When people reach retirement, the gifts that they’re given usually fall into a specific category; for men, it’s often a nice watch and a lot of retired women that I know get given vouchers for a nice shop. They’re both really lovely gifts and I’m sure anyone would be grateful to receive them, but it got me thinking about more unusual gifts that could be given to a person when they retire, as companies often spend hundreds of pounds on something that isn’t particularly personal. Here’s some of the ideas I came up with:
Woodworking Machinery
When my Grandad retired, MANY moons ago, he took up lots of different hobbies, one of which was woodworking. He’d been a toolmaker for Fords for his entire career, so you can imagine that he’s a skilled person, and I think he didn’t want to go from using his hands every day to doing nothing at all. Once he retired, he invested in all sorts of woodworking machinery, such as lathes and saws and something like this could be a great retirement gift for someone skilled like him.
Travel Vouchers
Although I mentioned above that vouchers aren’t hugely imaginative, giving travel vouchers to someone who is planning to travel during their retirement could be an amazing gift. It will help them towards the cost of their travels and may even allow them to go to more far-flung places than they could have ordinarily afforded to. Lots of travel companies offer vouchers, just make sure you make a note of any expiry dates, if they have them.
Education
Lots of people, once they retire, like to keep their brain engaged by learning new skills and it’s often cheaper to study at adult learning centres once you’re a pensioner, too. If you know that your friend or colleagues has their eyes on a course, why not see if the college offers vouchers towards the cost of their courses? Whether its a flower arranging course, learning a martial art or something else, having funds towards something so productive could be really gratefully received.
A New Experience
One of the best parts of being retired is having the time to do all of the things that you couldn’t when you had a full time job. Buying your friend or colleague an “experience” gift is perfect for retirement as they’ll finally have the time to do it. Hot air balloon rides, being a zookeeper for a day, even driving a supercar – all of these things are great for making memories and will give them something to look forward to, once they’ve left work.
Theatre Tickets
Another fabulous gift for a retiree is theatre tickets. Theatre tickets don’t come cheap and lots of people, despite wanting to go, hold off because they can’t justify the expense, especially if they’re about to go onto a pension. Buying tickets for a show that you know they’d like would give them a fabulous day out and, again, fantastic memories to hold onto for years to come.
