Ok, while the thought of buying a twelve pack of beer for your son, brother, or friend on his 21st birthday did cross your mind, you were hoping you might come across an idea that was a bit more tasteful. While shot glasses and koozies have their place in life, a birthday party is not usually the most refined place to give them as gifts. On the other hand, you may just not be too thrilled about the prospect of promoting the consumption of even more alcohol on this already infamous birthday. So what else can you get a boy for his 21st birthday that he will actually like?
First, consider buying a gift that is a little more high class than the useless garbage he’ll be getting from his friends. He’ll likely be receiving an armload of cheap, tawdry items from Spencer’s and other novelty stores, so mark this entrance into adulthood properly with your own gift. Think along the lines of a new titanium watch, a leather wallet, a professional desktop organization set, or a silver plated business card holder. The added benefit to buying a 21 year old boy a sophisticated gift for his birthday is the fact that it might just give him the little hint he needed to push himself into the real world for the first time!
If your 21 year old guy is still a little too immature for a professional or stylish gift, consider giving the gift of music. Every young man in his early twenties owns an mp3 player, so give him the chance to splurge on his favorite songs with an ITunes gift card. New songs cost about $1-$3 each, so purchase your gift card accordingly. Perhaps once he’s purchased every new song in creation with your ITunes card, he’ll use his own money to invest in his future. Wishful thinking never hurt anyone, right?
On the same page, consider buying your 21 year old guy tickets to a concert or event for his birthday. Ask him who his favorite bands are and check their websites to see when they will be visiting your state. Make sure to pick a concert date that does not interfere with any events already in his schedule, and pay attention to seating location. Also, be sure to include enough tickets for a couple of his friends. Don’t be afraid of selecting a concert in a city that’s a few hours away if that is the closest your chosen band will ever be coming to your town. A road trip added to the package is a bonus gift for most twenty-something males.
Finally, if all else fails, you can always give your soon-to-be 21 year old man a little cash for a birthday gift. He’s sure to like it better than something you would have picked out yourself in a state of utter confusion. For the record, stay away from buying clothing or gifts of a personal nature, unless the 21 year old boy in question is your boyfriend or husband. When in doubt, go with the universally appreciated birthday gifts of sophisticated and stylish basics, music download gift cards, event tickets, or cash. You can’t go wrong there. Each gift offers a personal touch, implies extra thought, but still leaves your budding young man with the option of how to best use the present in question. He’ll appreciate the fact that you worked so hard to give him something useful, rather than contributing to his new collection of beer accessories.
