The thing that annoys me most about buying presents ...

liz.._4

I feel fed up sometimes with sister as she sees shopping as a religion and knows every price etc. Every time I buy her kids something I feel its not really valued and once her child lost an expensive game I bought so she went right out and bought him it again! Never get a thank you either. Maybe I'm a miserable old b****r but a thank you would be nice. I've tried asking her what they want but get a huge long list via the internet, and don't like it so money it is now.

I feel that whatever I buy them it is not appreciated as they have everything under the sun!

itsmylife_2

liz.. wrote:

I feel that whatever I buy them it is not appreciated as they have everything under the sun!

We get the same, never a word of thanks, really annoys me, so each christmas/birthday we are reducing how much is spent until eventually it will stop. I was finding that we were spending huge amounts (as they have 2 kids, we've only just had a baby) on the whole family and we were getting nothing like it in return... I'd rather just buy for immediate family, DH and DS, and then I would be able to spend a decent amount to get DH something nice instead of having to agree to spend a minimal amount on each other because we have spent so much on the rest of them.

Zziggi

A few members of my family are in for a shock this year. Whilst i don't celebrate christmas myself, I have made christmas cakes for a few relatives ever year for the last few years since I took some sugarcraft courses. They're pretty fancy cakes and take a fair number of hours to decorate. Last year 3 relatives didn't even say thank you. Not even once!!!! I was absolutely appaulled. The very least you should do is say thank you (even if you don't mean it). But to not even say a false "thank you" is unforgivable in my mind. I didn't make a fuss and didn't say anything at the time nor have i said anything all year. 2 other relatives are just getting a bit too expectant. Whilst i have made them a cake every year - they shouldn't expect it. I don't HAVE to make them one. They ring me up on about the 20th december asking me when i am going to bring "it" round. They don't ask IF i have made them a cake they just expect it and ask me to take it round to them at a particular time that suits them - not me. They don't collect it. This year i am cutting back. The 3 "non-thank you"s aren't getting one made and the 2 "expectants" probably wont get one unless i find i have time in early december. Even if they do get a cake, this year i shall tell THEM when they can collect it from me. If they don't, they don't get a cake.

When it gets to dec 24th no doubt i'll get phone calls from the 3 "non-thank yous" asking where their cakes are. Then they are in for a shock. Serves them right, I'll be telling them firmly but politely why i have not made a cake. I mean i even would have accepted a "thank you" in late january once they had eaten the cake, but i didn't get anything thanks at all. it has really got on my wick this behaviour.
grrrr...

liz.._4

well done for sticking up for yersen Ziggi, it get on my pip when people are so ungrateful. I don't bother buying for BIL and SIL now but can't find it in me not to buy the kids anything. I wish I could find something that doesn't cost much and they would really like (and not know how much I spent!)

IvanOpinion

Zziggi wrote:

Last year 3 relatives didn't even say thank you. Not even once!!!! I was absolutely appaulled. The very least you should do is say thank you (even if you don't mean it). But to not even say a false "thank you" is unforgivable in my mind.

That is disgraceful and you are defnitely being taken for granted. Having said that I have noted that sometimes our nephews/nieces do not say thank you (even if prompted by their parents). What happened to good manners ... as a kid I had to sit down and write thank you notes to everybody (hated it but I did it)

ivan

Philippa36

I am currently making my 17 yr old DS write thank you letters for his birthday gifts. I buy small notelets and he writes a few words to each of his relatives to say thank you. It doesn't take long and makes all the difference imo.

I would agree with the vouchers idea but it is annoying that you can find presents quite cheaply but can't get a bargain gift voucher! My 2 get money now but thats mainly because they are teenagers and change their minds from hour to hour.........

lin473

What about considering giving a gift of your time and attention for Christmas?
My sister is the career woman ,working full time and studying in her 'spare' time.
My nephew has everything he could wish for .
I am not so financially blessed as they are,but I have more time.
One year I took him to London to see an exhibition and when he was quite small I bought him some of those children's cake / bread / cookie mixes,along with a note inviting him to my house and we spent a morning together baking , which his Mum rarely has time to do.
These things are what memories are made of for children - priceless stuff!