Moving never comes easy, and if it’s someone close to you, then you should be doing something to send the person away with a smile. One thing most people do is giving a going away gift.
While gifting can be easy for some, it’s not easy if the person who is going away has been close to you or is a colleague that you want to show appreciation and respect for. Going away gifts have to be thoughtful, more than expensive or grand, so let’s first look at what counts as thoughtful before we dive into some gift ideas!
What Counts As Thoughtful While Gifting?
There is so much in the world that you can gift someone, and while you might know exactly what a person prefers, you might draw a blank when it comes to giving something that’s thoughtful and might make the person extremely happy. Many times, this confusion with what to give can also arise because you’ve known the person for too long and already given the person too many gifts!
To help you out, here are a few things you can do to ensure that your gift is thoughtful and appears that way:
Start Looking In Advance
Anything that counts as thoughtful always requires a little effort, and here you need to put that effort in to think of what would make the best sense as a going away present. Start the process of looking for something in advance, and if it’s something you’ll have to make yourself or will take time to reach then you’ll be glad you didn’t keep it for the last minute.
We don’t have to tell you this, but we all know that people can tell when gifts were procured in a last-minute rush. So, if you want the going away present to be considered thoughtful, don’t make that mistake!
Expensive Does Not Equal Thoughtful
While it might be difficult to remember this, you have to realize that buying something that costs a lot of money doesn’t mean it’s thoughtful. For example, giving the person an expensive watch as a going away present when you know that the person has no use for it and might just keep it locked in a drawer does not count as thoughtful.
A gift is thoughtful when you put the effort into it and think of the receiver’s best interests. Even something as simple as a handmade card can make someone really happy, so keep that in mind when you’re thinking of what to give.
Think Of Packaging
If your going away present is something that comes in a readymade box, you might want to consider packaging it yourself. Get creative and think of things the receiver might enjoy opening, be it lovely brown paper that you draw on, or using dry flowers to decorate. Make the experience of opening the present as exciting as reviving the gift itself!
Also See: Best Packing Materials And How To Use Them
The Best Going Away Gifts You Can Give
Now that you have a fair idea of what you should be doing to ensure that the going away gift is thoughtful, let’s take a look at some great gifts you can give to bring a smile on the other person’s face.
1. Create A Photobook
While this is an option that you might think is too kiddish, believe us when we say that photobooks are one of the best gifts that can be given to someone who appreciates old memories. It’s also a great going away present because the person can flip through the book and relive old memories whenever they’re missing them.
Personalized photo books are always better than store-bought ones and if you have the time, that’s what we suggest you do. Use your art skills, even if they’re meagre, and make a scrapbook of all your favorite memories after printing those pictures out. You can also add small quotes or a line or two about a happy incident, or an anecdote related to certain pictures.
2. Think Food – Meal Delivery Kits
You’re well aware of how stressful moving can be, and at such a time anything to make the first few days after the move less chaotic will be well received. You can step in here and have meals delivered to the person’s new home because cooking can take up time and so can figuring out where to get takeout from.
Not only will you save them the hassle of cooking, but this way, that time can be used to take care of other tasks around the house. You can gift a meal delivery service that lasts them a month or two from HelloFresh or Blue Apron .
3. Show Care – Gift A Care Package
Taking care of oneself is the last thing someone who moves might do in the initial weeks because of all the other tasks that need to be done. You can step in here and prepare a care package as a going away gift that has everything the person might use and need. Not only is a care package personalized, but you can also assemble it based on how much you want to spend.
The care package can include things like face masks, vitamins, a scented candle, a small moisturizer bottle, and a few healthy snacks. You can also add specific things that the person is fond of, but remember not to overdo it since he or she will have to carry it along while moving.
4. Consider Giving A Gift Card
Even though a gift card might sound a bit silly, it can be extremely useful to the person going away especially when you’re not sure what to give. A gift card is like a form of payment that can be used to purchase anything depending on the company you purchase it from.
What’s best about gift cards is that unlike other gift items, these look like credit cards and are sleek, portable, and can be carried along in a wallet. So, for someone who is moving, a gift card can be the best possible thing they’ll receive.
One of the best things you can do is give the person a hardware store or Amazon gift card that can be used to purchase things for the new home. You can also send the gift card as an e-gift which will reach the person via email, so it’s all the more convenient!
5. Think Of Service Subscriptions
Didn’t think of this? Well, you should! Gifting someone service subscriptions, especially if they’re moving and might have to wait a while to subscribe to something, can be one of the best things you can give as a going away present. The best part about gifting someone a service subscription is that you can find a subscription for literally anything, which means that you will find something that the person you’re gifting the subscription might like.
