As a minimalist myself who adores simplicity, moderation, and keeping things within budget, when it comes to gifting a fellow minimalist something to celebrate their birthday, I'm usually skeptical about what I get them, as I won't want a situation where my present will add clutter to their space. Instead, in most cases, I usually choose a present that brings something valuable to their person, experience, and the like, and today I'll love to tell you how I go about doing this to celebrate my fellow minimalist pals.
For one, if I were to choose the sort of present I'll get as a birthday present, I'd value things that would add value to my life and enhance my experience, and that would be considered over physical and material items that bring about having things in excess and, in the end, eat up my space. With that mindset, since the gift is meant for a fellow minimalist, I usually put this into consideration, and that's what I've been doing in the past with my friends.
And today, in my response to the prompt topic, I'll be basing the writeup on the last few times I gifted some of my minimalist friends something on their birthdays, and I hope this gives someone an idea of what to gift their minimalist friend on their coming birthday. So without further ado, let's get to business.
Last year, one of my friends, Mercy, was celebrating her birthday. After critical thinking about how I'll love myself and asking some female friends around me what I lady like them might love as a gift for their birthday, I got loads of suggestions, and alongside that, I was able to deduce which I felt was a good gift to gift her as a birthday present.
It was a courtesy visit to the zoo—the Unilorin zoo and botanical gardens, to be precise. Yeah, I know it might sound somehow like a birthday gift, but I personally think it's more important, valuable, and would be more cherishable than a material gift, especially to a minimalist like me. I had told her I'd love to take her somewhere on her birthday.
So I purchased the two tickets, which were very cheap compared to what I thought they would be. This, in my opinion, was a top-notch idea that won't just be fun but also an opportunity to be close to nature and learn about different wild life animals, like their original and related species. A trip to the zoo actually happens to be her first time being there, and she was so pleased and excited about my kind of gift.
As it were a kind of zoo with a garden, I also got some pretty snacks to drink to serve as a refreshment at our picnic in the garden as we gazed at the beauty of nature. Overall, this, in my opinion, is much better than throwing a big party to celebrate them as a birthday gift or presenting an expensive gift. These courtesy visits brooded our knowledge of different wild animals, helped us know more about them, and overall fun promoting experience over possessions.
Another friend who happened to be a minimalist like me and whom I gave a birthday present to was Michael. We both graduated from the university, and when he wanted to celebrate his birthday last year, I took it upon myself to think deeply about what would be valuable for him in such a terrible period we were in, and fortunately, I remember he once talked about an online course he'd love to take to boost his knowledge and credentials but couldn't due to the fact that he just recently got married.
So at the end of the day, when his birthday arrived and I paid him a visit, I handed over the registration slip for the online course to him. Seriously, you need to see his expression at that very moment; it was full of surprises, gratitude, and joy all at the same time. There and then, I was just having bubbles inside of me, knowing my thoughts hit the nail at the right spot, and the course, when completed, will not just boost his knowledge but increase what he has to offer any organization that wants to employ him. That's another act of my cherishing experience over materials as a gift for my minimalist friends, who would easily resonate with the gift and the mindset behind it.
Overall, what matters to me most when it comes to gifting someone a gift is the fact that it either meets their needs or puts a smile on their faces in one way or another. In the case of my friends Mercy and Samuel, the same was the case, and I trust me that seeing them genuinely excited and thankfully made my day in a way I just can't fathom.
That's about all for now, I hope you find this worthwhile as a minimalist going forward.
All photos used in this post are mine.