When the holiday season finally rolls around, finding the perfect gift for your man may seem like “Mission Impossible.” While the tie with the grumpy cat or “I don’t do Mondays” mug are cute ideas, these aren’t really what you consider “stellar” gifts, right?

While you can go the other direction with the typical tie-in-a-box option, but when you really think about it, it’s pretty boring and impersonal.

If you want to avoid the situation where you give a gift that’s boring, inappropriate, or that sends the wrong message, then you may need a bit of inspiration. If that’s the case, keep reading. Here you can find some helpful tips for buying for any man in your life.

Don’t Give the Typical Tie or Belt There is no man, in existence (regardless of what they say) that wants the same, tired tie or belt that’s given to them year after year. Today’s man is much more stylish, which means it’s time to upgrade their gifts.

The same is true for other so-called “blah” gifts, such as “handyman” specials like a new toolset, or a boring belt. After all, it’s not the 1980s anymore. Now is the time to leave the past, well – in the past – and give something besides a generic gift.

Choose Unique or Bespoke Items Anything the man you are buying for would not purchase for themselves, but that’s also a bit unique is a great option. For example, Citizen watches for men are a great option and something that most men wouldn’t buy themselves.

If you are going for something that is a bit more unique, consider buying something that was made from scratch, or that has some type of almost-unbelievable backstory. This could mean lace-up brogues or even an amazing sweater that’s been knitted by an Aran sailor.

The fact is, fashion is growing for men today, so any type of upscale, spiffy new duds is a great idea. All the items here are going to be in trend and give your man something they wouldn’t purchase for themselves.

Don’t Buy Him Something That’s for Work The holidays are about giving to others. Now is the time to be extravagant and really “live” it up when it comes to your gifts. There’s no reason to remind your man of what he has to do on a day to day basis – this isn’t what the holidays are about.

Instead of buying something that’s for work, consider choosing a luxury item. This will show how much you know that his downtime is important.

Get Him a New Conversation Starter A hand-blown glass letter opener or a cedar trunk slab that works as a coaster is much more fun than a simple gift card that doesn’t show your or his personality. Try to find something that really piques his interest and curiosity. When you do this, it will be a gift he talks about for years.

Avoid Gifts That Are Designed to “Change Him” Are you trying to turn your guy into something slightly different than he is right now? Do you hope a slightly subtle gift will help with this? If so, think again. Have you ever heard the saying, “you can’t change someone?” It’s true and trying to change him probably won’t go over too well.

When giving a gift, you should not try to drop in hints about what you want from him – even if it seems harmless and small. Instead, choose a gift that shows you acknowledge and appreciate what makes him really happy.

Make a Purchase That Supports His Interests and Hobbies Does your guy love to spend time in his garage – even when it’s freezing out? If so, why not buy him a heavy-duty, warm winter jacket? He’ll stay warm and see that you are supporting the things he enjoys doing.

Take some time to really think about what he likes to do in his free time. For example, do you have an indie music lover on your hands? If so, consider some amazing new headphones to match his amazing vinyl collection.

Have a Budget Before You Go Shopping There are more than a few reasons that you should not go shopping without a budget in mind. One of the biggest is that you are going to wind up acquiring even more debt.

If you determine what you want to spend, and promise yourself to stick to it, then you can avoid overspending. This can also help you avoid relationship issues down the road.

When it comes to buying a gift for the man in your life, using the tips and information here is the best way to ensure you get something memorable that he will appreciate.

About Author LaDonna Dennis

LaDonna Dennis is the founder and creator of Mom Blog Society. She wears many hats. She is a Homemaker*Blogger*Crafter*Reader*Pinner*Friend*Animal Lover* Former writer of Frost Illustrated and, Cancer...SURVIVOR! LaDonna is happily married to the love of her life, the mother of 3 grown children and "Grams" to 3 grandchildren. She adores animals and has four furbabies: Makia ( a German Shepherd, whose mission in life is to be her attached to her hip) and Hachie, (an OCD Alaskan Malamute, and Akia (An Alaskan Malamute) who is just sweet as can be. And Sassy, a four-month-old German Shepherd who has quickly stolen her heart and become the most precious fur baby of all times. Aside from the humans in her life, LaDonna's fur babies are her world.