to not appreciate being asked to buy a voucher for somone for Christmas

[noseynoonoo]

I rang DSis to ask what she and her family would like for Christmas - to be honest I'd rather think up my own presents but my sister is very particular and will probably be badgering within a few days to confirm I have indeed bought the requested items.

Anyway, She told me to get her a NEXT voucher. I don't want to buy her a voucher, I want to buy a present that needs wrapping paper and a bow and a label to go with it. A voucher doesn't seem very festive.

I do see both sides of the coin here though. Because my mum knows my sister adores NEXT, my mum will buy me a top from NEXT. The problem is that I don't like NEXT clothes and I am not the size she thinks I am. I always end up taking it back, getting half the price of it back that she paid for it and using the resulting voucher to buy something for my children.

Hmm, I can see IABU!

I love being asked to get vouchers. I hate having to think about what to buy

I think you talked yourself into that one OP

yabu - it's what she wants - you asked - she told you

If you ask someone what they want, and they tell you something that presumably is within your budget, why would you not want to buy it for them?

I opened this thinking she must have just said she wanted it without you asking, which would be slightly unreasonable of her. But if you asked and got your answer, no issue.

I'm doing pots of gold for vouchers this year makes it feel like a present

Why ask what she wants if you then dont want to listen?

I doubt most adults care too much about having something to unwrap and would much rather have a present that is practical or they want

Yes, but you're clearly not THAT unreasonable because you've managed to see both sides! I've asked for vouchers from everyone because we're about to be chucked out of our home (landlady putting the flat on the market). We have no idea where we'll move to, or exactly when, or what size place we'll be able to get, or whether we'll be able to stay within commuting distance of DSs school (sigh).

At least because we've been here for over 10 years so she has to give us quite a bit of notice, so that's something.... Anyway I've asked for vouchers from everyone because anything they buy us will have to go in packing cases, and the vouchers will come in really useful to buy furniture etc. once we move. My family and friends have been really understanding which I am so grateful for. Buy her a NEXT voucher, put it in a shoe box full of shredded tissue paper, cover it with wrapping paper and tie with a ribbon. Even better, get a huge box and attach the voucher on a ribbon to a helium ballon so that when she opens the box the voucher floats out!

Well I think YANBU. One side of my family always asks for Next vouchers, without fail, every Christmas and birthday, for the entire family (parents + 5 kids). I can see that it's useful for them to be able to make the most of the sales etc, but it just takes all the joy out of christmas shopping for me - I might as well set up a £200 a year standing order from my bank account!

Not to mention the fact that the kids must think their auntie never buys them any presents :(

If her having something to open means so much to you take her to next and let her pick herself. Although giving her a voucher she can use it in the sale and get twice as much

When I buy a present for someone I want them to love it and be happy that they have it, and to think of me with fondness. Why the hell would I be offended or upset when, after having asked them what they wanted in the first place, they actually tell me what that is?! Voucher or otherwise, the gift is about the recipient, not you. If you want to buy her an additional little present to wrap and put a bow on then by all means do so. But please don't be so daft as to not get what she's asked for when you specifically asked her to tell you.

I always ask people for vouchers if they are nice enough to ask what I would like for Christmas/birthday. I am a fussy bugger and would rather choose something myself that I know I need or would really like. And I always hope that it cuts down on hassle for the buyer of the gift too.

I know what you mean about gift wrapping though and having something to open. When I give vouchers to other people, I giftwrap the envelopes so they look nice and people still have something to open, even if they know what it is. Maybe that's very sad

Dd aged 11 has asked for next vouchers and sil doesn't like it.

Thing is sil and dneice have a completely different taste in clothes than dd ( they are trendy and urban, dd is girly but not pink) so she doesn't wear things they buy.

I don't like being asked to buy vouchers because I don't like people knowing what I have spent on them. It always makes me feel like I have to spend more than I would have for fear of looking mean, and we don't have a lot of money at the moment.

So... I just don't ask what people want!

Yabu. We have this argument in my family. My aunt flatly refuses to buy anyone vouchers and we frequently end up with unwanted gifts. This year alone she has included gift receipts! It's a revolution! Actually I can't complain she's gojng her niche buying for dd1. Dd1 now has beautiful old fashioned needlecord pinafore dresses - I adore them. I live my mad auntie

Meanwhile the other side of my family are quite happy to trade exclusively in vouchers even online ones!

If anyone asks me what I want I always say vouchers. There's nothing I really want or need. I like vouchers so I can use them when I do see something or I can replace things like eye cream.

I think YABU. You asked and she told you!

Vouchers is a much better idea. At least the person can choose what they want. You did ask her. My DH is the worst present buyer in the universe I've told him not to buy me anything for the last couple of years and I'll choose my own. Bah humbug. I let him get me a small present though!

Its not about you, its someones present. I'm buying my sister Sainsburys vouchers for Christmas - she likes their food, clothes, household bits and pieces and she's finding money tight atm so I'd buy her whatever she wanted. My mum buys me a hairdressing voucher from my hairdressers for Christmas - bloody godsend in January.

Get her a selection box as well and wrap it.

I'm hard to buy for at the best of times and there's absolutely nothing in my wishlist at the moment.

Amazon vouchers are my favourite because you can buy just about anything on Amazon nowadays. Next on the list comes those love2shop vouchers because I can use them in Wilko and superdrug for everyday stuff and use the cash saved for what I want. I can spend Argos vouchers OK but Next and M&S tend to go on ebay :(

In fact I've still got a £25 Next voucher from two years ago somewhere - do they go out of date?

You can wrap up the voucher. I have done this before. Put it in the envelope and then cover in Christmas paper and a bow and label. Your happy you get to wrap a present and she is happy that she gets what she wants!

I might copy becstargazeypie's idea!

You can wrap it and put it in anything you want - you can put it in teh largest xmas box ever with the biggest bow in the world if you wanted too!!!]

yabu!

I love vouchers though and would go for homesense or TK maxx anytime.

glad you liked it. I love the helium balloon thing - people can't figure out why they've got such a big box but it feels so light - lighter than the box would feel if it was empty! And when they slice it open and the balloon floats out their face is a picture. Use a long dangly ribbon so that when the balloon hits the living room ceiling, the voucher is just in front of her face

YABU - I never know what I want, and there is rarely anything I need, so I like to have vouchers for that rare occasion when I see that nice thing I want.