Gift guide
Christmas gifts for parents who say they don't need anything
Quick answer: The best Christmas gifts for parents who say they don't need anything are things they'll use up or never have to store: time back from a job they dislike, a meal they don't have to cook, an experience you share, or a better version of something they use every day. Choose by how they spend their days, not by what's on a gift list.
Ideas for your own parents (and for mum in particular), how to go in together with your siblings, and when a cleaning gift card is a good fit.
Who are you buying for?
Pick the part of this guide that fits, or read on for ideas that suit most parents.
Your situation
- MumIncluding a mum who says she has everything.
- Going in togetherOne bigger gift from all of you.
- Older parentsGifts that make everyday life easier.
- Friends with a new babyIf “parents” means the people with a newborn.
What to get parents who say they have everything
Give them something that gets used up or done, rather than something that needs a shelf. Parents who say they don't need anything usually mean they don't need more things.
Gifts that tend to land well:
- Time back from a job they put off: a clean, the gutters, the garden, the car.
- Food and drink they enjoy but wouldn't buy for themselves.
- An experience with you: a lunch, a show, a day trip, a class.
- A better version of something they use every day: a good knife, a kettle that pours well, warm slippers.
- Something for the whole family to enjoy together over the holidays.
If you're stuck, listen for what they complain about in November. "I'll never get the windows done before everyone arrives" is a gift idea.
What makes a gift useful for parents?
A useful gift saves them time, saves them money, or replaces something they already use and like.
Three quick questions before you buy:
- Will they use it in the next month? If not, it'll probably end up in a cupboard.
- Would they buy it themselves? Something they'd buy anyway, but better or sooner, is rarely wasted.
- Does it add a job? Assembly, setting up, finding a place for it or learning a new app all count.
A gift that passes all three is usually a good one, even if it isn't exciting to wrap.
Gifts of time: the jobs nobody wants in December
December is busy for anyone hosting. Taking a job off their list, before the family arrives or after the clean-up, is one of the most practical gifts you can give.
Ideas that buy back time:
- A clean before Christmas, so the house is ready for guests without a weekend of scrubbing.
- A clean after the holidays, once the visitors have gone and the leftovers are finished.
- Help in the garden or with a handyman job they keep putting off.
- Cooking a dish for Christmas lunch, or doing all the washing up on the day.
A cleaning gift card lets them choose the clean and the day. Think about what a clean costs for a home like theirs when you choose the amount: our pricing guide shows today's prices.
Gifts that save them money
Paying for something they'd pay for anyway is practical, and it rarely feels impersonal if you choose it with them in mind.
- A year of a streaming service, magazine or newspaper they already use.
- A service they book every year: a car service, a chimney or gutter clean, a clean before the holidays.
- A gift card for the supermarket, the hardware store or the petrol station they use.
- A membership they've talked about: the art gallery, the botanic gardens, a local club.
Experiences to do together
For many parents, time with their children is what they'd choose. An experience you share is a gift and a day out at once.
- A lunch or dinner booked at a place they like, with the date already set.
- Tickets to a concert, the theatre or the cricket.
- A class you do together: cooking, pottery, painting.
- A day trip, a picnic or a walk somewhere they haven't been in years.
Experience-gift websites sell vouchers for things like these. Choosing and booking it yourself often means more, because you've picked the day and you'll be there.
Things they'll use up
Consumable gifts suit parents who don't want clutter: they're enjoyed, then they're gone.
- Good coffee, tea or chocolate.
- A bottle of something they like for Christmas Day.
- Nice soap, hand cream or candles in a scent they already use.
- A hamper of local food from the area they live in.
- Seeds, bulbs or a potted plant for a keen gardener.
Christmas gifts for mum
Think about everything mum does for everyone else in December, and take one of those jobs off her list.
For a mum who says she has everything:
- A morning off: you do the shopping, the wrapping or the cooking.
- A clean of her home once Christmas is over, on a day she chooses.
- A day out together, booked and paid for.
- Something small and good she wouldn't buy for herself, like a favourite perfume or a book by an author she loves.
- A photo book or framed photo from the year, if the family has good ones.
If she hosts Christmas lunch, the most welcome gift might be you arriving early and staying late to clean up.
Going in together as siblings
Pooling money with your brothers and sisters lets you give one gift your parents will really use, instead of several small ones.
How to make it simple:
- Agree on the amount early, and have one person collect the money and buy it.
- Choose something bigger: a weekend away, a new appliance they need, or several cleans spread through the year.
- Make it personal: a card signed by everyone, or a note from each of you.
A cleaning gift card works well as a group gift because the amount can be anything from $20 to $2,000, and whatever is left after one clean stays on the card for the next.
What is the 7 gift rule for Christmas?
The 7 gift rule is a rule of thumb some families use to keep Christmas giving simple: each person gets a set number of gifts, one from each of a short list of categories.
Versions vary. Most start from something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read, and add categories such as something to do, something to eat or something to share. Smaller versions use four or five gifts.
For adults who have everything, the "something to do" and "something to share" categories are where experiences and gifts of time fit.
If you give a cleaning gift card for Christmas
A cleaning gift card works best when they choose the clean and the day.
Check we clean where they live
We clean in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth and the Gold Coast, but not every suburb. Check their postcode before you buy.
Choose an amount
Gift cards go from $20 to $2,000. A card is credit towards a clean, not a set number of hours, so look at what a clean costs for a home like theirs.
Decide how it arrives
Email and SMS cards are sent straight after payment, so buy it on Christmas morning if you want it to arrive then. Or print it at home and put it in a card.
Let them pick the day
Before the guests arrive or after the clean-up: it's their choice. If they want a clean before Christmas, suggest they book early. Cards are valid for three years.
Questions people ask
What is a good Christmas gift for parents?
Something they'll use soon and don't have to store: time back from a job they dislike, food and drink they enjoy, an experience with you, or a better version of something they use every day.
What do you get parents who don't want anything?
Gifts that aren't things: a clean of their home, a meal out, tickets to something, or a service they'd pay for anyway. Most parents who say they don't want anything mean they don't want more stuff.
How much should I spend on my parents for Christmas?
There's no rule. Spend what's comfortable, or go in together with your siblings and give one bigger gift. A thoughtful small gift often means more than an expensive one.
Is a gift card a thoughtful Christmas gift for parents?
It can be, when it's for something specific they'll enjoy or use, like a clean, a restaurant they love or a shop they visit. Add a note about why you chose it.
What can I get my parents that they'll actually use?
Look at what they already do every week: cooking, gardening, cleaning, reading, seeing friends. A gift that makes one of those easier or nicer is one they'll use.
If cleaning is the right gift
Give them a clean home for the holidays
Choose an amount, add a personal note, and send it by email or SMS, or print it to put in a card. They choose the clean and the day.
Want to see how it works first? How gift cards work
You choose the amount and how it arrives. They choose their clean.