The Best Gifts To Get For The Men In Your Life

If you’re looking for a gift for your husband or a gift for your dad, skip these most-hated gifts for men: gift sets, cologne, blazers, ties (horrors!), another thermal coffee mug (even a Yeti), goofy gadgets, pretty much anything trendy . . . men want a useful gift. Otherwise, they quietly consider it a waste of money and a disappointment.

If your man is working long hours or has physical limitations, he certainly has better ways to spend his time than repetitive maintenance. When you get home in the winter (and it’s dark at 4:30 p.m.), no one wants to be outside for another hour or two, shoveling the driveway. Worse yet, no one wants to get up at 4:30 a.m. to shovel before work. Even snow blowing is not as easy as it looks, and it gets downright cold.

A season plow service usually isn’t as expensive as you might guess, especially if you’re in an area where significant snowfall begins in November and lasts through March. Shop around, get some quotes, and give the gift of time (see “snowplow contracts”). The only risk here is hiring someone not qualified, especially if the company owner is also the plow operator. How do you get complaints solved? You can eliminate that problem by giving your man a gift through a company like Plowz and Mowz.

If plowing isn’t a good gift for your man, you can do the same thing with a mowing contract or mow-on-demand request. A decent riding mower can cost $2,000 or more (be wary of those no-interest-if- you-pay-within-12-months deals—lots of people have been caught with interest, so high credit-card companies are envious). Plus, you’ve still got lots of mower maintenance and gas to haul (unless you want to surprise him with a battery-powered mower, which reduces maintenance but ups the purchase price).

Folks at or nearing retirement can find that money is better spent letting someone else sweat in the hot sun, and many like the option of a simple app to request a mow similar to how you request an Uber ride. For those running out of garage space, a professional mower can be a better investment than putting up a rickety modular shed that requires, for God knows what reason, a building permit. Seasonal lawn mowing will sound pricey, but many mowing companies charge by the mow, which can run $30 to $80, depending upon your property’s size (under an acre). And it can give your husband or dad more time on the lake, golfing, or just enjoying the shade on your
deck. I can’t think of a better gift.