Present for friend at Christmas (or birthday).

Someone mentioned charity and that is the way out! For example Oxfam do a range of greeting cards for varying prices and the money goes to their charities. For example you can get "I got you a food for families gift card" or " I got you a poverty busting pig"!!! So you've helped a good cause and possibly annoyed whoever you wish would stop sending gifts!
onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped?pscid=ps_ggl_Google+-+Trading+-+Oxfam+Unwrapped+-+DSA_Oxfam+Unwrapped+

I have two very dear friends of over 40 years we have met just about every week for years and came up with a plan either you have to be able to eat it,burn it or grow it (the gift)Had great fun with that and love the 3 types of cookies one friend always gives,it’s just a token but sweet thought,I have given her presto logs for her fire with various things written on them———- I told my kids I don’t need anything so they give donations in my name,had 36 baby blankets donated,trees,half a goat etc
I like to give donations in peoples names.

In 'normal' times I meet up with 4 old friends for a pre-Christmas meal and we do a charity shop Secret Santa, each person has to spend £5 and wrap the gift. Everybody wins in this - sometimes the gift you receive is lovely, other times not to your taste, in which case you can give it back to your local charity shop. The charity benefits from the purchase of the items and if you re-donate it they benefit again. Suzette 1613 how about giving her a copy of a book you have read and enjoyed and then you can discuss it next time you meet up or speak to each other? Or does she do jigsaw puzzles - if so you could get a photo of the two of you together made into a jigsaw.

I’ve now started giving Lottery tickets and/or scratch cards for presents. It is a friend’s birthday today ... I sent her £20s worth of scratch cards ... she has won £15. She said that it was quite exciting scratching them off.

Last year a friend with whom presents were exchanged on birthdays and Christmas suggested that at our age it was difficult to know what to buy so instead give money to our favourite charity

Might I suggest (as said by a couple of other posters) that you say to your friend that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find an appropriate gift for her and as much as you appreciate her gifts, from next year you should agree not to exchange gifts, you could suggest the charity option or not, as you choose.

In the meantime, for this xmas (as it will be here in a matter of days and it's really too late to stop her buying you something), might I suggest a nice candle or if she keeps a diary/journal, maybe a nice notebook and/or pen.

Wine is a funny one if you don't know someone's preferences.

Plants and chocolate are easy options.

How about something from her favourite range of toiletries.

Are you a good baker? Maybe a homemade cake or cookies wrapped in a pretty bag might be good.

Hopefully, you've seen something that you think your friend will like from either my list or someone else's post. Good luck with finding the gift and I hope you'll be able to convince her not to buy anything next Xmas.

Gave my neighbour a bottle of my (precious) home made sloe gin one year, only to hear him telling someone else he couldn’t drink because of his ongoing medication.

No doubt the family enjoyed it, but made me realise that a bottle of wine or similar is often not suitable for people.

I have 'arrangements' with different friends that pleases us. A price limit definitely; with some it has to be 'charity shop', with one 'home-made. My favourite is with a friend where we agreed simply that 'it must do some good' such as support Fair Trade or a local producer.
I personally don't like the 'buy a goat' for someone, as it feels impersonal, but I see why it suits some.

Suzette 1613
I am finding small gift easy this year. Buy a pretty/glamorous mask for a lady and a funny one for a man.

If you are at all crafty or enjoy cooking a homemade gift may be the answer. I always make a batch of Rum Butter before Christmas. Usually I make enough to give to a particular group of friends, different each year, but having seen hardly anyone this year I have a surplus, even though I made less. I gave a large jar to the vicar for the church fundraising hamper and a small pot for her to have herself but it looks like the rest will be consumed by me and my DD over Christmas!
I also make small beaded fabric decorations. I started with a view to selling for charity but they take so long to make that I don't think they'd sell for enough to make it worthwhile so they mostly get given as presents.
I like receiving homemade gifts as I know how much effort goes into them.

If a close friend a small useful gift is good or homemade gift if you make things. But present giving for the sake of it is pointless. There was mention of people choosing not to give presents to the adults at Christmas, but I think adults appreciate a gift as much as the children.