for him, you should take into consideration his likes, his interests, and his plans.
For the Guy Who Has to Keep Busy
He may be the type of guy who continues to work or consult in his particular field. He may be starting a new side business, volunteering in the community more, or he may be an adrenaline junkie. Some possible gift ideas for the busy retiree can include:
- A day planner or large calendar to organize his activities.
- An excursion to ride on a helicopter, go skydiving or try rock climbing.
- A Fitbit or other tracking device to monitor his physical activity.
- Tickets to concerts or cultural events.
For the Traveler
He may have the itch to travel here and there, or he may be completely overwhelmed with wanderlust. When travel is in the retiree's near future, there are many great gift ideas for him that include:
- Airline gift cards
- Luggage, a travel duffel and/or personalized luggage tags
- Leather passport cover
- A travel guidebook to his dream destination
- Travel mugs if driving by car or RV (Thermal-insulated bottles, mugs, containers that can keep drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours)
- RV accessories
- Gas gift cards
- Framed map for decor
- Photo album to keep memories of his travels
For the Homebody
He may be more of a homebody and enjoy puttering around the house. Your gift can reflect that as well. He may prefer to:
- Spend time with his grandchildren. A gift card to a miniature golf course, the movie theater, a theme park etc. is a thoughtful gift that he can share with his grandchildren.
- Relax at home. A hammock for his yard may be a nice idea.
- Cook or barbecue. If he loves to cook or barbecue, new utensils, unique cookware, books on the subject, anything innovative involving cooking or barbecuing would be a great gift idea.
- Learn more about wine or beer. You can enroll him in a wine or beer of the month club or if he's really the adventurous type, you can even buy him a home-brewing kit to make his own beer or wine.
- Garden or set up a small farm. If he's a horticulturist at heart, he would appreciate new gardening tools, gloves, books or a gift card from your local gardening center.
- Take care of home improvements. If he is anxious to get that bathroom remodeled, new flooring done, or shelves in his garage, a gift card to a home improvement store would be the appropriate gift.
For the Artist
He may be a legitimate artist, or he may have an artist locked up inside him waiting to get out. Regardless, his artistic endeavors should be encouraged. This type of retirement gift can include:
- Art supplies such as an easel, oil paints, watercolors, drawing pencils, paper.
- Wood carving kit for someone who has a natural talent for art and wants to try something new.
- Photography supplies such as a camera, additional lenses, memory cards and a camera bag.
- Unique art classes he can try such as pottery, stained-glass and clay and metal sculpture are just a few ideas.
- If he enjoys the arts, theater or symphony tickets would be a perfect gift.
If 'art' is a new hobby for the retiree, a book on the subject or enrollment into an introductory class would also be a good idea.
For the Hobby Enthusiast
He may have a hobby that he's dabbled in for decades and plans on devoting more time to it. He also may be interested in starting a new hobby that he's always wanted to try. These hobby-related gifts can include:
- Gift cards to a store specifically for his hobby.
- Supplies specific for his hobby.
For the Sports Enthusiast
He may be active in sports such as golf, tennis, fishing, jogging, hunting, swimming, or he may be a die-hard fan of a certain sports team such as the Yankees, Bears, Cubs, Packers, Giants, Blackhawks or Lakers. A retirement gift related to his favorite sport or his favorite sports team would be near and dear to his heart.
New Milestone
Retirement is a new milestone in life. It is a reason to celebrate and the gift you give should recognize his value and importance in his career and his life going forward as well.
