Just some good subscription and membership gift ideas
I’ve never been super into “experience” gifts (like travel, concerts, fancy dinners) because I generally prefer to spend money on things that will be useful and delightful for a long time. If someone specifically requested something like this, I wouldn’t not get it for them, but it’s not where my brain goes immediately. However, I’m starting to change my mind on this, both personally and when gifting! I’d rather give someone an experience I know they’ll appreciate as opposed to a physical item that they may or may not like or use. Also, so many popular gifts right now just feel like cheap crap that no one really needs or wants! Meanwhile, giving someone the ability to access art, in particular, feels really great. And a lot of subscriptions and memberships will be useful and delightful for a long time (or at least for a year, which is good enough for me since it’s not going to a landfill after it’s used up), so those feel very in line with how I like to gift.
If you still need some holiday shopping inspo, here are some of the non-physical presents I’m into right now:
A museum membership
This, to me, is a great present because it’s not always something people think to buy for themselves, but they will absolutely make use of it if they have it. When you go this route, you’re really giving the gift of motivation to go out and connect with art, history, science, or culture on a more regular basis, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
After my friends Nathalie and Doug enthusiastically recommended this streaming service, I’ve been making a point to watch more Critieron films, and have been getting so much joy and pleasure from it. You can gift anywhere from 1–12 months, with the yearlong subscription costing $99.
This falls more into the category of practical gifts, but the right person will absolutely love it. I did this for myself earlier this year because I couldn’t bear to keep sitting through commercials as I watched and re-watched crafting tutorials, and it’s been life-changing. Get an annual plan for $139.99. (This also includes access to YouTube Music and YouTube Kids without ads.) Related: If there’s a streaming service (Peacock, Paramount+, etc.) that they watch a lot of, an ad-free version of one of these can be so nice.
If you know someone who loves period dramas, cozy mysteries, and comedies from across the pond, consider BritBox, which has a huge catalog of soothing and chill entertainment. I got into it last year right around the election and I especially love Make It at Market, an extremely mellow series that centers on very nice crafters trying to turn their hobby into a business. Get an annual BritBox subscription is $109.99.
Upgrade their favorite podcast
If your person is obsessed with a particular podcast and doesn’t currently have access to bonus episodes/content, this makes for a fantastic present. It’s also just nice to be able to support creators directly in our crumbling media landscape! Patreon makes it extremely easy to gift subscriptions; for example, it will cost just $43.20 for a year of If Books Could Kill, and you also have the option to do shorter durations. If podcasts aren’t their thing, you could take a similar approach to any newsletters or independent media outlets that have a paid option! 🎁