Although not quite as old as your father,I'm pretty much into a lot of hobbies etc,and will buy stuff as and when I need it,but over the years I have devised a plan to help my kids buy my presents and I get what I need.Example, I like to do a lot of walking in the fall/winter,the other day I came back from a walk and stepped into the kitchen,my wife was there talking to one of my sons and his girlfriend,I casually said,"I'm going to have to get myself a new backpack and some more of these trousers,these have about had it." [the kaki type with lots of pockets].When we were sat down a bit later with my other son there,I said to my wife "remind me when we go shopping to get some more files,paper and I quite fancy getting myself a new pen set."
Yesterday my wife warned me not to buy anything for myself before Christmas