My husband’s birthday is right around the corner and whenever I ask him what he wants, he says he really doesn’t want or need anything. He also says that if he did, he’d simply go out and get it himself, so not to bother.

Does this sound familiar from the man in your life?

But at the same time, if you literally followed his advice to the letter and simply wrote him a card, there’d probably be a bit of a sulk. In other words, he kind of expects ‘something’, but he can’t come up with any ideas for himself. And with toddlers in the house, we aren’t exactly flushed with cash and spare time. So, the week’s holiday surprise is completely out of the question these days (this is what I used to do pre-children).

At the same time, the children are getting to the age where they’re more excited about my other half’s birthday than he is (and the same goes for Christmas and Father’s Day, of course). So, this simply adds to the pressure. All three of us want to find a great idea for the man in our lives.

So, what’s a girl to do?

Well, here are a few ideas that either I or people I know have had in the past for something that is just a little bit different.

First off – have a think about their favourite hobby or sport and try and come up with something to celebrate and complement that interest.

For example, the two sports my husband loves the most are unquestionably rugby union and golf – though not necessarily in that order. But he’s beyond the age where a rugby shirt would fit the bill and trying to get hold of tickets for a big game means we may as well have taken the aforementioned week’s holiday as they’re so expensive! If you don’t believe me, just try getting hold of a ticket for the rugby union World Cup that is due to be held in England next August. We’re talking hundreds of pounds. Meanwhile, simply buying a ticket for a home game for his team (Saracens) isn’t quite a big enough deal for a surprise gift.

The same can be said for the golf. Sadly, the budget doesn’t quite stretch to a trip to Augusta for April’s Masters Golf Tournament. The 2015 Open Championship, meanwhile, is due to be held at St Andrews and this just makes the whole thing a logistical nightmare to attend for those of us living in and around London. So, tickets for The Open are out, too. Also, this would simply be too time-consuming and a flight there and back rules it out cash-wise.

But here’s a creative alternative. I’ve been oh so subtly asking my husband both who he wants to win the various big golf events this year and who he thinks have a fighting chance. I’ve taken all this into account and had a shrewd bet on all four major golf tournament winners. This creates a bet called a “lucky 15”, which means there are four singles, six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold. This means that if only one of the golfers wins, he collects something. If the first three lose, he still has some interest in the last golf major of the season – the U.S. PGA. If two or more win, meanwhile, he should do very well.

And just for the record, he thinks Henrik Stenson has a great chance in the Masters, Jordan Spieth in the US Open, Justin Rose for the Open Championship and Bubba Watson for the US PGA. That’s the big bet. At least it will keep him interested.

Of course, I could have gone for something similar in the rugby union Six Nations or World Cup but the golf is probably his first love and the gamble will last longer.

So, it’s not a bad offbeat idea for a present with a bit of a difference. But if I hadn’t gone for the bet, I could have gone for an experience gift like a day’s coaching with a top golf coach, or a tour of one of the great courses, for example.

by  Companygolflessons  Caption:Golf lessons are OK, but maybe lack a little creativity?

And if your budget can stretch to it, there are some wonderful once in a lifetime experiential gifts for men out there depending on what your husband or boyfriend is into. Some of them are far more expensive than others, of course, depending on what they entail exactly. And many of them are real boy’s toys adrenaline-fueled highs.

In fact, there are so many crazy experience-based gifts out there these days that whatever you think of, there may well be someone somewhere providing the experience. So you can either start with the idea and then see if anyone does it or simply look at the ideas to get a little inspiration of your own.

So, for example, one of the most popular gift experience areas is flying. You can buy the guy in your life different flying experiences all over the country, and indeed the world, in many different types of aircraft with ease. Alternatively, he may prefer a more passive hot air balloon flight.

The problem, perhaps, with these sorts of gifts today is that we all know about them all. Most of us know someone whose partner or relatives have bought them a Grand Prix car experience, or a flight lesson, or a hot air balloon ride etc. So, for something a little different, how about racing some dumper trucks instead?

Alternatively, what about the prospect of being in a paintball battle in a real battle tank – mimicking real warfare situations?

Or what about racing round the racetrack not in a Formula One car, but in a sofa specially converted and motorised for the purpose instead? This one adds a neat note of sarcasm if your other half is a bit of a “remote man” type who seldom leaves his sofa!

But for the more energetic types, you can decide to shoot the white-water rapids in a kayak, or try out sky-diving. Or if your husband is a swimmer, you can buy lessons with some of the world’s greatest swim coaches to help him perfect his technique, or maybe just to get up off that sofa and start working out?

by  Chaquetadepollo.  Caption: Some men need encouragement in getting off the sofa and into the great outdoors

Of course, you can also simply indulge the man in your life with a coach in the sport of his choice, or the kind of pamper days at spas etc. that we perhaps associate more with the females of the species?

Then there’s clay pigeon shooting, a ride in a helicopter, vineyard tours, powerboat rides, off-road biking, going behind the scenes with racehorse trainers or at various sporting venues. You name it, there’s something out there for everyone.

You know the man in your life better than anyone else (hopefully!) so you’ll know what he’d really like or – more to the point – what you’d really like him to have if he can’t be bothered to find any inspiration for himself.

But hopefully, you’ve found a few ideas from the tickets to a sporting event, the cheaper alternative of the season-long wager, or you can think of an experience he’ll never forget.

And if none of this works, then a six pack of beer and perhaps a take-away curry should fit the bill, depending on what sort of chap we’re talking about here!

Author: Jo Turner.