What to give someone who has everything
Someone who already has everything isn’t short of anything you can wrap. What they’re short of is time, calm and plans with the people they love. That’s where these ideas begin.
By the Premium Massage Málaga team
Why an experience beats an object
Ask someone who has everything what they’d like and the answer is nearly always the same: “nothing”. And it’s usually true. Anything you can buy in a shop, they already have, or they buy it the day they need it. What’s harder to buy is a free afternoon, a plan someone else has thought up, and someone to share it with.
Psychologists have been measuring this for more than twenty years. Leaf Van Boven and Thomas Gilovich found that spending on experiences makes people happier than spending on things (“To Do or to Have?”, 2003). And Cindy Chan and Cassie Mogilner showed that experiential gifts bring giver and recipient closer than material ones, even when they aren’t enjoyed together, and that the key lies in the emotion felt while living them, not while unwrapping them (Journal of Consumer Research, 2017).
In other words, objects get used; experiences get talked about.
Gift ideas for someone who has everything
- A plan for two. The best part of any experience is who you share it with. If they have a partner, a lifelong friend or a daughter they never seem to find time with, give them a plan for two.
- Time, already organised. Not a vague “we must get together”, but an afternoon with a time, a place and everything sorted. For people whose diaries are always full, the hardest thing to organise is a rest.
- Something to enjoy and finish. A good olive oil, a sweet Málaga wine, dinner somewhere special. It takes up no space and lingers in the memory.
- Learning something. A cookery class, a tasting, a workshop. It works for curious people, who tend to be the ones who already have everything.
- Looking after themselves. A massage, a night away, a whole day with nothing to do. It’s exactly what so many people never treat themselves to, even though they could.
Three questions to get it right
- What are they really missing? Think about what they always put off for another day: an afternoon with nothing planned, seeing someone, a proper rest.
- Who would they enjoy it with? If the gift is for two, think about that other person too: they can be part of the gift.
- Do they like to decide? Some people prefer to have everything done for them; others love choosing. A gift card lets you do either: choose for them, or leave the choice open.
A massage for two, for the person who has everything
At Premium Massage Málaga, what you give is an experience. There are six: the fireplace, 1920s Paris, the sea, al‑Andalus, the forest and the volcano. Each one brings its own music, light, scent and closing drink to a private room beside Málaga Cathedral, with two massage tables and two therapists working at the same time.
It’s an experience, just as the research recommends; it’s shared, and it takes up no space at home. To choose an experience, think about the person:
| If they’re the sort who… | Experience |
|---|---|
| always feels the cold or loves winter | By the fireplace |
| misses the sea or needs to slow down | Sounds of the sea |
| reaches the weekend with a back full of tension | Volcanic experience |
| celebrates everything | A night in 1920s Paris |
| travels to discover the history of every place | Nights of al‑Andalus |
| heads for the countryside whenever they can | Mediterranean forest |
Not sure? Choose “Let the recipient choose” and they’ll pick the experience themselves when they book. How to choose an experience.
How to give it
- Choose the length: a 60-minute massage (€140) or a 90-minute massage (€220). The price covers both people.
- Add who it’s for, who it’s from and your message. The card arrives instantly by email as a PDF, with the experience, the duration and its code.
- The recipient books online with that code, on whichever day and at whatever time suits them from the available slots, with nothing more to pay.
The card never expires, and if you change your mind you have 14 days from purchase to request a refund, provided it hasn’t been used. See the gift card.
One final touch
Print the card and slip it into an envelope, or forward it on WhatsApp if you live far away. And to round it off, add something money can’t buy: a note with the day you’d love them to go, or a promise to look after the children that afternoon.