Stop giving and receiving gifts

Hermia

I announced a few years back that I would no longer be giving/receiving birthday/Christmas presents (except for things such as milestone birthdays). None of my friends/family are rich and it seemed so daft for us all to be buying crap for each other. Apart from a couple of people it has been fine and many have joined in. We much prefer to spend any spare cash on having a meal together.

Hermia

P.S. I would not recommend asking to do this. I would simply state that you are doing this and briefly give your reasons why. I would absolutely focus on the practical reasons rather than make it emotional.

Doodles

I actually did this Christmas just gone.

So for 5 friends, and my boss I had a conversation that went along the lines of "I wanted to run something past you. I would like to stop exchanging gifts at Christmas and just send lovely cards instead. I am getting less fussed about Christmas as the years go on if I am honest and equally don't want you having to fork out for me either. I hope you won't be offended if we changed this?"

Obviously I just did Christmas, not birthdays but I thought I'd share what I said to everyone.

All my friends were more than ok about it, in fact all but one expressed relief.

I would have done it anyway, regardless of what my friends said but I think there is a gentle way of handling it when it comes to good friends, so I went along the 'would you mind' route :-)

Mojisola

Doodles wrote: »

I would have done it anyway, regardless of what my friends said but I think there is a gentle way of handling it when it comes to good friends, so I went along the 'would you mind' route :-)

What would you have done if one or two did mind and wanted to continue giving presents?

Doodles

Mojisola wrote: »

What would you have done if one or two did mind and wanted to continue giving presents?

That's a good question, and of course there was part of me that thought what on earth if one of them got upset, which would not have been my intention. I think that probably I would have given a box of chocs and then revisited it again the next year.

Kim_kim

hazyjo wrote: »

As for birthdays, we just take each other out for dinner instead of presents. It helps us keep in touch and see each other. .

Now that’s a great idea :-)

Bellisima

The cousin I grew up with moved away. She then suggested we stopped buying gifts for each other and the children at Christmas and birthdays. I was relieved! Phew!

Last Christmas we stopped giving Christmas gifts for my husbands 6 grandchildren (they are all adults) and 16 Great Grandchildren. It was costing a fortune and so stressful. We rarely got gifts in return. Best thing we ever did!

onwards&upwards

Bellisima wrote: »

Best thing we ever did!

I hope that’s not true!:cool:

TripleH

We buy gifts for my siblings' children, but as my wife's siblings don't have any, we buy gifts for a very select few friends' children. To be honest, we only buy gifts for family for special birthdays and not the rest of the time.

For one set of friends, we would go out to a 'place of interest' that everyone would enjoy rather than spend money on a gift that could have 5 minutes use before being discarded.

Either that or cardboard boxes? Everyone loves a cardboard box right?

combeferret

My method of gift giving has always pretty much meant taking someone out to a restaurant. As someone says above, it means you can spend quality time with them as well which is honestly the best gift to share between people tbh