Presents you won't use.

Yes,I got random stuff that I have no idea why you would look at a light up rotating ball and think yes ....would like that????? I honestly would rather theydid nit waste their money! I also got 2 lovely plain paper leather notebooks and bookmarks? Why..I'm not a writer and I generally read on my Kindle. Pointless,we're not children if I need anything I'll buy it myself...Ive tried to broach subject to 3 close friends, of not giving gifts,and just going out for a nice lunch instead but they're having none of it....It stresses me out what to buy them every year!

My DS always receives shower gel, body sprays, soap etc. He thinks there may be a hint thereby…
He hands them over to me and I’m pleased as I don’t care if it’s designed for a man or woman.

Boadicea I have three marzipan logs from Lidl as the DC know I love them!

Large desk top diary, I only use a small one in my handbag.

My late mother kept unwanted presents and then used them as presents. More than once, she was in the embarrassing position of giving a present to the person she actually had received it from!

This taught me NEVER to use unwanted presents as gifts.

Often they can be changed if you know where they were bought. If not, charity shops are an option, unless the gift is obviously home-made and the giver lives nearby.

I have often asked good friends or family if they would like something I had received which I either could not use, being allergic to perfumes etc. or knew I would not use.

If all else fails, there is always the bin!

...But I keep telling my partner how much I love the marzipan logs from Aldi and Lidl, but I've never received one!

My partner and I have a pact that we only buy things for each other from charity shops (apart from edibles), which also extends to my 92 year old mother - she also doesn't want lots of "stuff" at her age (she's STILL trying to clear out Dad's stuff from when he died 18 years ago!) and doesn't then have to feel guilty if she doesn't want things as she knows we will put it back into another charity shop for her.

My son and his partner and the grandchildren live a long way off and as I don't see them so often I'm never sure what to get them so I ask for a wish list and they get brand new.

Definitely a better Christmas... Pressies only for children pact.
I was flattered though as I was given a couple so they must see me as a child!!! (Spectacles for them next year)

Aveline

My late MiL was very dear to us and we put a lot of thought into the gifts we gave her. Sadly, after she'd died and we were clearing her house we found most of them in a cupboard. Wed obviously not chosen as well as we'd thought.

My mum was the same but I think mostly it was because she always 'kept things for best' jumpers and cardigans etc while she wore old, worn things unless she was going out somewhere. Very sad really as they all went to the charity shop.

Oreo

Aveline My Nan was the same, we found so many unopened and unused gifts in cupboards but we think she was saving them for best as she had such a poor upbringing.It was sad to see that she hadn’t felt able to use them up.

My late mother in law was the same… back in the 1970s/80s she wrote us letters o any old scrap of stray paper she could find. I gave her a lovely 2 layer boxed set of stationary with paper and envelopes for her birthday.
It was still in its clear cellophane, unopened in a cupboard when she died. With other things …and hidden money … when she died… all “kept for best”!

I have 3 nearly-teens to buy for, and was pleased to read this everyday-reading.com/non-toy-gifts-for-kids/ and even some ideas from here
everyday-reading.com/gifts-for-husband/

because I am pretty hopeless at choosing.
Now I need a page for a daughter who does not wear anything perfumed, hates flowers, is on a diet, and as a busy working mum does not have time for adventures

We do a wish list and I know my adult children discuss us …. we also receive what they choose to buy us ( sometimes nothing on list is bought ) always some happy they think of us .. this year my grandsons 7&9 wanted to buy me a hotwater bottle …. Very random as I’m ’always Hot ‘ but I love it as they choose it … it’ll never get used but so much love in it ….. I never regift always eat /wear whatever as it was chosen for me. Hotwater bottle will live in my bedroom for ever now 😘

A calendar of a dreary Scottish town!

Dylis

DH and I have been given knitted beanies with powerful lights in the centre. We looked like a pair of Daleks when we tried them on!

🤣🤣
I bought DH one a couple of years ago for winter evening walks with the dog.
He also thought Dalek! Now I wear it instead.

JamesandJon33

A relative keeps sending my aunt, who lives in a care home , hampers. My aunt and me have told her repeatedly that hampers get taken into the kitchen and all residents benefit from them. My aunt would like a Christmas present just for her.

Disgraceful! That is stealing!

