What was your biggest Xmas waste of money?

cavework

Bought my 80 plus year old parents a microwave .. never plugged in and they kept their biscuits in it ..
.. bought OH an experience day last Xmas (reduced) that ran out in June 2014 that he 'forgot ' to register...
socks this year!

Urmston_Linda

Get real Christmas trees from IKEA. Effectively £5 and always really good trees.

In_Debt_Bet

Catcherupper14 wrote: »

My biggest waste of money has been buying the Christmas chocolates early and then eating them before Christmas and having to buy more - I don't buy them until the last shop now.

Same here only in our case it's mince pies and family sized bags of crisps that keep disappearing, maybe I'll try stashing them in the loft next year, at least they'll be harder to reach :D

mandragora_2

Urmston_Linda wrote: »

Get real Christmas trees from IKEA. Effectively £5 and always really good trees.

Sadly, it'd cost me £30 and half a day's driving to get to the nearest store and park!

Abbafan1972

I bought my Mom and Dad a pure DAB radio for the kitchen a couple of years ago. It is in the kitchen, but I don't think it's ever used. My Mom doesn't even know how to re-tune it.

DianneB

Worst thing I ever bought was a 'Speak and Spell' for my son when he was about 6 so 20 years ago, went down like a lead balloon. Last week I put out the leftover tin of jacobs crackers for the birds, they didn't fancy them either so this year it will be just one packet.

springdreams

Physicsfiend wrote: »

Hotsparkle bought his MIL a whisk!!

I'm afraid I really hate getting presents that are obviously for the house - no matter how nice they are! I'm not a house I'm a person!!!

My husband bought a vase for our first Christmas together - he's had to buy flowers to go in it every week since!!
Now I'm afraid I say "How lovely, the house will love these!"
I even got a toilet brush one year - you can image how that went down - 1998 is forever known as the year of the toilet brush!

Now here I am the opposite. I like getting "house" presents.

I have loads of perfume, bath stuff, clothes, jewellery etc. and have no need of more.

However, there are some "house" type things that I would like that I feel are a bit out of my budget but I would be happy to receive as a gift. Two years ago I asked for and was given a Rotaire Dryline cover. Last year I was given money towards getting a new shower installed.

I think the test is not really whether a present is personal or for the house, but rather would the person who it is for appreciate and use what they are given.

I have no use for a pink fluffy dressing gown, but a new lawnmower would go down a treat

yellowlally

My husband wastes money every year on my presents. The presents I get from him depend on where he ends up on Christmas Eve. Last year it was Staples. So I got a stapler. I have never used it. I wonder what to expect this year? Hopefully the local garage wont be his last port of call before the festivities start.....

The_mangler

springdreams wrote: »

Now here I am the opposite. I like getting "house" presents.

I have loads of perfume, bath stuff, clothes, jewellery etc. and have no need of more.

However, there are some "house" type things that I would like that I feel are a bit out of my budget but I would be happy to receive as a gift. Two years ago I asked for and was given a Rotaire Dryline cover. Last year I was given money towards getting a new shower installed.

I think the test is not really whether a present is personal or for the house, but rather would the person who it is for appreciate and use what they are given.

I have no use for a pink fluffy dressing gown, but a new lawnmower would go down a treat

Totally agree, a few years ago my husband bought me a new garden fork - the people he was with at the time were laughing and warning him he would be wearing it but he knows me well enough. I was delighted with it!!!

LairyMary

Posting Christmas cards to family you are obliged to send Christmas cards even though you dont really want to... I know it's tradition and a nice thought and all, but the cost of stamps is really rather expensive these days