The holidays are here and it seems to put everyone in the giving mood. This can always make it a bit more difficult for coming up with gift ideas for minimalists.

For the first few years after becoming minimalists we asked for no gifts at all. Turns out people don't like that answer and will give you a gift anyway.

We quickly got into a habit of saying no gifts, getting gifts, then donating the gifts. It's not that this was a bad plan but we realized just because we are minimalists doesn't mean the answer "no gifts" is the best choice.

After a lot of thought and a little trial and error, we figured out a better list of gift ideas to give friends and family. We feel these are some of the best gift ideas for minimalists.

So next time you find yourself looking for the perfect minimalist gift check out our list. It has simple gift ideas for the minimalists in your life.

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Item Free Ideas

One of the best ways to give the perfect gift to a minimalist is by not giving anything material. Our family has a rule that every item means an item out. Finding a way to give a gift without actually giving an item can be such a caring and clever thought.

Movie Tickets

Turns out the holidays is a great time to see a movie. You typically have time off work and a lot of great movies come out around this time.

By gifting a movie ticket you can still give a gift but now you are giving en experience. It also helps so many things are electronic now so to go that extra step go paper-less and send the tickets via an app, email or text message.

Donations

We are HUGE fans of the donation idea for a gift. If you are looking at getting us a gift please think about donating in our name instead.

The season of giving should honestly involve more giving and to those less fortunate. Find local charities nearby and help those in need.

Kiva

If you are looking for an easier donating option please look into Kiva. It's all online so it's easy to access/donate. It's a site for giving loans to those in need with a very small interest rate. If the loan is paid back you can continue with the donating cycle and give again.

What we love about Kiva is that you can search loan by topic so this way you can make it more special to you or the gift receiver. You can also just give a gift card through email so the person receiving the gift can make the choice.

Actual Objects

There will always be friends who REALLY want to give a physical gift and we get it. So here are ways to at least give SOMETHING without it being a big something.

Gift Cards

Unless you find an e-card, a gift card technically is an object. Plus, the best part about this option is that it's a small something that packs a punch.

You can give a gift card to a specific place but we suggest going for the "credit card" gift card like Visa. This way it can be used wherever and for whatever. The second best would be a gift card for food or drink like Starbucks.

Pet Toys

We know not everyone has a pet but if you are shopping for a pet owner chances are they will never turn down something for their pet. We are minimalists and our cats are minimalists too but they seem to go through their items faster than we do.

Every time we get a toy for our cats it seems like the other toys are either destroyed or vanished by the time we go to downsize. Of course, our cats are always excited for treats as well.

Because the shelf life on pet toys seems to be less, this is often a fine option for a gift. If you want the easiest way to buy your pet toys at a great price, go to Value Pet Supplies and they will ship it right to your door.

Annual Pass

Every year Phil's parents gift us an "America The Beautiful" annual pass to all of the USA National Parks. It is the perfect gift for the adventure minimalist out there, especially those who love to hike and backpack around America.

Even if a National Park pass is not for the minimalist in your life you may be able to find other annual passes they can benefit from. This is a great time to get creative and show how much thought went into your gift.

Might Want to Pass

We had to include just a few items that are sometimes No-Nos for minimalists. If you find yourself shopping for a minimalist please try to avoid these items unless they specially asked for it.

Clothes

One of the first places where we downsized was our closet. The closet seems to be an area where a lot of unwanted, excessive items are kept.

Now that we have such a small, minimalist wardrobe we have an "In and Out" rule. For every item we get, an item has to go. This helps us think before we buy and maintain our capsule wardrobe.

Almost every minimalist we meet puts a lot of thought into their clothes making sure it's good quality with multiple purposes. Gifting a minimalist clothes can at times be a big hit...but unfortunately most of the time the item is used only for a bit before being tossed/donated.

Unless asked for a very specific clothing item try to pass on this type of gift.

Decorations

When we say decorations we also mean knick-knacks. Basically, anything where the only point of the item is to decorate or just sit on a shelf.

Many minimalists do not even use decorations and if they do they typically serve another purpose. There can be sometimes where a decoration seems like a good idea but the "live, laugh, love" signs just don't do the same for those who think less is more.

The holidays can always be a weird time for minimalists. We love being in the helping mood but the giving part can lead to us having items we will not be able to keep.

Please think of the minimalist in your life and try going for a different present approach this holiday season. There are options for cool gifts for minimalists while still incorporating "less is more".