Disappointing Christmas Presents.

My DH always bought me the loveliest gifts jewellery or perfume or cosy dressing gown so I was surprised and amused one year when I received 2 huge wooden garden tubs.
I tried not to look a bit shocked as he was the gardener in the family.
My gift actually arrived later when the tubs were filled with the most beautiful display of flowers.

I meant when I married my husband

When I my husband in 1996 my first Christmas present from my MiL was her 1950s Hoover. She proudly told me it still worked but she wanted a new one!

A few years ago I got the Celtic Sheepskin house boots I coveted, by printing out the page and leaving it on dh’s desk, with both style and size clearly circled.

Plus I said, ‘In case you’d like to know what to get me for Christmas, I’ve left something on your desk.’

Subtle hints never did work with dh. And at least it saved him racking his brains.

We only buy for under 18s for about 5 years now. It's been the best thing we've ever done. I do buy silly little things for my 2 AC who live with me but often from the charity shop i work in!

My first Christmas as a married lady, my grandmother bought me a mop & bucket!!

In our family we all send links to each other for things we'd like. I always say I'm not getting anything they don't ask for and I don't want anything I don't ask for. They also all get a voucher for a favourite shop so they can get themselves something. Needless to say we always get a few unwanted things and I expect others get a few things from us. I always get what I wanted and am so grateful I have a family who want to buy me things and I always have an offering for a raffle prize or sales table.

I really wanted a robot hoover but my DH refuses to get me anything for Christmas/Birthday which is housework related. I am grateful but I really really wanted one.

We don't really give presents. I got a box of chocolates and a book. The boys have given us wonderful grandchildren and they all came for Christmas and we enjoyed each other's company.

One of the most disappointing was a DIY car alarm kit?, followed by an even more disappointing Boxing day when my husband spent the majority of the day fitting it in the car.?.

I do not really like the pressure of adult gift exchanging rituals. I much prefer giving gifts when a reciprocal gift is not required such as weddings or giving gifts to young children but even the latter is hard when their parents don't let you know what they really want.....

I asked for one thing this year (I never usually ask) and I didn't get it.
I am a bit disappointed, really.

A cover for my car and an electric knife

Just to say there is a website called Elfster where you can put links to the presents you'd like. People then mark them as 'purchased' when they buy them. Other people can see they've been purchased but not you. Parents can also put children on there. If you can get your family to use this site then you can all see what everybody wants which is brilliant.
www.elfster.com/home/

Having put a lot of time and thought into my Secret Santa present I was disappointed with my gift. A bottle of port. It just made me think what does this person think about me or if they were just passing something on to me they didn't want. It was regifted to my taxi driver on the way home from work.

Most years one of my stepDs either 'forgets' /misses post/or gets 'wrong one' of a requested item....this year bingo! Voucher? No.....said he'd had it delivered to himself by mistake, still not turned up new year's eve so DH texted"where IS it?" Answer? Some garbled crap about he thought we'd have visited him by now so it's def in post, I'm sorry but liar liar pants on fire! There's no animosity in fam. At ALL but I get the distinct feeling he somehow doesn't want ot gift me or he wants me to beg for it!? Little Pratt. Next year he can whistle for his poxy present! And he's the serving cop! Bad organisation skills? Nope. No excuse.

I like to get things I know people want especially for my DD she has RD so being a working mum of 2 teens with a DH who works shifts she always puts her needs last. She has been struggling with shampoo and shower gel bottles all year has large sizes for family .
Talked about shampoo bars and soaps just for her new she would never get round to it so I did it for her, cost £12 look on her face priceless

I wanted a red silk shirt one year but got a bicycle! It was a better buy in the end as I used it lots but I never got a red shirt. My beef is why ask me and then disregard it.

Son No1 handed me a huge box, and I asked him if Pierce Brosnan was inside ? ...... sadly not, however, it was a beautiful floral Radley suitcase ready to fly down to Son No2 who’s just moved to Jersey .... am spending the New Year here so it’s just perfect.... and maybe I’ll get Pierce for my birthday ?

This year we told friends that we were no longer going to send/exchange presents at Christmas. I wish I had done it years ago. Family is easy as we just send money. It’s time we all stopped buying stuff because we are pressured into doing so.

HiPpyChick57

I’m usually of the opinion that kitchen gadgets are not good gifts but after buying myself a small air fryer a few years ago was hankering after a much larger double sided one which I can’t afford. So I was over the moon when my DD bought the Ninja one for me for Christmas. I use it most days and it’s one of the best presents I’ve ever had.

I love my Ninja too! It was a present to myself...

I keep a box labeled gifts. Put in the unwanted ones and then they go for raffles or the charity shop.

I remember writing a list for my husband which included paving slabs and a drill. For my birthday he turned up with expensive lingerie which he thought was a far more suitable present for a female. I think he might have found his re-education a little painful but not half as much as finding that his gift was a waste of money because I was allergic to the elastic used and you can't take lingerie back.
My request for brown jeans became burnt orange as he appears to have difficulty with colours. My request for a back pack style handbag became a tiny leather cross body bag. We've come to an understanding now and I write an Amazon list with links!

Cs783

I favour the Martin Lewis (money saving expert) call to ban unnecessary Christmas presents. In our family, we buy for children but are dropping buying for adults. Adult children / grandchild get treated by us as and when we want, and hopefully fairly, but not to schedule.

Yes, I agree with this. I tend to give my children useful presents or money for what they need, at the time when they need it.. This year my daughter in law asked for saucepans and my son asked me to make some curtains for him. My daughter had some lovely gold ankle boots, not something you would see as a necessity unless you actually knew her! My other daughter had a new bed earlier in the year and my other son had cash towards his bills.
DH and I don't give each other presents now, unless I see a book that I know he'd love. But he did give me a car this year so that I can continue to drive in the ULEZ, I think that will be enough to cover Christmas and birthdays until I pop my clogs.

A food processor that I hadn't asked for from my ex. He broke it 2 weeks later by trying to force some thick sliced gammon through it and it burnt the motor out ! Never got a replacement.
From when I was about 13 I desperately wanted a bike like my friends Raleigh 14. I got my brother's bike with the crossbar removed!
One of my cousins was given a large toy dog that our aunt had made for her - he was dressed in West Ham colours that she had followed me in supporting . I would have loved one the same, but I got a pink mohair cardigan instead! I hated pink and could only wear it once as it was too itchy even with a t shirt or jumper underneath it!

Our family this year (I have two sisters who in turn have partners with various offspring and partners), agreed to try doing a secret santa, so just one present to buy. It saved lots of stress rushing around buying numerous presents, to say nothing of lessening the cost. The only individual presents we did were for the little 4 year old great niece we have, and very small gifts between us sisters. Worked well for us so I think this will be the way to go for us for future Xmases.