What to Get a Boyfriend for His Birthday: A Gifter's Guide

Here's a handy acronym to remember when purchasing a gift for a man.

Think about the letters: M-A-L-E

1. Men care more about WHAT than HOW

Men, being the brutes that they are, do not feel the same feelings about gifts that girls do. Most men will accept the gift, and say thank you, but unless the gift DOES SOMETHING, they're not going to use it. For example, a tie can be used for a suit. A baseball card is a great gift for a baseball fan. A pocket knife can be used for pretty much anything. Your man will appreciate gifts that he can actually use.

Men will not care about how long it took to get the gift, or how much effort was put into the gift. They're looking for cause and effect.

2. Always find out what they like or need

Find out what that man likes. What are his hobbies? What does he do for a living? What books does he read? His favorite teams? Tailor your gift to match what he likes. If your man likes music, perhaps pick him out a favorite CD, or get him an itunes card. For more intimate friendships and lovers, you may consider tickets to an event or show.

You may even want to enlist his best friend for some research. Have your friend ask him what he likes, so that the gift may be more of a surprise.

3. Listen to hints

Men will often drop subtle clues about what they may appreciate. If a man says "My computer's hard drive is full of music!" this is a perfect time to purchase him an external hard drive. If your man has a bunch of pictures that need hanging, perhaps get him a frame or two. If your man has been drooling over anew video game, you may want to surprise him with a purchase.

The problem here is that you may offend his male ego; try to avoid a gift that says "You're less of a man than I thought you were!"

4. Expect nothing in return

Men express their emotions differently than women. A man may thank you in a strange way. He might use your gift obsessively; he may want to wear it out, he may return your gift in ways you might not be able to predict.

For example, one of my favorite gifts was a Swiss army pocketknife. I use it for everything! It has a scissors, a magnifying glass, tweezers, and a saw. I never thought that it would be such a wonderful gift, but it has proven its worth seven-fold. I admit, I did not immediately think I would enjoy it as a gift. However, I still have the pocketknife to this day.

Hopefully, you'll get your man something he'll treasure and appreciate for his birthday.