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What are the best minimalist gifts for him?
If you are dating a minimalist boyfriend and having a difficult time finding him a proper gift, then this post will help you out.
Minimalist gift giving can be, without a doubt, quite challenging. Especially when the person you want to give something has nothing else to say but “I have everything I need”, or “I hate clutter, please don’t buy me anything”, when you ask him for his wish.
But don’t worry! Everybody needs stuff, also your minimalist boyfriend! And there are tons of thoughtful gift ideas that he will use and find value in, and that will definitely brighten your partner’s special day.
Whether you are looking for a birthday or Christmas gift, or if you want to surprise your partner for simply being an awesome dude, let yourself get inspired by my list of the 15 best gift ideas for the minimalist boyfriend.
You will find ideal consumable, experiential, and practical items that will surely put a smile on his face.
IN THIS POST
15 ideal gifts for your minimalist boyfriend
1. Experiences
2. Mindfulness app subscriptions
3. Kindle
4. Audible or Blinkist subscription
5. Online courses and unique workshops
6. Gym membership
7. Minimalist training equipment
8. Bullet Journal and stationary
9. Eco-friendly traveling
10. Museum membership
11. High quality & sustainable apparel
12. Investing opportunities
13. Minimalist wallet
14. Coffee
15. Your time
Have fun with your minimalist gift-giving
15 ideal gifts for your minimalist boyfriend
1. Experiences
Your minimalist boyfriend most probably values experiences over things. So why not treat him with an extraordinary experience that will create unforgettable memories he can brag about?
Gift him with cool activities like bungee jumping, diving, surfing, paintball, a balloon ride, archery, or skydiving and get a special deal on Groupon! This gift does not take up space and clutter up his home. So he will definitely appreciate it.
But be sure to find out what he really likes before booking, and he will reward you with a bright smile and love you for paying attention to his interests.
2. Mindfulness app subscriptions
If your partner has been trying to work on his mindfulness and to meditate on his own, but it doesn’t seem to be working, there are tons of apps on the market that can help him reach his zen, live calmer, and sleep better.
In theory, meditation sounds simple – sit down in a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. But it takes patience and the right technique to find success to not end up even more stressed than before.
So choose one of these 3 apps to gift your minimalist boyfriend:
Millions of users love them for showing them how to meditate anywhere, lower their stress levels, and improve their mental wellness. I have tested them myself and personally love Headspace most, for its functionality and design.
3. Kindle
I’m sure most minimalists have one thing in common: they love books!
Being a minimalist myself, I love to use my free time to educate myself. Before I used to buy tons of books until I realized that they eventually took up a lot of space and collected dust, so I gave most of them away and found a better alternative: the Kindle e-Book reader.
Thanks to this incredible piece of technology, you no longer need to buy physical books that may clutter up his minimalist home as well.
So, as I’m pretty sure, your boyfriend is an avid reader too, buy him a Kindle.
It’s a practical and beautiful alternative to books, and it is minimalism at its best. Your partner will be able to carry the digital library anywhere, customize fonts, and read his e-books beside the pool or even in the dark. Plus, there are different models to choose from to fit your budget.
If your boyfriend already owns a Kindle but pays for every e-book he downloads, you can make him happy with the Kindle Unlimited subscription, so that he can download as many books he wants for 10 dollars a month.
4. Audible or Blinkist subscription
For minimalists who are bookworms, I love the idea of giving an Audible or Blinkist subscription. Like an e-book, an audiobook is a perfect alternative to physical books, that reduces waste and clutter.
The best advantage of audiobooks is that you can listen to your titles while working out, walking through the park, cleaning your apartment, or simply chilling on your hammock or on the beach.
And if your minimalist boyfriend likes shortcuts, Blinkist is the right choice, offering you the key messages of thousands of non-fictional books in short 15-minute audiobooks called “blinks”. Click here to get a 20 percent discount on your subscription.
5. Online courses and unique workshops
If your minimalist friend is eager to learn new things, a perfect gift would be unique workshops, classes, or online courses on two of my favorite educational platforms.
Allow him to learn a new instrument, cultivate a new hobby, or educate himself in the area he is interested in.
Skillshare offers various classes around business, design, tech, photography, and writing (just to name a few) for everyone and anywhere.
Your boyfriend always wanted to learn blogging or a new language? No problem! You can also surprise him with a subscription to Udemy, another educational platform that offers the largest selection of courses and teaches 24 million students worldwide.
6. Gym membership
If your partner has always been talking about starting to work out soon but still has not found the right motivation to spend time and money on his fitness, then give him the perfect push: a gym membership.
This minimalist gift idea won’t clutter up his life, nor will it dig a hole in his wallet, because you will pay for it. Plus, it will improve his health by becoming fit.
Another positive aspect would be that you can finally motivate each other to exercise more for your long-term health and become a sporty couple.
If your boyfriend is not keen on training in a gym at all, why not subscribe to an online class that he can do at home or wherever he feels like.
