Great 'Biggest Christmas waste of money?' Hunt

jintyb

I reckon the biggest waste of money at Christmas are:

Any carp "novelty" gifts, ie remote controlled helicopters,any plastic stuff that is vaguely humorous for 5 seconds.
Gift sets of toiletries - I have psoriasis and cant use any of that stuff, yet the rellies will insist on buying me it. On Christmas morning I have a charity bag ready for all of that stuff I cant use!
Wrapping paper, although short of not buying any presents, I've not found a way out of. I just buy cheap and cheerful.
Packs of frozen "party food" sold by SMs AND !CELAND, they look and taste ghastly and end up being eaten @ March. You buy them because you think you will be inundated by unexpected guests - it doesnt happen in reality and if people choose to turn up out of the blue,then they can have what I have in, ( if anything:rotfl:)

On the other hand, I do llove to receive book tokens and gift vouchers, nice chocs and biscuits and no matter how often I drop the hint, I never get them!

tessie_bear

i love christmas but get annoyed when i buy a gift and then see it reduced...a lot of the time it isnt even after christmas:mad:

VIPSaver

In general, I also think the small cheap gifts that are bought out of a sense of necessity are a complete waste of money. My sister often does this. She lives in Australia and in with almost every gift she posts to the family in the UK is a magnet or bookmark or cheap jewellry. OK, they're cheap to buy and post, but if you add up the amount she's sent over the years they it's probably a fair bit! I've tried to tell her subtly by mentioning that as my fridge is concealed I don't have anywhere to stick the many magnets she sends but they still keep on coming! Crazy!

And specifically, the gift of "nothing" has wound me up. I don't know if any of you have seen it [sorry, but as this is my first post I am not allowed to post links ] but many of the online "gift" retailers are literally selling nothing. It is just an empty package, described on one website, thus:

"Gift of Nothing

• The Gift of Nothing is a fantastic ball of nothingness, en-captured in it's own presentation pack
• The pack measures approx 17.5 cm x 9 cm x 8 cm
• You get a whopping 8 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm of nothing in each pack!
• Great novelty gifts for ages 16 to 160

Congratulations! You are currently looking at Nothing. This is the ultimate in minimalism, 'Less is more!' as they always say. Open the pack with eagerly awaiting hands and bask in the glory that is...Nothing."

Someone out there is making a lot of money, for nothing. Literally!

TBagpuss

I think the biggest wastes are 'special gift packs' and massive displays of christmas lights, although 'secret santa' at work is also a waste - I was glad when I moved offices and found my current office doesn't do it. Even if the gift pack is of something nice, there is usually a lot of packaging and at least one item that never gets used.

I do like Christmas though - in our family, we've never been really OTT about gifts. Christmas decorations are stored and reused every year - my parents have some tree decoration which used to belong to each of my sets of grandparenst, and others which we had when I was growing up. We did admit defeat 5 years ago and bought some new lights for the tree, but as the old ones were over 30 years old I don't think that can really be called wasteful!

I bought a tree 7 years ago when I bought my house and have used it every year since - I haven't bought any new decorations this year and don't expect to.

I like finding gifts which I know will be appreciated by the recipient - other than immediate family I don't spend a huge amount - rarely more than £10 per person, but it will be on something I've thought about and which I know the person will like.

Moneygonewhere?

zeke wrote: »

Must admit I do rely on the tedious smellies sets and socks/ pants received at Xmas (when blokes get to a certain age they never get anything remotely exciting) as I refuse to buy them the rest of the year. Should just about eke out the last of the last of the shower gel this time round but have had to cut down to once a week since early November to get there.

I hate body lotion and shower gel and still have some from Christmases past. But socks are good. Most people wear them. But as for toiletries, I'd rather have nothing.

qwiksave

I'm another christmas lover (unlike most people on this thread! ) but I am also a crafter that loves to make what I can for gifts and also find appropriate good quality bargains in thrift/charity shops throughout the year.

