Not buying presents for adults

moneysavingmumofone

whitesatin wrote: »

We have been doing secret santa for a good few years now but now I am bored of it. We spend £50 on one present for the person we get out of the name hat.

The trouble is that I love buying presents, hunting bargains etc. and always see things that I would like to buy for people. I have suggested that we do something different this year, e.g. all go out for a meal or something, but that is not really what I want to do. I want to come home laden with parcels and wrap them all up.

I think I live in a fantasy world. LOL.

I am the same WhiteSatin. I am not a material person at alll and couldnt care less if I got nothing in return but I love to buy for people, find something they'll love etc.
OP I actually had this problem last year, BIL said he wasnt buying for adults and he didnt want anything either so we didnt get him anything. (previous year he said the same and Id already bought him a small gift from DS so still gave him that and they left all cards/gifts behind unwrapped/unopened!) and he got me and SIL a huge box of Thorntons each! I think Ill have a small gift on standby just in case this year lol!

juliebunny

I only buy for one friend now - she adores Christmas shopping too much to deprive her of this - but we have both cut back.
For my other 2 close friends, as others have said, it was getting silly. We set a budget for birthdays and Christmas of £15 and each time we would just all exchange gift vouchers of that amount - net effect was pretty pointless. Last Christmas I suggested a present amnesty and that we all go out for a nice meal instead and same again this year.

Just got to work on birthdays now, especially since for one of the 2 friends birthday just gone, the other girl decided that 'inflation' meant it should now be £20 so I looked tight sticking to the £15. AND she didn't know what voucher to get her so just gave her cash! So now we are all going to give each other £20 cash?? Bit pointless....I'll try and change that one next year and we are only part way through the birthday season and would be unfair to change yet....:D

BlueFox

I'm speechless. Christmas isn't about how much money you spend, it should be about spending time with people you care about.

BUT....is is nice to receive a gift whatever your age. It doesn't matter if it costs £1 or £100, it's the thought that counts. AND it shows you care - not everyone is good at showing their feelings so giving & receiving a gift at christmas is a very good way of doing just that.

We always set a budget and spend the same on everyone so we know exactly what we will be spending.

If someone was totally broke we wouldn't expect them to make it worse by buying unnecessary gifts & would understand completely but I think most sensible adults would feel the same.

Merry Christmas to one & all...:santa2:

HairyHandofDartmoor

DH and I have told all the family this year that we won't be buying any presents and not to buy any for us. We've wanted to do this for years but been worried about offending people. But this year we were prompted by desperation due to our financial situation getting even worse

We've had one reply so far which was that they thought we were doing the right thing. I don't feel guilty at all now I've announced it. Christmas is about spending time with people you love, not spending money on presents you can't afford.

Don't worry if family buy you presents anyway. That's their choice! You are doing the best thing for your situation.