18 People Who Proved That the Most Precious Gifts Are the Ones Money Can’t Buy

The best gifts are those made with heart. The people whose gifts will be discussed in this article demonstrated extraordinary creativity and care. Their unique, personalized Lego sets, pendants with distinctive designs, and even bricks surpass iPhones and diamond necklaces and convey how much the recipient means to the giver.

• When my husband and I got married 20 years ago, we received expensive appliances and money as gifts. Among our friends was a young married couple. They fell in love and got married against their parents’ wishes. They were renting a small room somewhere, the woman was already pregnant with their second child, and we understood they were having financial difficulties.
  So, we invited them to the wedding but told them that they didn’t have to bring a gift. However, they presented us with 2 simple items — a ladle and a hammer with a nail puller. We smiled politely back then and even felt touched, thinking it was nice they didn’t come empty-handed.
  Time went by, and I had a baby. It turned out that without that ladle, I was at a loss. I used it for boiling, warming up bottles, and cooking.
  Meanwhile, we had some home renovations underway. My husband was thrilled with the hammer. It was conveniently handy, and it even had a nail puller. The hammer is still around, but the ladle, unfortunately, has outlived its usefulness for cooking. Since that time, I’ve only bought similar ladles.
  By the way, that family’s doing well now with 3 kids, and both earn good money. When I mentioned to them how useful their gifts were to us, they simply chuckled: “We knew what to give.” © Jasmyne75 / Pikabu
• About 5 years ago, my sister and her boyfriend brought my future husband and me a brick and said it was our first stone for building a house. My husband and I never got around to building the house, but who would have thought a brick would be so useful!
  It held the door open, weighed down frozen meat in water, we put it in the bucket with our Christmas tree to keep it from falling over, and it supported our shoe while being glued. It had countless uses. © Renie / Pikabu
• My boyfriend gave me the best gift. We’re exchanging Christmas presents, and I get a necklace that is just one big sapphire. I instantly gush and happily exclaim, “You got me my birthstone!”
  My boyfriend looks at me confused and says, “Birthstone? I don’t know anything about birthstones, I got it because it reminds me of your eyes.” I instantaneously melt into the floor. He meant it too. © ChaiHai / Reddit

I gave my significant other a LEGO set depicting our first date. I designed the set and instructions with the help of Lego Studio software, and ordered the pieces from Bricklink.

The set number is actually the date of our first date.

• A $40 fuel card. Sounds strange, yes? If I hadn’t been given that $40 fuel card, I would never have met and begun dating my fiance. I was between pay days, and was nearly broke.
  That card allowed me to fuel up my car for the trip there. My sister gave it to me as part of a birthday present. Essentially, my sister gave me the happy relationship I have now. I’ve never looked at it that way until now. © Michael Kendrick / Quora
• My parents divorced, and my father sent me a cardboard box for my 20th birthday. I opened it to find a broken cufflink. My mom just rolled her eyes: “He saves money, as usual.” I tossed it into a drawer.
  About 10 years later, when my wife and I were hopping from rental to rental, saving for a mortgage down payment, I accidentally found it again. I lifted the cufflink, and under the cardboard it was attached to, there were several of my father’s favorite collectible coins and a note: “The most valuable things are inside. Love you, son.”
  I sold them online, added them to our savings, and we got a mortgage. The most interesting thing is, I saw him from time to time, but he never mentioned his gift over the years.
• The best gift I ever received was from my father about 15 years ago. After our family opened all our holiday presents indoors, he asked me to follow him outdoors for one last gift. What could it be I thought?
  A horse, a new car, a riding lawnmower? Very unrealistic, but a girl can dream! No, it was a small spindly branch sticking out of the muddy garden earth with a pitiful red ribbon wrapped around it.
  He responded to my confused look with a big grin, “It’s a pomegranate tree!” He knew it was my favorite food — I’d spend a fortune every fall purchasing them from the stores, then spend hours picking them apart.
  The tree still thrives. I picked more than 300 this year — it’s mid-January and I still have a few left. I think of every one as a gift from my father. © Addie Pray / Quora

My boyfriend made a plush toy that looks like my dog with his own hands.

