100+ Thoughtful Intangible Gift Ideas For Those Who Don’t Need More “Stuff”

The holidays are here, which means shopping and gift-giving are on all of our minds more than usual. During this time of the year, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that bigger, better, more expensive gifts is the best way to show our friends and family and loved ones how much we love and appreciate them. I was talking with a girlfriend lately about frivolous intangible gifts that don’t *seem* like the most fun to gift, but that are LOVED by the recipient. She mentioned how her best friend got her a pre-paid car wash card, with one every month for a year. I thought that was brilliant, so I wanted to compile a list of 100+ intangible gift ideas for anyone looking to break away from the “stuff” and gift something that is actually wanted/needed.

1. TV streaming subscriptions: Netflix, Crave, HBO, Hayu, Hulu, Disney+. We all have them or want them and love them, why not cover a subscription for the year?
2. A flower bouquet delivery monthly (frivolous but luxurious)
3. A gift certificate for house cleaning – WHERE DO WE SIGN UP? I know “cleaning” doesn’t sound “fun” but think of all the time you’ll be giving back to someone by letting someone else clean for them. A great add-on to the cleaning service is “tickets” someone can cash in for some fun with you (picnic at the park? movie date?) while SOMEONE ELSE is making their house sparkly.
4. Money towards childcare expenses/daycare fees
5. Amazon Prime Membership
6. PC Insiders Membership (free click & collect? Heck yeah!)
7. Sirius XM subscription for the car
8. Gift cards for groceries, Skip The Dishes, Uber Eats, Door Dash, gas, car washes, 7/11 for slurpees, McDonald’s – gift the gift of guilt-free convenience!
9. Pampering paid for – nails, hair, laser hair removal, facials, brows, pedicures are all the things women tend not to prioritize when on a budget
10. Car washes and/or car detailing. The cheerio dust and goldfish cracker skeletons have gotten a little comfy in the graveyards of every mom’s vehicle, what would be better than giving the gift of tackling that mess?
11. Gifted massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, salt water floats. 
12. Playstation, XBox, Nintendo e-shop cards
13. Instacart subscription. Costco delivery to the door? Another HECK YEAH
14. Pre-paid babysitter or childcare
15. Magazine subscriptions (better if digital)
16. Kindle or Kobo unlimited subscription
17. ABC Mouse (for kiddos!)
18. Snow removal or seasonal landscaping and lawn/garden maintenance
19. Gift card for trees, sod, plants, flowers, rocks (yard updates)
20. RESP contributions (for kiddos – no matter how small, the power of compound interest is huge and in Canada, the government matches up to 20%)
21. Concert tickets
22. Movie Passes for the whole family (and don’t forget the popcorn!)
23. Campground bookings & fees
24. F1 TV annual pass
25. NHL Center Ice subscription
26. NFL Sunday Ticket subscription
27. AMA membership (BCAA or AAA, depending on your location)
28. Oil changes and car maintenance covered
29. Lottery ticket subscription
30. Annual membership to Audible
31. Christmas light install and uninstall on their home
32. Cooking classes
33. Cake decorating classes
34. Language classes (who wouldn’t want to learn another language? Cree is on my list!)
35. Art or pottery or swimming lessons
36. Online courses, or e-books
37. Hello Fresh, Good Food Box, or a similar type meal box subscription
38. National Park Pass
39. Gym or fitness membership (if specifically requested)
40. Spotify premium membership
41. Adobe or Microsoft Word annual membership
42. Photoshop/Lightroom subscriptions
43. Apple or Google gift cards for paid apps
44. Air BnB gift card + babysitting
45. Doula services (antepartum or postpartum)
46. Family photography booked and paid for
47. Home organizing services (know someone who has a garage black hole? Gift the service of a clean-up and organize!)
48. Dog walking services and/or grooming visits for their fur friend
49. Sports league fees
50. Yoga or other fitness classes they might love (crossfit, pilates, spin, etc)
51. Home reno services (paint, flooring, electrician, drywall, etc)
52. Costco Membership
53. Hotel stay solo for a night with room service
54. Charcuterie/grazing board delivery
55. Teeth whitening treatments
56. Photography lessons
57. Dance classes
58. Coffee/wine/beer/scotch/craft beer subscription
59. Pelaton or Nordic Track digital annual access 
60. Ski passes
61. Hockey or lacrosse tickets to see a game live
62. Tickets to the ballet, a musical, or local theatre
63. Chatbooks gift card
64. Interior design consultation
65. Plant app subscription
66. Peacock premium plus subscription
67. Starbucks or Tim Hortons or Good Earth gift cards 
68. CSA farm-box-of-the-month subscription (fruits and vegetables delivered monthly)
69. Zoo or museum membership passes
70. Telus Spark membership pass
71. Scribd subscription for new release books
72. A KiwiCo Maker Crate subscription (for kids)
73. Gift card for Etsy so the recipient can shop small at their leisure
74. Candy Cube subscription monthly from Sugar Cube YYC
75. Tattoo fees (gift card)
76. Personal training services (if specifically requested)
77. Lactation consultant services (for the postpartum mothers)
78. Gift cards for air travel (save them up for a bigger trip)
79. Membership to an indoor playground (for the kids)
80. A Masterclass subscription (online classes created for students of all skill levels)
81. Gift card to Bulk Barn for guilt-free spending on treats
82. All Trail pro subscription for the hiking fans in your life
83. Piano lessons
84. Wine tasting. Beer tasting. Whisky tasting. Chocolate tasting. Cheese tasting.
85. Escape Room gift card
86. Premium membership for the Calm meditation app
87. A fixed sum of money with a catch. A 100-dollar note with a different kind of note, like: “On May 17, wherever you are, you have to spend this money on something unconventional, something you wouldn’t normally do. Spoil yourself, get adventurous or do whatever you feel like in the moment”.
88. Edible Arrangement delivery (who doesn’t love food showing up?)
89. Kayak or stand up paddle boarding lessons
90. Guitar lessons
91. Cheese making classes
92. Kombucha brewing classes
93. Donate on their behalf to a charity. The most non-material gift is a gift for a good cause.
94. Fitbit premium membership for the year
95. Hot sauce of the month subscription
96. Digital cloud service subscription (store all those photos)
97. Golf or tennis lessons
98. *Fun* family experiences (mini-golf, go-karting, bowling, skating, swimming, etc)
99. Membership to an art gallery
100. AllTrue, a subscription box for conscious products
101. Local bakery gift card or recurring baked good delivery (cinnamon buns? cupcakes? fresh bread? hard to go wrong)
102. Library cards for the whole family
103. Boeing 737 flight simulation experience
104. Axe Throwing gift card (night out with friends!)

Giving experiences rather than stuff is often much more valuable, and people tend to appreciate it more. Sometimes, it’s just so refreshing to get an unusual gift with a huge impact (7/11 gift card for slurpees every month, on someone else’s dime? sounds dreamy). I hope this list of non-materialistic & non-physical gifts gave you some cool & unusual ideas to surprise your friends, family, and loved ones with.

Feel free to share in the comments below if I missed a cool one!