The Best Gifts For People Who Don’t Need More Stuff
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Who in your life would appreciate fewer things and more experiences? We all know someone who would much prefer to do something than get more โstuff.โ Rather than giving a gift that may be left in a drawer forgotten over time, the gift of experience is one of the best gifts you can give. Giving an experience shows you truly understand what they love, offering them something that lasts far longer than any physical item โ moments, memories, experiences that truly enrich their lives.
A survey found that 92% of Americans would rather receive experiences than gifts. And more people are giving experiences over gifts every year. Studies show that experiential gifts cultivate stronger social relationships than material gifts. People are looking to create memories with friends and family, and thereโs no shortage of meaningful ideas to choose from. From creative workshops and museum memberships to immersive artwork and practical (yes, practical!) home goods, these are experiential gifts that any minimalist will love.
Looking for more ethically made and sustainable gifts for the holiday season? Check out our guide to the best gifts for women (and best gifts for him, too). Happy giving! โจ
1. Our Place Wonder Oven Pro
Best For | Aspiring chefs
Price | $325
Whether your loved one is an aspiring chef or a professional in the kitchen, new cookware invites them to try new flavors and recreate their favorite recipes. Tried and trusted cookware from Our Place will last for many years and meals to come. The Wonder Oven Pro is an 8-in-1 nontoxic, third-party tested countertop oven that does more than air fry โ it bakes, roasts, dehydrates, reheats, and even toasts (say bye-bye to your toaster!). The digital display lets you set precise time and temperature, which is a game-changer for cooking a wider range of complex foods and meals. Plus, it doesnโt hurt that every single pot, pan, and baking sheet from this brand is gorgeous. Just look at this Cookware Duo, made with non-toxic nonstick titanium technology. Minimalists everywhere are swooning.
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2. Substack Subscriptions
Best For | Readers & writers
Price | Paid subscriptions start at $5/month or $50/year
If you know someone who loves cozying up with a book in a local cafe, or loves to start their day learning something new, the gift of a newsletter may be just what they’re looking for. Find out which ones they love and see if thereโs a paid subscription option โ you could give them a year of it! And of course, subscribing to The Good Tradeโs Substack also makes a great gift for anyone, too. ๐ Similarly, if you know someone who has a Substack, consider buying an annual subscription to their Substack to read their work all year long. Every paid subscriber means the world to Substackers, so this gift is meaningful to them โ and fun for you, too!
3. Skillshare Membership
Best For | Creatives
Price | Starts at $42/3 months
For the minimalist longing to get back in the classroom (even if itโs a virtual one), you can support their endeavor by gifting a membership to an online educational platform. Skillshare is our top pick as the platform allows you to gift a 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription that you can send or schedule on your terms, alongside a thoughtful personal note! Skillshare offers tons of courses in crafts, photography, animation and more, with over thirty-two thousand classes and nine thousand teachers, so there’s something for everyone. We particularly enjoy Jane Davies Watercolor Masterclass and Mark Barnacleโs Class on Learning Guitar.
4. Trashie
Best For | Decluttering support
Price | $20+
Offer a loved one some help while thinking of the planet with Trashie‘s decluttering service. According to Trashie, nearly 85% of what we typically send to a donation center can end up in a landfill. Trashie combats this through their Take Back Bag service: Receive a bag in the mail and fill it with clothes, shoes, home textiles and anything else on their take back list and simply drop it off at your local post office. Trashie gives once-loved goods a second home by sorting them to be re-homed or recycled, with each bag donated giving back reward cash, which then can be used to shop popular brands in their gift card marketplace! Your close ones will appreciate your help in turning something old into something new, responsibly.
