Who gave you the worst present yesterday?

[cheezncrackers]

My DM wins the award from me. She always gets me awful things that I don't want. The problem is that she thinks she knows me, but she really doesn't any more. My tastes are nothing like hers. She loves ornaments and goes to the market every week and picks up second-hand tat that she thinks is a bargain. It isn't, because no one wants it!

Yesterday I received book I've already read, a hideous jug that's going straight to the charity shop, and a cheap, sugary version of the chocolate that she knows I like (but is too cheap to buy the real thing).

Honestly, I just wish she wouldn't bother. I have a wish list on Amazon if she wanted to get me a book and I'd have much rather had one book that I actually want to read than all the shit she gives me.

/ungrateful rant over

I got a massive Bayliss and Harding set from a lovely relative - I don’t use it and it makes me itch. I gave profusion thanks, made a mental note to maybe give a few suggestions next year, and it’ll go in the unwanted gift raffle at work.

Why are people so ungrateful this year? So many threads about what they got they dislike or worst present they’ve received. Why can’t we just be grateful people have spent their time and money on us? Or at the least focus on things we have enjoyed receiving

We got 7 boxes of Ferrero Rocher. DH is delighted. I'm on Mounjaro so won't eat any. I really think it's lovely they thought of us at all. My mum gave us an Amazon voucher each which is lovely. My boss gave me a large John Lewis voucher too.

Vouchers are great presents! I'd much prefer to buy what I want if the person wants to get something, but isn't sure what. My MIL and SIL always give vouchers.

My H put three nicely wrapped presents under the tree. I couldn’t wait to see what exciting presents he had got for me. I opened the first. It was a 150g bar of Lindt chocolate in a small cardboard Amazon envelope. I opened the second. It was a 300g tray of Ferrero Rocher in a large cardboard Amazon envelope. I opened the third. It was a 310g box of maltesers in a medium sized Amazon box complete with all the paper packaging. Do you think I should stop ordering off Amazon?

My Sister, I’ve been telling her all year ; no clothes/ socks/ pj’s, she always gets the size wrong because she can’t resist a ‘bargain’.
For Me - hideous velour pj’s in size 24-26, I’m an 18. Last year was a 14-16 bath robe 🙄

I told her months ago that DH was getting me some very posh pyjamas, which he did ( just not the ones out of the 3 choices I gave him that I reaally wanted 😂) .
For DH - a (quite nice tbh) casual jacket in Medium, when he’s a 44” chest , on the plus side, my skinny nephew will like it.

My best present was from DD , a spa break at Shrigley hall for me and DH.

DH who is usually very good. We agreed due to shortness of time. He has been away doing DIY at MIL house that we would go after Christmas and choose our presents I would like a bag. Let’s just buy each other a token gift I said and do not buy a bag as I may not like it.

I bought him a bargain a Ralph Lauren top in TK maxx for £40. He bought me a hideous bag from Amazon it’s made of patches of leather, offcuts just bloody awful. The only good thing was it made DS laugh a lot and he has recently split from his GF so has been upset recently.

I spend ages thinking and researching what to buy. I’m always nervous about the reaction, but they were all genuinely pleased.

I loved all my presents. I'm not a moaning ungrateful type though.

I piece of wall art ( not small) with a bl@@dy stupid life sentiment thing written on it. Think fortune cookie metaphor, but one that Just Doesn't Work. Word salad.

And a box of chocolate truffles. (I don't make a sweet tooth.)

From the friend I spend most time with. I'm wondering if the predicted alien invasion of 2025 started early, and my friend is now a pioneer pod person.

I didn’t get a present. We only do presents for kids or spouses. And given I’m divorced I don’t have anyone to buy something for me.

But I’m an adult, and enjoy giving to the kids and making it special for my children. My enjoyment is from their enjoyment.

I think it’s not so much ungratefulness as sometimes a little thoughtlessness on the part of the giver (my family member knows I hate Bayliss and Harding and Pandora), and also wastefulness- I just won’t use it. I suspect she’s been attracted by the flashy wrapping as she has magpie-like tendencies when it comes to glitter and shiny paper.
I’d have been happier with some plain socks or three inner tubes for my bike!!

Because a thoughtless gift from the people who are supposed to know us and cherish us is actually worse than no gift at all.

Quite agree.

Ridiculously selfish entitlement.

I wouldn't say selfish and entitled, I'd say it a realisation that friends or family maybe don't put in as much thought as you do.

It's hit me this year with my oldest friend, who got me a cheap looking Cath kidston (knock off/Shein) glasses case and a small box of celebrations. Next year I won't put as much thought and money into gifting her and her 2 children (usually budget £20 each).

I wouldn't say selfish and entitled, I'd say it a realisation that friends or family maybe don't put in as much thought as you do.

Exactly! She says to me 'I don't need much - just give me a book token' so I do. I say to her 'If you want to get me something, I like X chocolate or I have a list of books I want on Amazon', but she ignores that and wastes her money on things I don't want or need. It doesn't make any sense.

Did you actually read what @FoxLoxInSox posted?
They didn't complain about any gift, why be so rude @Rhaidimiddim

One of my presents from DH was a shower scrubber with changeable heads.
I was a bit surpised when I opened it as he is usually pretty good (the rest of my presents were great). Apparently DD told him I wanted one.
What I had done was send a few links to things I wanted to DD to share with DH AND also sent DD a link to the shower scrubber to ask if she wanted one to clean her Uni Halls shower as it was a bit grim.
She got confused and thought it was part of my Christmas list! DH was surprised but thought "ok, if that's what she wants"
I actually don't mind and might give it a go tomorrow.

Yes I've always hated the sheer waste of people buying me things that I dont want/need. It's not about being entitled or ungrateful. I also agree that it is hurtful when people just don't put in the same level of thought that you do. I don't want a gift just for the sake of it. I'd rather the person did just save their money.

I used to always listen and take note of people's interests, likes/dislikes etc and make a big effort to get them a good gift but it was never reciprocated.

So I made an agreement with other family that we just don't do gifts now. It's far easier that way. Adult DC and I do amazon wishlists so we know that there will be no disappointing gifts!

The gifts OP listed weren’t thoughtless though, her mum knows she likes reading so bought her a book, unfortunate that she’s already read it but I don’t know every book my DD has read, OPs mum knows she likes a certain chocolate so bought a cheaper version which I don’t think is thoughtless, her mum knows her fav chocolate so the thought was there

My exH did a very similar thing on our second Christmas together. Only it was lots of little presents, which either rattled appealing or were satisfyingly heavy but turned out to be lots of packets of sweets, and bars of chocolate. Not even expensive ones. He got me a lovely watch the next year!

Size 18-20 pyjamas. I’m a 10-12.

I got a novelty childs miniature plastic record player that plays some mini plastic xmas tunes from my mother. She sent it as a message of displeasure at something I've done that has annoyed her. No idea what as I've been very ill all year and bedbound for 4 months.
My other siblings all got expensive gifts and money.
I'm too old for her game playing now, I'm in my 60s. I'll just bin it.