Only this morning I got some new but unused Paperchase crackers with racing wind-up penguins from the Sally Army shop for £3. My kids will love these!

This year my children have made presents for their grandparents using their own artistic creativity and virtually no cost. It's personal and will be appreciated much more than anything they could pick off a shelf.

One thing I really don't like is seeing is some of the awful tacky stuff that you find in fly-by-night 'bargain' shops and markets. Cheap gift sets and plastic toys that will more than likely break in seconds. Far better than buying this kind of stuff is to use the bargain shopping sections of mse throughout the year and get something of decent quality.

jakes-mum

Moneygonewhere? wrote: »

I hate body lotion and shower gel and still have some from Christmases past. But socks are good. Most people wear them. But as for toiletries, I'd rather have nothing.

Ooo yes! id love some socks for christmas!! I never buy any, ususally end up wearing dh's ones as mine have been worn till there is just a great big hole underneath. Might have to drop some hints to the MIL every year she buys DH socks and pants (he now has 2 separate drawers for them he has so many pairs!) Thank you for that

and im honestly not a christmas hater (actually love christmas as i have 2 young kids) just HATE gifts bought because the buyers feels they must which is usually a bath gift set I have foundm (hence my hatred of them )

hart44

zeke wrote: »

All of it. The whole bl**dy lot. The true spirit of Christmas is well and truly dead. Kids expectations get more and more demanding each year. You spend every waking moment and every spare penny in the run up to Xmas trying to get it right and make sure you haven't got one more than the other and come Xmas morning its 15 minutes of gratitudeless frenzy and sulking because its not right. As for buying for the missus/ mother, guaranteed to be wrong and yet more hours of stress trying to make sure it isn't (and failing miserably every time).

Christmas dinner- hours of unsupported slavery, so much waste, at least the dog has a nice day.

Cards- gave up as a bad job years ago, don't send any, don't open any received- straight in the recycle bin.

Trees and deccies- why on earth do these need to be renewed every couple of years to match the latest interior decor fad?? If it was up to me (and again this is a major cause of argument) they'd go up Xmas Eve and down Boxing Day (well, it's something to do as there's never anything half decent on telly) if at all.

Everything overpriced, repeated shopping trips just in case- never managed to figure out just why we need chilli pickled whelks each year. Cupboards are already groaning at the seams.

Running around visiting every arm of the extended families, trying to please everyone and failing spectacularly on all counts.

Why oh why oh why do I bother every year?

All in all, not my favourite time of year, as you may have guessed. If it was up to me (and sadly it isn't) I'd rather spend the money on a nice holiday and come back with a tan when its all over.

Well said

I would love to spend my hard earned money on a holiday everytime. Im the only one in my family that hates what christmas is about now.
It's only for the retailers and the pretty pic's in the mag's are fantasy, no REAL family would have the perfect table, dec's etc (unless you are a multi-millionaire).

Kelly1981

Although I love christmas and try to ensure I only buy gifts that people would like and never end up paying in January as well as ensuring I'm not eating leftover christmas food in february I cannot understand people who are battling around the supermarket with two trolleys in tow stocking up because the store is shut for 1 whole day then they're back in on Boxing Day stocking up because the sales are on - why.
I'm glad my workplace don't do Secret Santa and I never feel obliged to buy gifts for people I barely know, I too love socks because they are very useful and better than a bath set when I always have a shower, what are those pickled veg jars for anyway?

For me christmas is about enjoying the day with people you enjoy being with not a competition of how overdrawn you can go.

RobertC_2

What is Christian about Christmas? Scrooge; no, I try to be very generous. Check out Xmas customs and I guarantee you will decide that Jesus would not 'do' it if he was here today. Love your kids every day of the year. Give them and your friends 'surprise' presents at any time, not when the Commercial world tells yo to. That is where happiness resides.