To be mildly annoyed by people who don’t know what they would like for Christmas?

Me too

I wont get any gifts (visitors will bring lovely food and drink). My husband’s brother refused to stop presents when all other adults did a few years ago (he agreed but still gets them) and so there will be a generic joint gift

we have shared money and always have had and so no need to buy gifts for the sake of it

as an adult I can’t imagine giving anyone a gift list. Im not a child writing to Santa

my parents will be giving me cash which I know asi set up the payments for entire family

doesnt bother me at all

This.

I'm not that into "stuff" really, but if there's something I want/need then I'd rather choose and buy it myself. I don't maintain an ongoing wish list or have items sat in a basket anywhere because what would be the point, if I don't want them enough to buy them there and then?

Even with my sister I feel a bit strange saying what I want when she asks (and she is pretty direct). I know I could list at least five things that she could buy but I don’t know her budget and don’t want her to feel obligated. So I’m likely one of these annoying people too saying I don’t know lol.

Not everyone is materialistic, I'm not and the worst question for me is "what do you want for christmas" because the genuine answer is nothing, I'm not going to sit there thinking of what I want when asked it either because there isn't anything I really want enough for someone to pay money for it, as far as I'm concerned I already have everything I want and need, I usually end up with pj's or socks which I'm fine with, I'd also be equally fine if I didn't get anything at all

I am the same ... there is nothing I genuinely want that I can't buy for myself ... I'm not into jewellery, clothes, make up, perfume etc. I like books but I use the library or charity shop.

Another issue is that often what you might want is not seen as a 'proper' present, one year I posted on here about a really good saucepan my husband had bought me (at my request) and the response was horror that it wasn't a 'proper' present.

I genuinely like charity donation gifts ... but a lot of people sneer at them ... or what I'd love is someone to take my car to be valeted or do it themselves..... I even asked my adult DS last night for a car valet service but doubt he will do it .

Anyway, at last I have agreed with all the present givers in my life that 'nothing' really means 'nothing' and I am very happy about it. My DH is generous and would buy me anything ... but I don't need to unwrap a present on 25 December to feel loved or appreciated.

Honestly, i worry my taste is too "expensive" and feel greedy asking!
I'm a perfume and jewellery girl, specifically blue diamonds on silver colour metals, and Dior poison range perfumes. Of course i especially like the variants or older formulas that are out of production, some by 15 years, so its extortionate Ebay prices.
I save up and buy those things for myself, or use birthday/christmas money towards them. I'd never directly ask anyone for anything over £20.

I am one of these people. Things I want either fall into the category of things I can buy for myself, or things I don't have the money or time to do. If it's not in my budget it's not in DP's budget and obviously I wouldn't ask a friend to buy it for me. If someone can figure out a way to gift more hours in the day and more days in the week I'm all ears. Until then there isn't really anything I want that I haven't bought for myself.

I also have a big list of exhibitions, concerts, restaurants, holidays etc I want to do but I can't say I identify with that dramatic "life would be so empty without anything booked in the calendar" feeling. That makes it seem like your life is already empty and you're just running after things to fill the void.

I am that person. I never want anything, because if I did I'd have already bought it. And I don't buy that much, because I am not particularly materialistic.

It's lazy and shoulders the responsibility on the receiver by asking them what they want. I say nothing and mean it.

I'm currently like this. Even though I don't buy a lot for myself and I do see stuff I'd like but can't afford right now because we're prioritising others things, I don't keep a list that I will tell someone.

I think it's because I will like something precise and tell someone and find they usually give a variation instead that I don't like as much (or at all). eg I LOVED some Creuset mugs and my DH gave me a random butterfly mug. He did the same when I asked for a large velvet navy cushion -- 2 small random cream ones. It's then more obvious when I give that thing away and go out and buy myself the thing I actually wanted.

