Last-minute gifts for men

People say being spontaneous is very romantic… and that’s what you’re doing if you’ve left buying presents till the last minute. It’s got nothing to do with being disorganised or forgetting. It’s romantic. And that’s that.

However, there’s nothing all that romantic about chasing round the shops hunting for that all-encompassing über-present minutes before you should be giving it to the person.

So here’s a run-down of some things I really wouldn’t mind receiving – and probably wouldn’t notice it’s a last-gasp effort.

Last-minute gifts for men

A unique spirit

Nip of Courage

If your man’s into his spirits, he’ll love pretty much anything from Nip of Courage. These guys represent Australian craft distilleries who are producing some of the best whisky, gin and rum in the world.

There are some incredible stories behind these distilleries, 3 of which are making paddock-to-bottle spirits. In other words they grow their own crops to make their spirits. There are only 4 distilleries in the world that do that.

Others use Australian native plants to flavour their gins and liqueurs. It’s amazing.

You can buy direct from Nip of Courage or from good independent liquor stores.

Experiences

There are so many cool things you can book online, it saves an enormous amount of time and stress running around trying to organise things.

Experiences are great because there’s no actual product to pick up or wrap. And the voucher would just look like a simple card… until he opens it!

Mr Aristotle has some amazing experiences you can do – like crazy things. Like helicopter rides to tops of mountains you ski down crazy. Though I’ve got my eye on a chauffeur-driven trip around the Barossa wine region!

Beer making kit

If you’re man likes to tinker, the beer making kits you can buy in most hardware stores and even some supermarkets are really good.

You can even buy spirit-making kits if he’s more into his whiskey or rum.

Courses

A bit like experiences, courses and education are great presents you can just buy online.

Things like cooking classes, off-road driving courses or photography classes could be the answer to your prayers.

Replacement stuff

Don’t be afraid of getting more of what he likes. Think about it – if it’s worn out or used up, it means he loves it. Getting him an identical one doesn’t suggest you haven’t thought about it, it means you’ve been paying attention!

Stuff we hate buying for ourselves

I personally hate buying new undies. And to make it worse, I’m really picky. Just ask Mrs Romance. She somehow sources and buys me a stack of the ones I like whenever she can. The only problem is they’re not cheap.

Wallets – we once heard these very funny hoity-toity ladies waffling on in a little boutique in Noosa Heads a while back. One of them pointed at the wallets in the case and said: “buy him a wallet. One never buy oneself a wallet –it’s always something you’re given.”

Through our laughter, we did have to agree with her. Wallets are always given. I think I’ve maybe bought 3 in my life, but I’ve owned a lot more.

Belts – right up until they break, we men will not buy a new belt. It’s against our nature.

I hope this has given you some last-ditch ideas of what to buy.

By the way, I haven’t mentioned things like cigars, which are Mrs Romance’s go-to – she knows me well! They’re also a great option if your man likes the occasional sophisticated puff.

Here’s my guide to choosing a good cigar.

And if you want a more comprehensive look inside a man’s mind, here are my insider secrets for your man’s gift wish list.

On the other hand if you’re buying for a lady, here’s Mrs Romance’s gift guide I asked her to write to help me out!

Also, if you’re not sure what to buy for friends, don’t fear the couples present. Here are our top tips for buying the perfect Christmas gift for couples.

What’s your hot tip for buying a last-minute present for people? Whisper it to us in the comments. Don’t worry, we won’t tell!