Bringing back presents from holidays

[Polly345]

Apart from a couple of days away in the UK, I haven't really been on a 'real' holiday for 11 years.
This year we are going to Paris for a 'big' birthday. I hadn't really thought about this before but a friend announced that as she collects salt and pepper sets - this is the present I WILL bring her back from holiday.
To be honest - the only person I had thought of buying for is MIL. She is bedbound and in very poor health and I think a small souvenir would be appropriate.
If I see things on holiday - I probably will buy some bits and bobs for gifts but I don't intend spending a lot of time gift shopping.
I didn't really think about it before - but my friend made me feel unreasonable when I pointed out a search for a salt and pepper set would not be a priority. If she had said something like 'I hope you bring me back a present' or even something more generic like a fridge magnet - I would probably have felt differently.

Our family doesn't do holiday gifts. It's not a break trailing around shops is it if its not your 'thing'?

I think the whole idea of holiday gifts is ridiculous. Trailing round shops, taking up space in your suitcase. It's not christmas, what is the point? Don't buy anything for anyone except yourself. I think your friend is cheeky.

Does she bring you presents from her holidays?

this is the present I WILL bring her back from holiday.

There's a thread somewhere collecting the behaviour of cheeky fuckers.

She's a cheeky fucker.

Bring her back the salt and pepper sachets from the plane/train.

YANBU, very demanding.

Does she bring you gifts back from her holidays?

She's a cf.

We don't buy gifts for others.we let our dc choose themselves a gift to remember their holiday by but that's it.

I don’t buy holiday gifts, and I would be unimpressed at anyone asking me to do so. I do buy my parents a present for looking after our cat, but it’ll be a meal or theatre voucher rather than eg a holiday souvenir.

It also irritates me when DH uses our holiday spending money to buy his family gifts that are usually unappreciated, but that’s another thread

Montmatre catherdal the roads leading up to it are full of souvenir shops and cheaper than the main attractions, took me about ten minutes to find all the pressies i needed for my lot and myself

My Grandparents used to bring back holiday gifts in the 90's. I haven't heard of anyone doing it since.

I never shop for presents.

In places like Morocco I do the Souks anyway, so sometimes get things that are authentic.

Go on EBay/Amazon and there will be S&P sets with Paris on, as there are most things, so it makes holiday shopping defunct.

Other than a bag of foreign sweets to chuck on a desk at work, what adult brings back other adults a holiday present?!

Holiday gifts used to be a thing when especially foreign holidays were out of reach of most people.

Nowadays it's ridiculous. If she wants a pepper and salt set from wherever you're going she can just as easily go herself.

We used to bring back or buy a gift for the people who looked after our cat.

Bring her back the salt and pepper sachets from the plane/train.

I like this idea. We only buy a gift for someone who has done a favour while we were away, such as a neighbour who has put our bins out or kept a key for us or someone who has minded a pet. These days you can buy everything from anywhere online anyway so can't see the point.
Text her a french kitchenware website link.

I bring back nice gifts for my DM who is too disabled to go abroad herself and appreciates handmade crafts etc. She also never got the opportunity to go on holiday much due to being skint all her life. So we make a lot of effort and expense to find something truly handmade in the area.

That's it. Everything else is tat and prob made in China.

I bring back presents for my nieces and nephew. Also, tend to get something for my best friend. But she would never assume I'm bringing something let alone tell me what to bring!

It does all depend on whether she has bought you lots of presents from holidays over the years. I occasionally buy a gift for someone if I see something just right but mainly not ( other than for myself ).

Laugh and tell her you won’t be trailing around tourist tat shops but you will have a cocktail on her behalf.

Who the hell collects salt and pepper shakers? What would do with them all?! On a different note, go into one of the cheap tourist tag shops in the Latin quarter if you are swinging by Norte Dame. They will almost definitely have some.

I'd bring her nothing.

What about These little beauties?

Holiday gifts were more of a thing when travel was rarer and seen as exotic. The only thing I buy now is a little something for my neighbour who looks after the garden and the house - and vice versa. I still try and send a postcard to a particular friend but that is more of a very long running joke/tradition between us. We have to find the cheesiest possible and bonus points are earned for the longest length of time it takes to get to the recipient

Does she bring back gifts for all of her friends?

There are two ways to approach this, the direct way (my preference) is to say "we're not buying presents, just enjoying ourselves", or the indirect way (my Malaysian DH's way, because Malaysians find it rude to say no) which is to say "We'll try" and then come back and say that you looked but didn't find anything good enough for her.

I agree that, if you're going to buy anything, then cheap food/sweets are the way to go, especially if they have names that are funny in English.

@MatildaTheCat

I was thinking something more like this:

She's a greedy and cheeky cunt. How embarrassing, demanding presents.

I do like buying people things when I'm on hols, but it's spontaneous – I'll see something, think of a person and buy it for them. I don't know anyone who'd dream of 'ordering' a present from Paris or wherever I was going.