to think buying toiletry gifts in the Boxing Day sales for next Christmas is tacky?

[crinkle8]

So today I was talking to a colleague about Christmas, and how quickly this year is going. She then said she's done all her xmas shopping I said you must be very organised! She said she did it all in the Boxing Day sales.

She then said she broughttoiletry sets from Boots for all the women in her family when they were 90% off. Is it just me who thinks this is a little TOO cheap? I'm all for a bargain if it's something that can keep, but I'm not convinced toiletry products can lost that long. I've had toiletries I've left unopen for a year, and when I open them they've either lost their scent or really runny.

Also, anyone who shops at Boots will know the packaging is from last year, and know the person got it at 90% off a year ago.

I'd honestly rather someone give the money to charity than buy me smellies.

It just seems like the lazy option, buying a job lot of the stuff instead of thinking about the individual person and what they might actually like.

I think that's pretty silly to think they 'go off' as most of them are so stuffed with preservatives, parabens and surfactants they'll survive longer than us.

Most toiletry products are kept in warehouses for months and months. I think the longest I know of was a specific brand of mascara for 3 years before it ended up in store. They don't have use by dates on, they have the 'once opened' suggestion that is usually 12months, as once you open it and introduce bacteria it's bound to eventually go funny.

I do not think it's nice to do for close family members or friends, or people you actually like. Even though I'm relatively poor, I put a lot of thought into gifts for those I care about. Unfortunately I have a few family members I'd rather be NC with, so they always get a cheap box set, I pick up a few especially for them in the sales. I'd rather not waste my money.

Toiletries (not sure about make up) has to have 2 years before its ‘use by’ so it should be fine. The food ones aren’t though. Those all go out of date well before a year is up.

You could buy someone a nice set of dental care products.

My inlaws always insist on gifts and they are always toiletries/candles/socks. So I do indeed tend to now buy that kind of thing in the January sales, I've done it in the Boots sale before. Toiletries don't go off in a year don't be ridiculous.

What like a nice tube of fixodent?

I do feel offended actually.... When I receive the same huge soap and glory set every year from my sil, usually in a battered box that I know she bought in January. I always end up donating it to the school, Mother's Day sale, so essentially haven't had a gift from her in years.

Fixodent would be about as useful as a cheap toiletries gift set.
I meant toothpaste, toothbrush, floss ...
@Nestlyn, just give your SIL a battered Soap and glory gift set for Christmas, she obviously likes them.

I don't mind receiving toiletries as a gift and either use them myself or re-gift. I used to spend hours and hours thinking of personal gifts that I thought the receiver would love only to hear of them returning or exchanging them so now I don't waste my time! My DH's family are notorious for returning presents or appearing underwhelmed. I wouldn't give something that was out of date but a lot of toiletry packs don't have use by dates. Also, if you have an issue with someone spending £5 on you because they bought in the sales, just spend £5 on them - job done.

Amazed how many people don’t like gift sets like this. If the stuff keeps ok then buying ahead is a good plan.

Many of those sets come with make up bags or in cool boxes. Even when I have been given the wrong scent/product for me I’ve enjoyed the packaging.

I think of them as thoughtful gifts. Why would I buy shower gel for myself, unless a mini one to take on holiday

I think if you're walking through Boots and you see a massive Soap and Glory/Nivea/Dove/Joules/Ted Baker etc set and think to yourself, 'wow, X would love that!' then get closer and see it's 90% off, you've done well and got a bargain. I think if you walk the aisles buying anything that's left at 90% off and trying to make it 'fit' a person you'd normally buy a gift for then that's kind of pointless at best. I don't want any of the Boots toiletries sets, my eczema means I can't use most of it and a lot of it is sickly sweet to me anyway.

Same goes for home made gifts. They're not automatically thoughtful - making lemon curd for someone who's lactose intolerant is shit. So is knitting a jumper for someone who only ever wears dresses.