Here are some examples of what you can gift as a service subscription:
- For those that love binging on shows, a subscription to streaming services like HBO, Hulu, Mubi, Disney+, Netflix, or Amazon Prime might work.
- For those that enjoy gaming, you could gift a subscription to PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox Live.
- For those that love to read, you can give them a subscription to Audible or Kindle Unlimited.
- For someone who loves to spend their free time learning, give them a subscription to Skillshare or Coursera.
- You can also give someone subscriptions to security solutions like ExpressVPN for VPN or 1Password for password management.
Tip: If covering an entire year’s worth of a service subscription is too expensive for you, you can always just pay for a few months and then give the person the option of renewing it if need be.
6. Something Resourceful – Buy A Portable Wi-Fi Device
Along the line of things that might be useful if given as a going away present, portable Wi-Fi is also another great option to consider. Apart from the fact that the move might be a long-distance one or a short-distance one, a portable Wi-Fi device can be used in the initial days till a proper Wi-Fi system is set up in the person’s new house.
Not only is this a very convenient gift for the one receiving, but it’s also thoughtful since you’ve thought of this and taken the time to buy a portable Wi-Fi device as a gift!
7. Induce Nostalgia – Make A Mixtape
For all lovers of nostalgia and customized gifts, we have something unique that you can give as a going away present. If you’re someone who loves music and the person you’re gifting to shares your love for music, then we suggest you consider making a mixtape for the move and gifting it. While it might seem kiddish, it’s a great way to remind the person of happy memories and keep them feeling excited and happy through the trip and their initial weeks at the new house.
One of the best things you can do with a mixtape is customizing it to fit a mood. You can make the person feel excited about starting anew with songs, add in some songs that induce nostalgia, or even those that you both might have loved as children! The possibilities are endless, and a mixtape is also something the person will cherish and keep forever, so don’t brush it off as something silly without considering it.
8. Go With Fragrance – Give Candles That Smell Like Home
Nothing reminds one of home like the smell of that place! Did you know that there are actually candles that are infused to smell like different states and cities? Homesick Candles have a large variety of candles that come in fragrances that will remind you of the corresponding state or city, and what better gift to give someone who is leaving a state or city behind than this?
You can purchase a Homesick candle that smells like the state or major city that the person is moving out of so that the smell reminds the person of it! What’s best is that these candles are made entirely of soy wax blend and have wicks made of 100% cotton. They also have a feature where you can put in a personalized note or even have the gift wrapping done as you wish, so go take a look!
Also Read: Top Out of State Movers
9. Try Something Classic – Send A Flower Bouquet
Flowers are always a treat to receive; remember that they’re a classic, and classics never go out of style. You can have a flower bouquet sent to the person’s new home on the day of arrival as a congratulatory present.
What you can do to make this more personal is to send flowers that the person loves, or send a bunch of mixed flowers in the person’s favorite color. Whatever you do, flowers always help lift people’s spirits up so you definitely can’t go wrong with that.
10. Get A Laugh – Gift A Custom Face Pillow
If you want to give a going away gift that leaves the person howling with laughter, then nothing matches having your face printed on a pillow and gifting it to him or her. Custom face pillows are hilarious and don’t cost as much as you think. You can also just print a picture of the two of you or choose something that the two of you laugh often about. Whatever you do, you’re definitely going to get a few smiles and cheer the person up with this gift.
FAQs
What Do You Get Someone That Has Everything?
For someone you think has everything, you can gift them something unique, and nothing screams unique like handmade gifts. If you aren’t good at crafts yourself, you can purchase something handmade or personalized for the person depending on what the person likes. From handmade paper diaries to prints, artwork, and candles, you will find just about anything on Etsy!
What To Get For Parents Who Have Everything?
It’s tricky buying gifts for parents because not only do they have everything but they also don’t get impressed by expensive items as gifts. What you can do in such a scenario is making something for them, from a small film with all your favorite memories to cards. But if you’ve already done this, then you can think of giving them something that they’ll use and that doesn’t have to be expensive like a pocket knife, wallet, their favorite coffee beans, or a pair of matching t-shirts. If you have money saved and want to spend more, you can always give them something like a fitness tracker that they can make good use of.
What Is A Good $5 Gift?
For $5 you can get someone a multitude of things depending on what the person might need or like. Some examples include a cover for an AirPods case, face masks, stationery, makeup, etc.
Conclusion
No matter what you give, remember that the person you give it to will appreciate it, so don’t stress too much about it. There are many other things that you can give as a going-away present depending on what the person likes or based on the memories you share. In the end, it’s the thought that counts and we’re sure that whatever you put together will be appreciated!
See Also: Best Cross Country Movers