I agree with you, OP. I have some close family members that insist on being given ideas for gifts to purchase for others (which I find strange to begin with), but struggle to provide gift ideas for what they’d like themselves. It baffles me. I am lucky to be able to purchase most things I want or need, and yet I also have a ready supply of ideas of foods, books, and other items that I would enjoy being given as a gift.

I'm this person. Not really into 'stuff'. Buy myself anything I want/need as I want/need it. If a friend asked me what I wanted as a gift, I would almost certainly have no idea.

With that said I absolutely love getting surprise gifts/Christmas/birthday prezzies...it's the thought that counts right?

I've had some of the most wonderful, thoughtful presents over the years...cheap, expensive, bought, made...it's the fact that the giver has thought about the item and that it would be useful to me or make me happy that counts, and that's what I appreciate.

I'm the reverse - I find it insulting when people ask me that question because if they know me well enough to buy me a present, they know me well enough to know what I like.

So I answer "I don't know" to stop them being lazy.

If you don't know someone's favourite drink or snack/s or activity or places they would reasonably/like to visit you could get a gift voucher to, you must be buying for a complete stranger.

Having said that, I could confidently buy a present for a completely random person, that I know they'd love, given 5 minutes to look at their social media.

I think you're missing the point of Christmas presents

Same here. If I want something, I generally just buy it.

id like £300,000GBP

1. I hate making demands of other people. 2. I'm not materialistic so don't have a long list of 'wants' in mind. 3. If I want/need something, I buy it. I have all I want/need. 4. I value gifts that are from the heart or that the person thought of themselves.

Another one who just buys what I want. I hate getting gifts that someone else has chosen without my input as invariably they’re just crap and clutter that I don’t want. Honestly I’d rather get nothing and would tell that to the person asking what I wanted. Or if they kept insisting, cash.

ETA that if I wanted to get someone a gift and they said they didn’t know/there’s nothing they want I’d take that at face value and not get them anything. You’re probably annoying them OP by asking.

I agree OP - I have loads of things that I’d like, and happily give out suggestions when asked! It’s generally things that I wouldn’t normally treat myself to - for example I’d like to try M&S mince pie liqueur but don’t want to spend £20 out of our weekly food budget. I was telling MIL, and she has kindly bought me a bottle for my present.

I can only pronounce Wanties in my head the same way I would pronounce panties 🤢 (not that I’ve ever said it).

I hate the idea of people spending money on me.
I don't spend money on myself, I don't expect or want other people to.
I don't want vouchers, because I won't go out and spend them.
I don't want people to waste money on something I don't want, it's not to be annoying.
I literally don't want anything!

I used to be that annoying person.

Every year my DCs and I do a Christmas Eve gift exchange and around the end of November they start asking what I'd like. This year I had my answers ready within a day or so. In previous years I would have dithered and felt awkward providing a list. I learned my lesson when one DC turned the tables on me and didn't come up with any suggestions until the week before Christmas.

I think the problem with me was being trained as a child that "gimme never gets". It always felt grabby.

Agree. But even more, I don't want more stuff.

It's funny you say this, because only today I bought a present for someone's 80th, without a clue as to whether or not she'd like it, and felt almost like I'd put nothing into it from me. That was until I went to collect it from the only branch of Argos that had it in stock, and spent over an hour & half in the car doing a journey of less than seven miles each way, albeit through the absolute mayhem of a busy city filled with people who've never heard of the highway code, let alone read it. By the time I got back, my life was two hours shorter and my nerves in shreds. Thus, I felt a lot of me went into the gift as I handed it over this evening.

I dislike telling people what to buy me (apart from my husband as he tends to be awful at choosing anything i like / would wear or want).

I like the surprise and if it's given to a close person then you should at least know what they may appreciate, if unsure then just gift something like chocolates or flowers.

I do ask my family what their young children would like or what they are into.

I think it is odd to ask close family or friends what they want me to buy them!

Time is a wonderful gift

Completely agree. I’ve actually asked for 60-90 minutes of someone’s time and was told they wanted to buy me something instead. Definitely, didn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.