But I don't want a Sherbet Dab.......

Ames

Any wrote: »

Eh?
You can just say 'oh I love surprises!'
I have friends that prefer that, and friends that don't.
It doesn't have to be all either or!!

It does in my family. If I don't give a list I don't get a present.

And if I buy something for someone that's not on their list, I get earache.

Any

Ames wrote: »

It does in my family. If I don't give a list I don't get a present.

And if I buy something for someone that's not on their list, I get earache.

Now that is just nasty.
I would give them an earache myself I think.
That completely misses the whole spirit of christmas. That is just sign of not bothering at all.

Ames

I agree. I bought dad's present a couple of months ago - the new book by an author we both like (he lent me her first book), which I got signed by the author with a 'Merry Christmas' dedication for him. When I told him I'd got his present he said 'but you don't know what I want'.

Sister's even worse, if I get her something she hasn't specifically asked for she gets annoyed, and she wont get me anything that I haven't asked for. Although a lot of the time she just doesn't get me anything anyway!

The best one was last year, the first since mum had died, and I said that instead of giving presents I wanted to make a donation to the hospice. 'But with mum dead I'm already getting less presents'.

It may surprise you to know that I don't really see the point of Christmas and don't celebrate it really other than enjoying a month off uni...

spinning_hamster_wheel

HAHA funny as!!!!

Just re-gift the sherbert dabs, then you can give someone the same "!!!!!!, where is my bleeping scented candle!" moment that you have been given. ***






*** NB I once had similar experience, the object of my gifting affection was indeed a scented candle

Sambucus_Nigra

I'm SO glad the adults in our family decided to stop buying pressies. We just exchange stuff we've made or grown [all year round] and buy presents for the kids. And of course, the important thing is that we get together and share a good nosh up. Our festive day itself is spent at the allotment and eating Mexican food.

podperson

I have to admit I would rather people asked me what I'd like. While I do appreciate that it's the thought that counts - and I would never be rude about any pressie I received - I end up feeling bad if someone has spent their hard-earned money on something for me that I know I'm never going to use/don't really like
I'm on a really tight budget and very rarely buy anything for myself - so it's not like there's not usually a long list of things I'd like

tyllwyd

The problem I've had in the past with Christmas lists is that sometimes the kids have asked for a particular thing for Christmas, say a DVD, and so when relatives have phoned and asked for ideas I've suggested that DVD and avoided buying it myself - but then when the presents are opened, I find out that the relatives haven't bought what I suggested and the kids are disappointed. I try to keep it very general and very easy now when people ask for ideas - 'nail varnish' or 'something art-and-crafty'.

aliasojo

podperson wrote: »

I'm on a really tight budget and very rarely buy anything for myself - so it's not like there's not usually a long list of things I'd like

This is exactly the situation with me also.

There is never any spare cash for me so my needs go largely unmet.

I would dearly love practical things for Xmas (like slippers for example) as it's the only way I would get them tbh.

It's all very well people feeling gifts should be of the giver's choosing and if you don't like it, tough...but I wonder if their practical wants are already taken care of, so they are more amenable to *whatever* type surprises.

Maybe I'm just too old and jaded now for the 'magic' (term used loosely, lol) of Xmas, all I can see is waste. Wasted money on unwanted gifts and wasted opportunities to give a gift that would really count.

Birdie85

I hate getting tat for Christmas, I live in a smallish flat with limited storage space and seem to spend all year sorting through and binning/donating/ebaying rubbish that I get for Christmas (and my Birthday TBH). I also hate getting sweets as I really don't *need* to eat 4 selection boxes, does the figure no good!

My SIL is terrible for it; she's definitely of the belief that it's quantity over quality and I'm trying to think of a nice way of saying 'Don't waste your money on cheap gloves that I won't wear, nasty cheap chocolate in the shape of Disney characters that I won't eat and 'fun' pens that I won't use!' It's not that I get upset about receiving bad gifts per se, it's the fact that the buyer has wasted their-hard earned money on something that's just going to end up in the bin. It feels so wrong. Which explains why I'm still holding onto rubbish from last Christmas as I feel so guilty about throwing things away! We even put a smallish budget on gifts a couple of years ago so we'd stick to buying one or two nice things for each other and cut out the rubbish... she still spends 80% of the budget on fillers!

I've also had to spell out to my OH that I *really* don't want any Soap and Glory smellies this year. For the last 2 Christmasses and birthdays that's all I've had off him and I could open a shop with the amount of stuff I have!

I'm glad my SIL is pregnant now (and I hope to have my own on the way by next Christmas) so we can finally say 'Let's just buy for the babies'!

Raksha

I ask all the family for present lists, they don't always get everything on the list, but mainly they get stuff 'onlist' and a few little bits and bobs I think they'd like.
However, my OH persists in going 'off list' - last year it was a camera, which was very nice, but hasn't been used I feel very ungrateful, and warn him each year not to go 'off list' but he always does it This year he's talking about not getting anything for Christmas and buying his and hers tablets after the holidays (possibly MSE, but not 'Christmas morning')