You have a friend who is moving (back) to Africa or any other faraway destination for an extended period of time and you’re wondering what to give them as a goodbye gift.
They are uprooting their whole life and trying to make it fit in already overpacked suitcases. Being the thoughtful friend that you are, the last thing you want to do is add more stuff for them to lug around. So, you’re wondering what you can offer them?
Search no more! I have curated a perfect list of useful gifts for friends moving away to another country; indefinitely or for an extended period of time.
Gifting a streaming service subscription as a farewell gift
For who?
Gifting a streaming platform subscription is the perfect gift for friends moving away who are music lovers or movie/TV buffs (so basically anyone) .
What?
There is a multitude of services to choose from. The most popular music streaming platforms are Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube music. Gift cards are available at any retail store, electronic store, or online (Amazon). Most subscriptions start at $9.99/month.
If your friends enjoy watching TV shows and/or movies, you could offer them subscriptions to streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, or the multitude of other TV subscription services available these days. Again, you can find gift cards for those almost anywhere. You can find subscriptions for as cheap as $5/month.
How to choose?
Choosing which subscription to offer depends on what your friend likes or which one they are already using.
Also prior to choosing a subscription as a gift make sure that it will work in whichever country they’re going to. For platforms like Netflix, the choice of TV shows and movies available depends on the location where you live, or more specifically your computer location. Other services simply do not work outside of the US.
To remedy this, you can offer your friends a VPN (virtual private network) subscription. A VPN is a software that virtually changes your computer location. It will allow your friends to still watch their favorite American shows no matter where they are on the globe.
Gifting experiences
For who?
This is for your friend who loves to travel and discover new places. Once they arrive in their new country, they plan to visit it and explore the surrounding areas. They already shared with you a list of road trips and weekend excursions they plan to do.
What?
Why not buy them an airline gift card that they can use for their flight tickets. Or you could buy them a night in a nice hotel at their destination or an Airbnb gift card. This way they can take a break from the stress of moving to a new country and have a staycation there when they want to.
Another idea could be offering cooking classes. That can be a little harder to coordinate from far. But a good place to start looking is travel sites like Trip Advisor where you can read recommendations and see pictures.
Learning as a gift for friends moving away to start a new business
For who?
Gifting learning is the perfect gift for your friends who are creative or entrepreneur types.
What?
You could give an online course subscription. There are platforms like Udemy or Masterclass where people can learn all kinds of skills.
Another great learning gift can be a language course or a language app subscription if your friends are going to a country where they don’t speak the language.
If you know that your friend admires a specific person that is offering courses, you could also buy them one of the courses as a farewell gift.
Prices
Udemy: price varies based on the course
Masterclass: membership price starts at $15/ month
Miscellaneous non-material useful gifts for friends moving away
Other gifts that don’t fit in any of the above categories are:
Gifting time
For example, you can babysit or offer to entertain your friends’ kids while they run errands or take care of business to prepare for their big trip. Or you could help them pack or paint or whatever other task they have to get done before leaving. Just ask them how you can be the most helpful to them.
Cleaning service
I remember one of my girls paid for a house cleaning service to come to clean my house right after I had my daughter when I was still on maternity leave. It was one of the most thoughtful and useful gifts! It was exactly what I needed.
Your friends moving away will have to clean their house, whether they are selling it or renting it out. A cleaning service might be just what they need!
Virtual mailbox service
If your friends are leaving for an extended period of time but are planning to return, a virtual mailbox service can allow them to receive their US mail wherever they are in the world. According to Google, you can get that service for as low as $8/month.
iCloud subscription
We all need storage for our pictures, music, and videos. So why not give your friend an iCloud subscription – or any other cloud subscription – so that they can access their media from anywhere without filling up their phone, tablet, or computer?
That’s it friends! I hope you find this list helpful!
FAQ:
- Can I offer a Skillshare class? Skillshare currently does not have the option for an individual gift card. Unless you plan to give out at least 25 gift cards.
- Can I gift a LinkedIn Premium subscription? LinkedIn Premium gift program is no longer available as of November 2021.
- Can I offer a food delivery service subscription? Offering a food delivery subscription can be a great idea but maybe a little harder to coordinate for far.