• My friend recently gave birth, and instead of gifting unnecessary baby clothes, I gave her a certificate for 100 hours of nanny service for the newborn. She was shocked! She didn’t even know it was possible.
  When I had 2 kids close in age, I would have been thrilled with a gift like this, even if it were just 5 hours of a nanny’s work, rather than another expensive toy. © elizaveta.bru
• I wrote a “History of Our Love” for my beloved, in a notebook by hand, with drawings, comments — our entire 14 years together through my eyes, with photos from the archive and screenshots of our conversations. I decorated it and put a gold ring inside. © old.blockhead
• My friends, Kate and Cory, are true romantics. They’ve been together for 1.5 years and keep a “Wish Book” together.
  One winter, Kate wrote in her half of the notebook, “I want to feel spring in the middle of winter.” Cory just scratched his head but found a way to get creative. And so, on the morning of February 14th, Kate discovered a mini-greenhouse with blooming spring flowers — crocuses, primroses, and even daffodils — on her balcony.
  There was also a pot with heated water and citrus scents. “Welcome to your personal spring,” he wrote on a note. Kate was absolutely glowing with happiness. This was something more than just a gift — it was magic he created with his own hands.
  And Kate once glimpsed Cory’s notes like “learn more about the stars” or “experience the atmosphere of old cinema” and arranged a night star-gazing session with an astronomer and a retro cinema night at their home, featuring black-and-white movies and popcorn. © SITUATION / VK

My boyfriend bought me this necklace for Christmas. He knows that Star Valley is my favorite video game, so he wanted to give me something special.

• Throughout my life, I've been given a bunch of stuff for birthdays: cool clothes, expensive gadgets, flowers, toys, various household items...
  But the best gift was from my friends in elementary school. They drew a comic about the three of us — simple but filled with so much warmth and effort... I'm the main character.
  A lot of time has passed since then, but no one has managed to top that gift. And we're still friends. © SITUATION / VK
• My future husband came to our first date with a rose in his teeth. And he made me take that rose with my teeth too. We've been together for almost 15 years. © yourlittlebuddha
• On our first date, a guy once asked me what my dream job was. Without hesitation, I replied, "Getting paid to read books." He smiled but said nothing.
  On another day, we were strolling around the city and accidentally went into a book store where he gave me his favorite book. It was sweet.
  In the evening, we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner, and I love Indian cuisine. At the table, he suddenly asked me to read aloud. I read 2 chapters, and he just said "thank you." That was it, we parted ways.
  A few days later, I opened the book, and there was $70. And he hadn't even mentioned it! I immediately asked, "Did you forget your money?" And he said it was for reading those 2 chapters.
  I was very touched by this gesture. It wasn't a story about money. It was a story about how he wanted to show me that dreams come true. And about attention to detail. When a man remembers little things related to you — it's invaluable. © asel.magic

A card I made for my wife who is into running.

• My best friend grows flowers. She gave me a flower she grew herself, and I was really happy!
  Once, when I was on maternity leave and had no money, I embroidered a picture for her while the baby slept. Now, that picture hangs in a prominent place next to her family photos. And this year marks 20 years of our friendship. © antonina.bozhok
• 8 years ago, I made a marmalade panel at home for my beloved Daria, photographed it, and told her that I loved her. But we met only a month later, so during that month, I ended up eating it myself. Now it’s both embarrassing and funny to remember. © msbochkov
• I was turning 14 back then. What do most kids want at that age? Cool clothes, the latest phone model, maybe a tablet... But I was different.
  That birthday, all I got from my family was a card... The thing was, we were short on money, not even enough for a chocolate bar. On the card was a girl with pigtails holding a volleyball — I was quite the volleyball star back then, and this gesture meant the world to me...
  Inside were words of love, about how much they valued me and wished me happiness. My mom kept apologizing that the gift wasn’t what I might have wanted. But they gave me much more — their love. © SITUATION / VK

Embroidery I made as a wedding gift for my best friend. This is an aerial view of the place where their celebration took place.

• On December 31st, I decided to arrange a New Year’s gift for my wife. I sent her to spa treatments early in the morning, to the salon, and gave her money to buy herself something. Meanwhile, the kids and I cleaned the house, and I hired a chef to cook and serve the festive meal. © akhmetali_aziz
• I’m a movie buff, and for the past 3 years, my friends have been receiving flash drives loaded with little-known films — art house, classics, noir, silent cinema, works of lesser-known directors. I select 3-5 masterpieces for each friend, considering their tastes, and give them as gifts. I don’t insist on watching them, I just say, “Watch it if you’re in the mood.”
  But that’s what friends are for — they do watch. Then we discuss the dialogue, techniques, performances, and lament how great films often go unnoticed. It’s my way to become closer with those I love — by sharing what’s important. © Overheard / Ideer
• I remember how my stepfather gave my mom a big box for her birthday. Mom opened it joyfully, only to find a set of yellow pots decorated with pheasants. Mom burst into tears, thinking he wanted to turn her into a cook. She gave him an earful, but then it turned out that the set was a real lifesaver.
  Back then, about 35 years ago, getting a set like this wasn’t easy. It had the perfect saucepan, a large mug, a colander, and pots of all sizes. I remember cooking porridge for my brother first, then for my son, in the smallest pot. Part of the set is still around, and last year when I was cleaning her apartment, I found those pots, and the memories came flooding back... © Numida / Pikabu

What inexpensive yet warm and significant things have your loved ones and friends given you? Share your stories in the comments and read another fascinating article about gifts.