Can't wait to give away my presents

[HopsNim]

Is this terrible? As I get older I just find I'm way more particular about the stuff I like. Also I HATE clutter and I've been trying to only keep things that I love or that are useful in the house.

I rarely keep any presents I get, around 90% get re gifted or sent to charity shop. It means I really treasure the lovely stuff (this year: posh towels from dsis; organic face cream MIL; diamond necklace DP; Molton brown bits from BIL and new books and wine from DM. And it doesn't get missed in the sea of Bayliss & Harding-esque gift sets (label snob ), festive socks/hats/scarves, photo frames and ornaments that I shall be dispensing of on Monday.

If stuff isn't lighting your candle this year then why not ask for some nice consumables next year OP? My DBro asked what I'd like and I said some liqueur chocs would be lovely - they really brightened up my Christmas morning whilst I opened a few other sweet pressies mainly from the DC.
I also have a little tradition of giving my DF a nice bit of Stilton for Chrimbo as I have fond memories of sitting around the table after Christmas dinner enjoying a glass of port with stilton and walnuts, and additionally we live quite near Stilton so seems appropriate!
There can be a dilemma of what to get for the person who has everything, or everything they want, and I think something Christmassy and consumable can be the answer?
Also though, have a read through the MN gratitudes thread for a slightly different perspective on life!

I'm not sentimental about getting rid of stuff I don't like. Does that make me a bad person? I think it means I'm a person with a clutter-free house.

My adorable little boy got me a blanket with feet in it this year, which I will treasure forever.

I'm not sentimental about getting rid of stuff I don't like. Does that make me a bad person? I think it means I'm a person with a clutter-free house.

Well, yes, but gifted spends say £20 on gift, which then gets given to charity shop who sell it for £4. Personally I'd rather the gifter kept the £20/donated it to charity/used it to buy me a coffee/lunch next time we see each other. (And if we don't see each other between xmases, why are they buying a present at all?!)

To the re-gifters and de-clutterers out there - why don't you PLEAD with people not to buy you presents? Or not open them and say you really shouldn't have, honestly please have it back?

My Mum insists she doesn't want presents so I buy her a huge Christmas bouquet (she does love flowers) and a cheese board, or bottle of wine, a book of crossword puzzles. Easy-peasy.

I literally can't stand to think of people spending money on those of you who don't appreciate it.

My 14 year old daughter asked for the gift of an adopted polar bear this year ... can't you ask for something like that instead?

Galaxymum not named after the chocolate then?

Wasn't even real diamonds. You're not even a snob, you're a snob wannabe! 😳

Eh? scarlet what a bizarre thing to say. I don't give a shit if it is real diamonds or not. It's a lovely necklace and I like it. Do you really look down on people who covet a pretty sparkly necklace from the high street?

You're not a snob, you're a knob.

It's Molton Brown. MoltOn Brown. MOLTON BROWN.

Molten Brown makes me think of diarrhoea or melted chocolate .

I think that post somehow captured the tone of this thread beautifully, clock.

No, Molton Brown is lovely.
But I do appreciate a good bit of word play now and then.

If you want to send it all my way feel free! I got barely anything ( less than a tenner). Apparently Christmas is for kids.........except I get naff all for rest of year either!

I do get the whole as we get older we want less "stuff" though.

Saul everyone was thinking it, no-one was saying it

M48294Y I have tried to stop ILs buying for me. I've tried (when asked for suggestions) asking for very specific things, asking for a general category of things, asking for vouchers, asking for cash towards specific things, trying 'there's nothing I really need' and asking for things I know DH or the DC would like. Nothing has worked. As for not opening them or giving them back You might as well slap someone across the face! That can't be done.

You are being a bell end. "Can't wait to give away my presents?" Fuck me! Even if you think this why would you ever articulate it in any way, shape or form? Even anonymously on mumsnet! Eesh. Get yourself down to the food bank or a shelter and give them to someone who will appreciate them.

This is the first year that MIL didn't buy a load of stuff for me as she has alzheimers. She just gave me money instead which I spent on buying the box set of Game of Thrones. Win win as far as I'm concerned.

No Sky or Netflix here and no intention of getting either anytime soon.

There's slot if people who like pointless clutter on this thread!

exit that's really clever because it rhymes

Op, I get where you're coming from. Every year mil does me a sack of about 15 presents. It's so kind but it's really unnecessary, especially since she constantly reminds us how poor she is.

I've tried everything including asking her outright to stop or just to get or make me one small present (in a very gentle way)

Now I'm just resigned to the fact she will do it, she enjoys the act of acquiring the stuff and I donate virtually the lot to the hospice shop a couple of days later.

Well for some people clutter is stressful and makes them claustrophobic and unhappy. However if you're passing on gifts that were well intentioned I'm sorry for the givers. For some giving to you may have left them out of pocket. In future why don't you suggest that people only buy you stuff you can either eat or drink?

I agree. Thinking about this more - getting stuff you don't need/ have space for is actually stressful. I know not what the giver intends. I said my heart used to sink when I got piles of stuff. You have to pretend gratitude, feel guilty and then you have to find the best way of getting rid etc (probably discreetly).
Reminds when DP used to bring me flowers. He got them because he thought it was a nice thing - a loving thing- to do but....
I don't like cut flowers anyway..waste of resources and when they die it is kind of sad. Also it meant I had to faff cutting off stems etc to put them in a vase (mess), then dispose of them a week or so later and clean the vase. It was making work for me.
It took a long time for me to be able to ask him not to get them...and when I did tell him it was difficult and I felt like an ungrateful cow.

What an odd thread. I think it's absolutely fine to give away gifts that won't get used - someone somewhere will benefit from or enjoy them. But the tone of "Can't wait to give away my presents" makes me sad - someone took the time to buy you something, and it's important to express gratitude. Not just to the giver in an "Oh, lovely, thanks" way, but to acknowledge that we are lucky that we have people in our lives who care enough to buy something for us as Christmas.

And, yes, if the relevant family members are amenable, have DP mention something to them next year about what you would like. Some people genuinely do not know, and their "best guess" of what you'd like may be way out.

queen of backtracking

Honestly. It is a bit embarrassing to be privy to it.

This post leaves a very bad taste in one's mouth!
I have visions of you ripping the paper open and having two piles in front of you. And do you what I think is sad. The poor shit pile that people carefully chose with their hard earned cash. And you tossing them aside because they are not good enough for you. Just take a step back and think of the love that probably went into that 'shit' gift that was not designer enough for you.
Are you very young OP? Say around 16!

What exactly have I backtracked on nanet? I stand by everything I've said