7. Minimalist training equipment
Alternatively, if your partner likes to workout at home or in the park, there are 3 inexpensive minimalist equipment I use myself and that he’ll love for sure: gymnastic rings, a soft kettlebell, and weight blocks.
Gymnastic rings are probably the best training equipment for serious upper body strength and improvement in mobility and flexibility. You can attach them pretty much anywhere, whether on your ceiling, a pull bar, or a tree branch in the park. And you can do endless scalable exercises (pull-ups, rows, dips, supported squats,…) with them according to your fitness level.
2. The soft kettlebell has become a staple training tool for the entire fitness industry and is an all-in-one total body conditioning tool. It is such a versatile equipment that your boyfriend will never get tired of it.
3. Powerblocks are adjustable dumbbells. These dumbbells are smaller, easy to adjust, and safe to use.
These three minimalist equipment have become incredibly powerful alternatives to a regular gym, and your partner will love either one as a gift.
8. Bullet Journal and stationary
If you have a bullet journal lover in your life, there is absolutely no shortage of gift ideas.
First, you can always give him a brand new minimal bullet journal itself. If he does not use it now, he will for sure after his current one.
And because there is one thing a bullet journal user can never have enough of, you guessed it – stationery supplies, you’ll never go wrong with buying him supplies for his journal, also if it is just the pen that fits perfectly to his notebook.
I personally own a minimalist bullet journal, and I use it daily. So you can be sure that your gift, whether a notebook or stationery, will be highly appreciated.
9. Eco-friendly traveling
Surprise the minimalist in your life with an eco-friendly getaway!
Help him create memorable experiences with ethical travel destinations with a lower impact on the planet.
Use the services of Responsible Travel that are pioneers in selling authentic and sustainable holidays since 2001. They will help you find the right eco-friendly travel experience offer to escape the rat race without breaking the bank.
Or plan a memorable travel experience for your minimalist partner yourself to the place he’s been holding in his bucket list for ages.
10. Museum membership
Is your partner a museum geek who loves to spend his time on a journey through centuries or millions of years of human history? Then a museum membership is the perfect minimalist gift for him.
It is a perfect experiential gift that he can use anytime and as often as he wants for at least a year. Have a look at the NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association) website for nationwide museum membership offers.
11. High quality and sustainable apparel
Though minimalists like to keep their number of belongings minimal, you will find some of his things that are broken or worn out and need replacement.
Here is a valuable site of high-quality products, including ethically made apparel, sustainable lifestyle gifts, beauty products for him, and books that prioritize people and the planet that your boyfriend will love too.
12. Investing opportunities
If your partner does not know what to do with all his time and money he is saving from living minimally, and you want to help him challenge himself with new learnings, you can give him some investing opportunity ideas and encourage him to:
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Start a blog, youtube channel, or podcast
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Learn stock market investing
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Learn real estate investing
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Make online courses
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Start a business
This is also a non-physical gift, and it only requires your time and your persuasiveness. But in the long-term, your boyfriend will reap its benefits and reward you with endless gratitude in the end.
13. Minimalist wallet
Minimalists like it uncomplicated and practical, and sleek. Same to carrying around their smallest personal belongings every day like a wallet. A wallet is an organizer, secretary, and a friend in one. So a really cool and stylish gift for your boyfriend would be a minimalist wallet.
These light-weight functional containers are designed to hold only your most critical items, such as identification, a few credit and debit cards, and some money.
Now he can finally say goodbye to his overstuffed leather clamshell, which weighs him down physically and emotionally by hiding old receipts, tickets, and unused cards and embrace his new friend. Perfect for minimalists!
14. Coffee
We minimalists love coffee, and we love making ours ourselves, at least I do!
So if your boyfriend is a coffee victim too, then either give him either buy him a sleek minimal espresso machine from Bialetti (love this one, and you can even bring it with you on vacation) or with a bunch of his favorite coffee supplies. Alternatively, you can also give him a gift card from his go-to coffee shop if he does not do it himself.
Believe me, your minimalist boyfriend will love anything that has to do with coffee, as it seems that we minimalists are all coffee zombies 😉
15. Your time
Time is probably the asset that a minimalist values most. Therefore one of the best gifts for your minimalist boyfriend would be your time.
Think of something he would love to do with you and has been mentioning for a long time. Maybe it is eating out in a fancy vegan restaurant, he would never go to alone. What about a yoga class for couples? Or a day-trip to the mountains or the beach?
You could also combine smaller surprises spread throughout the day, like yoga for 2 in the morning, a short hike during the day, and dinner plus ice cream in the evening. You can get creative here!
Either way, he will love spending his time with you. And showing that you don’t just give him something physical but your most valuable asset instead, he will appreciate your minimalist gift even more.
Have fun with your minimalist gift-giving
So these are the thoughtful and minimalist gifts that your minimalist boyfriend (or friend, dad, or brother) will definitely happily receive.
I hope they have inspired you for his birthday, holiday season, or any other time you want to surprise him. You will surely find at least one proper gift to make him smile!