5. Avocado Pillows
Best For | Sleep support
Price | $79+
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For those in your life who are prioritizing their sleep quality, you can’t go wrong investing in their well-being with one of Avocado’s Organic Pillows. Free from polyurethane foam, PLA plastic, and chemical flame retardants, our editors love these pillows, as each is tailored to fit a particular sleeping style and is backed by thoughtful certifications like GOTS, GOLS, MADE SAFE, and GREENGUARD Gold for peace of mind. Avocado crafts pillows for various needs beyond regular sleep, including their travel, mini, and toddler pillows for your little ones. Don’t forget to grab a Waterproof Pillow Protector too โ the perfect addition to keeping your gift in optimal condition! For more inspo on sleep gifts, check out our gift guide to the best sleep gifts.
6. Quince Luggage
Best For | Travellers
Price | $170+
The adventurer in your life who lugs around that suitcase that’s “seen better days” will adore you for upgrading them to one of Quince‘s premium luggage sets. For an ultra-light carry-on that’s comparable to luxury brands like Away, Quince’s Expandable Carry-On Suitcase has a generous capacity with tons of compartments for all your essentials (including a section for your dirty laundry!). For the overpacker in your life, they’ll appreciate the Trunk Check-In Suitcase that features deeper compartments for bulky items and compression panels for maximum packing capacity. And for travellers who are on the go for weeks or months at a time, the Expandable Large Check-In Suitcase is the one luggage staple they’ll need to get them through their long travel days. Pair any one of these pieces with Quince’s Italian Leather Toiletry Bag or Travel Pouches and your jetsetter is ready for takeoff!
7. Giving to a Charitable Organization
Best For | Paying it forward
Giving to a charitable or social cause in honor of someone you care about is one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate the season. There is no shortage of impactful organizations. Some of our favorites include She Should Run, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to increase the number of women running for public office; Moms Demand Action, an organization working to pass stronger gun laws; Alliance for Period Supplies, which is working to end period poverty throughout the U.S.; and the Loveland Foundation, which provides therapy to Black women and girls. Here are even more of our favorite grassroots organizations.
As millions of Americans lose SNAP benefits, weโre especially thinking about organizations that alleviate food insecurity and provide food to those who need it most. Feeding America is a national nonprofit working to end hunger through collaboration with community food banks. You can search for your local food bank and donate directly to them.
We highly suggest looking into all of your local organizations as well, or asking your loved one which local organization they prefer you donate to. Remember: If a monetary donation isnโt possible, you can also volunteer your time in someoneโs name.
8. Perelel Women’s Daily Vitamin Trio
Best For | Moms
Price | $47
Wellness gifts arenโt only helpful, but they let our loved ones know we care for their wellbeing and want them to thrive. General supplements like natural multivitamins and magnesium offer nutrients that most of us are deficient in and can provide that extra reminder to give our bodies some love every day. For the mom or mama-to-be in your life, Perelel’s Women’s Daily Vitamin Trio is a great all-encompassing choice! Packed with doctor-formulated and third-party tested ingredients to help support not only her nutritional base, but also heart, hair, skin, and nail health, this vitamin routine will help her feel her best every day. We love the convenient pill packs that make it easy to toss in a work or gym bag for convenient supplementation.
9. Bodha Smokeless Incense Gift Set
Best For | Creating rituals
Price | $170
Creating a grounding ritual in the home is one of the best ways to enhance presence and gratitude for our lives, so why not enhance that experience with this stunning Smokeless Incense Gift Set from Bodha? Handcrafted in Japan by artisans whose families have been specializing in the craft for centuries, each incense stick is made from tabu-no-ki bark powder and burns clean, aromatic fragrance, filling your space with a lingering aroma that reflects the intention you choose to set. Each gift set comes with four scents: Refresh for uplifting and inspiration, Ground for comfort and stability, Calm for soothing, and Purify for cleansing.
The Good Trade editors are a diverse team of writers, researchers, and sustainable product enthusiasts. Every recommendation is informed by hands-on testing, rigorous vetting, and years of reporting on the products and practices that shape our daily lives. We are not a marketplace, and we are not owned by a brand. Our editorial team maintains independent standards across every review and recommendation.
