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'm not ungrateful but do hate waste - either physical or money! Would rather save people money and time by just agreeing not to exchange token gifts!

And here in lies the problem - not specifically to you OP but generally - you say vouchers are great presents, but yesterday there were multiple threads bemoaning being gifted vouchers as ‘thoughtless’

it’s different strokes for different folks.

Wondering if other mumsnetters think I'm being ungrateful for this "treasure". She didn't wish me a happy Xmas either or reply to my email.

PIL, who we don’t have a great relationship with anyway, got me some maternity PJ’s. Doesn’t sound like the worst gift, right? Except that I have an 8.5 month old baby, they’ve seen her maybe 3 times in all that time, and explained that they were “hoping for another grandchild so thought these might help you on your way”😂 because clearly everybody knows nothing makes you fancy having another baby like some new maternity pj’s eh!

Well someone may well comment that you should be grateful becuse their Mum is dead.
Mine is dead though and I still think yours gave you a shit present.

I have a chronic illness and if i drink any kind of alcohol it makes my symptoms come up and leaves me in a lot of pain so I don't drink and haven't for over 10 years now. My entire family knows about this. I got lots of alcohol. I also got a 50g packet of tobacco from my uncle (that I see twice a week) I gave up smoking 4 months ago.

Oh I'm so sorry to laugh Mrsttcno1 but this just made me LOL.

Are your pILs for real? I think you deserve a massive round of applause for accepting with a straight face. 👏👏👏

You what now?! 😵‍💫

I do give presents. As said in my post. I don’t understand why you’ve chosen to lash out so venomously at a total stranger and say “what a lovely adult you are”. What on earth is your problem with me / in general? Have you had a particularly stressful/horrible Christmas perhaps?
I bet (hope) you’re not like this to strangers IRL.

Merry Christmas 😊 🎄 🤶

Oh don’t worry we laughed about it afterwards too😂 because of course the biggest deciding factor in having another baby is whether or not you have maternity PJ’s isn’t it!

My husband is now wondering if for my birthday they’ll be getting us some pregnancy tests! If you don’t laugh you’ll cry!

A cheap box of biscuits from a close family member.

No wonder they'd finished all their Christmas shopping in one day. That's all everyone got...

Mine isn’t necessarily a “worst” or “bad” gift, more amusing.
For the last four years MIL has bought me pyjamas or loungewear that she also owns. The first year I was with my boyfriend, she got my cosy white pjs and as I opened them she was like “I have these too, they are so comfy!” same happened year after and year after. Then this year we popped round a couple of days ago and she was wearing burgundy velour loungewear and I commented it looked nice and she winked at me. Now I know why. As yesterday morning I opened an identical set!
Very lighthearted as pyjamas are pyjamas and I don’t really care, but I do think this tradition is a bit bizzare! Why do we have to have matching ones?! 🤣

😂 Noo..is that what he gave you? How excited were you when you were to open the third one?

Or maybe just read that post again. She gives presents. To. Her. Children.

SIL has given me a hideous brown plastic purse which is going straight to the charity shop. Third time in five years I've had a purse. I rarely use one.
She bought my DD a hideous t shirt which will go to the charity shop just like every present in living memory from her. It was a size 16 and she is an 8. She's also prone to making digs about weight, saying that a ring DD inherited from MIL would be far too small, when in fact it was miles too big.
It's not a money thing, SIL has a large property with stables and five horses. She's just a cheapskate - one of the purses she gave me I tried to return to Tesco F&F - it had been discounted to 50p the previous year!

DH and I don’t do gifts and we have convinced our family members not to buy for us, this is maybe the tenth year we’ve done this? We buy for nieces and nephews under 18 (three of them). We don’t have our own kids.

It sounds utterly miserable, but I love it. I had a lovely day socialising with DHs side yesterday and am looking forward to a ‘second’ Christmas my side of the family tomorrow. Other than presents for nieces and nephews, we bought nice wine to share and some foodie gifts for the people hosting. It seems like such a waste to buy adults with their own money things they don’t really want or need for the sake of it, and I’d rather no one spent their hard earned cash on me, even on something I absolutely love - I don’t need people to do that to show me they care.

As a result, we haven’t gone crazy with money and we are not financially stretched. I’m currently lying on my sofa with a Bailey’s coffee looking online at running jackets and items for my hobbies that I fancy buying myself. DH is looking at buying himself a laptop. We’re also lazily discussing holiday plans for next year.

Not to me but my kids. DH's family asked what they would like a couple of months ago so I sent a list for both kids (lots of things under £10 or £10-20 which is their usual budget). Lists were almost completely ignored and we've ended up with a lot of duplicates of things they already have, plus clothing in wrong sizes . I know it's the thought that counts but why ask for a list only to ignore it? I won't be wasting time providing one in future!

I asked for a cheep A5 page per day diary that I use every year as a daily to do list. I received a very nice diary but the room for lists is less than half what I need so it becomes useless. I know I'm ungrateful but it means I will have to go shopping for a new diary and this one will sit there unused.

Size 18-24 tights from my mother (I'm a 14-16)...but the worst of all time was the Christmas I told my exh I'd love some new clothes to make me feel good again after having my baby. He got me a sewing machine.

I got a pair of leggings from my mother, they are hideous, small animals all over them & the wrong size - I would never wear them. I wear sports tights for work or exercise because they are practical & would never wear them at any other time - I am in my 50's how does my own mother manage to get it sooo wrong?

MIL - chocolates when she knows I'm on a diet and a scarf that resembles a Victorian muff, hideous

I got a generous voucher for a craft I don’t do and don’t even like. It’s also a forty minute drive to the studio, I have an elderly relative I care for and can’t get away for a whole day.
they do a kit but they don’t do postal you have to go there.

a bit gutted as the money equivalent would have got me lots of things I’d have loved to have.

wondering if returning it with a polite note to take their kids because I can’t use it or is that rude, just a waste. I really hate vouchers.

I would see if I could sell it maybe. I bought my late dad a present some years ago and he said he wouldn't use it and handed it back...my feelings were hurt.

I'm always really lucky and receive thoughtful gifts from everyone. However, my parents in law are now over 80 and have become increasingly 'old' and forgetful this year. Along with the thoughtful gifts of JL vouchers which we asked for for baby expected next year, we received a fresh M&S treacle tart, along with its yellow reduced sticker and the use by date being 2 weeks ago. It did make us chuckle!

I expect DS was laughing at your face when you opened it, I bet it was a picture!