Withdrawal. After endless years of daily work, goodbye tension, hello pension. No more lying to the boss about “that date” or the “I fell down the stairs and broke my arm” excuses. Now is the time to kick off your shoes, turn on the TV, and eat cake (and lots of it) because the gateway to the golden years is near.
If you know someone who is about to enter the never-ending coffee break experience, you’ll want to gift them with some traditional, contemporary, and personalized retirement gifts.
Sure, we’ve all received a bad gift. Maybe it was that hand-knitted bird jumper of your grandmother that led to a quick beating on the playground. Maybe it was that re-gifted mug that said “Sarah” (your name is John).
Bad gift givers like to say that something is better than nothing. This is not true. So, without further ado, here are some retirement gift ideas for men and women that you’ll want to keep away from…
Re-gifted books. Most of us have been guilty of regifting at some point in our lives, but gifted books take the cake, especially if they still have that handwritten note to the original recipient. Repeat the mantra: “Free books = tackiest retirement ideas ever.”
cheap wine If you’re going to give cheap wine as a retirement gift, at least buy a decent bottle. What retiree, after God knows how many years of routine 9 to 5, would really appreciate a wine that he tasted like vinegar?
Bathroom scales. Excellent. After all that hard work, that’s what they get from their million-pound corporation, or you… geez, thanks! Nothing says “you need to lose a few pounds” more than a bathroom scale. Take a Mental Note: Bathroom Scales Do not do make good, clever or funny retirement gifts.
piggy banks. Hello? Piggy banks can be a great gift for children, but not for a man or woman in their sixties. Come on, is throwing your spare change in a piggy bank supposed to make you feel like a young, professional person who can handle your own money? I do not think.
Retirement is filed with the wrong name or initials. Perhaps one of the most embarrassingly thoughtless retirement gifts for men and women are those personalized with the wrong name or initials. they’re more like insults with a bow on top.
Retirement gifts with message. When you get the urge to buy a retiree a scribbled ‘retired but not expired’ T-shirt, just keep walking. Unless the person you’re shopping for is under the age of 16, your neat retirement gift is likely to end up in a rag.
Instead of giving some of the above, why not welcome them to liberating freedom with personalized retirement gifts? You can add the retiree’s name to your gift, plus a cheeky farewell message of your own. So maybe: “Welcome to be your own boss!” or “You’re well over the hill now!” Okay, maybe not. The jokes that were funny at a 40th birthday party may not be so funny now.