Because toiletries don't stay nice and scented for a year.

I thought they do last 2-3 years unless otherwise stated?

You sound a bit judgy. Your friend knows who she is buying for and seems toiletries are suitable.

They are fine a year later you have been unlucky. I take ages to get round to using them and always been fine.

I don't buy toiletries as gifts but if I see good presents throughout the yr I pick them up.

I am constantly in boots and would never recognise old year packaging. If I did I wouldn't give it a second thought.

If we all just bought less random crap for the sake of it the problem would go away.

I’ve recently flagrantly gamed the department store summer sales deals to get the best possible combination of discounts and free gifts on a particular skincare brand to maximise the goodies in my aunt’s birthday parcel for my budget.

That's totally different from having a (say) £20 budget per person and buying a £20 item for a fiver and giving it as ALL of the gift. Making up the difference in gingerbread other items would be acceptable, as would buying a £50 for £20 in the sales and giving that.

The OP and the first few replies were everything that's wrong with Christmas, in my opinion.

a) what's wrong with budgeting and being frugal?
b) why should people get any gifts at all if they sneer because they haven't been bought at full price?
but
c) why the hell buy people such token presents. Why not do away with such awful consumerism and concentrate on spending nice times with people instead?

Perhaps everyone who's been so sneery about the toiletries they receive as gifts should just hand them in to their local food bank. There are people who would think all their Christmases had come at once if they got Sanctuary or Soap and fucking Glory toiletries. Women who can't even afford tampons.

In early January, I saw a lady returning at least 30 toiletry sets. As each went through the till, it was passed to the assistant at the next till who re-sold it for the sale price....

I'm glad to receive this things. Something I don't need to buy myself, and we all need to wash etc.

I'm not organised enough to buy any presents in advance so have never even considered it. They'd be lost somewhere in the house and forgotten about.

But I hit the boots sale to buy lots of gorgeous make up sets for myself! Sometimes i pick up a toiletry set or 2.

I go into Boots in the sales to treat myself to nice things too. I love a lot of their stuff but not toiletry sets. The make up and skin care sets are usually brilliant value.
I'm not keen on body lotion, hand cream, handwash, foot cream, etc and never have a bath, I have showers. i'm more a soap user than a shower gel user so the toiletry sets aren't really useful.

These sets are thoughtless tat sets whether full price for reduced. They say ‘ i don’t actually care a dam about you and I am giving out of obligation so I am giving you some generic crap because I don’t know/can’t be arsed to find out what you might like’.

Why would you give a teenage boy cheap deodorant in a set? Would you give a girl tampax?

Put a £1 shower gel and a £1 deodorant in s box and suddenly it becomes a suitable gift, even on 3 for 2 it is a rip off.

It just sums up everything wrong with our commercial society. We produce too much cheap stuff with impacts on the environment. We feel pressured to give gifts to everyone, loads ends up binned, regifted or at the charity shop. We send our to the local homeless place but only as an extra as I am sure half of it is of no use to anyone.

At our tombola we had over £2000 of Boots 3 for 2 gifted, all unwanted gifts to teenagers.

We need to give less and give more thoughtfully.

Many of those sets come with make up bags or in cool boxes. Even when I have been given the wrong scent/product for me I’ve enjoyed the packaging.

My make up bag is 30 years old. Buy once and buy well rather than creating endless stuff which is not environmentally friendly. The packaging is just adding to the issue.

What would people prefer? Jewellery that is not to the persons taste, clothes that are not you’re style and don’t fit, ugly ornaments that collect dust, handbags and scarves that people don’t want, books you won’t read.
I’d much rather a gift set I can use and then throw away afterwards! No sentimental attachment whatsoever. We must collect so much stuff in our life time. I don’t want to be given something that I don’t like, feeling guilty and finding a place for it cos I don’t want to throw it away.

What would people prefer?

I prefer it now that my extended family has stopped the unnecessary gift giving. It was very stressful and expensive.