My friends group (8 of us) do Secret Santa, limit this year £15, as we've all known each other for many years, it isn't generally difficult to buy a present. This year I received coffee flavoured chocolates and a Chocolate Therapy set containing a variety of flavoured syrups and sugars to go in my coffee's - very much appreciated and will be savoured. Other than that I receive and give only to daughters and their children - we usually exchange ideas of what we would like, I couldn't really think of anything and told daughters to just buy me some chocolate. Christmas day I received an Air fryer from them all and couldn't have been happier as I've been going to replace my old one for a couple of months because the handle had snapped off. I don't mind receiving household gifts if it's something I need. Daughters and family members all received something from their wish list.

M0nica

ViceVersa

BlueBelle

How come Viseversa I don’t have a big family either but I don’t want to buy my daughter a bottle of perfume if her daughter and son are already buying it 🤣 likewise I don’t want to buy my adult grandaughter a coupon for the gym if she’s already signed up for a year Still needs a bit of asking surely
How do you know what the two grandkids want or are into or already have, unless of course they live with you ?

We usually just give the two couples a voucher for a meal or something similar. One grandchild is just a baby - this was her first Christmas - and our GS is always very keen to tell us about everything he's into, so we know what he likes and doesn't like.

I assume your grandchildren are not teenagers and in the computer games and dungeon and dragon. I know what my grandchildren are interested in, but I do not understand the arcane of computer games and dungeons and dragons, clothes are vey specific, and the slightest deviation from what they want can make a garment unweqarable. Likewise with books. I know whatthey are interested in, but their book choices are really specific. The same withtoiletries and clothing for a teenaage girl.

Well, considering that I did say one is just a baby, it's pretty obvious that she's not a teenager. Why do some people assume that because they do things a certain way, that everyone wants to do the same. We do what suits us and our family - I guess others do that too. It's be a very boring world if we were all the same.

As a family we have a ‘secret Santa’ arrangement which involves buying for only one person. We each make a list of things we would like and we each spend about £30. Each list contains an assortment so no one knows exactly what they will receive, except that they will receive things they actually would like. Children are given cash so they can have fun spending it. We all open them together after lunch on Christmas Day.

Foot cream?

Dylis, I love the darlek hats, imagine they'd be very handy if, like us, you have a dog to clear up after during the late night walk 😂 and they have much more potential for fun uses than the bleeping duster I was given for Christmas by a sil.....🙄

Flippin2

My DIL does an unwanted pile which I think is awful, people have bought those presents for her and the grandkids,why not put a Xmas list out to receive things you would like,have to say my other DIL usually,as her birthday is beginning January,receives a gift from aforementioned unwanted pile which we find amusing

I have an ongoing list for people to choose from but no one takes any notice of it. I get what I get... and try to use them...

To be honest I’m happy with all of my presents this year. But I’ve had some strange things in the past.

I was going to add I had some hand-made jewellery given. A close family member had clearly devoted a lot of time to making this unique item just for me. It is completely hideous but I will wear it to any event she attends to show my appreciation for her efforts.

Some posters on here sound very ungrateful to me. I would never dismiss a gift even the most tacky one, because it shows that someone thinks enough of me to spend time and money on me.
I had some lovely gifts, especially hand-made soaps which I love, and hand cream I get through tons of it, so that always gets used. I wouldn't throw any of it away, or even take things to charity shops.

ViceVersa

BlueBelle

How come Viseversa I don’t have a big family either but I don’t want to buy my daughter a bottle of perfume if her daughter and son are already buying it 🤣 likewise I don’t want to buy my adult grandaughter a coupon for the gym if she’s already signed up for a year Still needs a bit of asking surely
How do you know what the two grandkids want or are into or already have, unless of course they live with you ?

We usually just give the two couples a voucher for a meal or something similar. One grandchild is just a baby - this was her first Christmas - and our GS is always very keen to tell us about everything he's into, so we know what he likes and doesn't like.

I assume your grandchildren are not teenagers and in the computer games and dungeon and dragon. I know what my grandchildren are interested in, but I do not understand the arcane of computer games and dungeons and dragons, clothes are vey specific, and the slightest deviation from what they want can make a garment unweqarable. Likewise with books. I know whatthey are interested in, but their book choices are really specific. The same withtoiletries and clothing for a teenaage girl.

BlueBelle

You should have just swapped them over when you visited. He probably wouldn't even realise.

That's what I've done with my Dad for the past decade after I started to became irritated at his once lovely Cotton-Traders lovely polo shirts being plastered with tea stains. He laundered them regularly but seemed oblivious to the stains!
.