To think holiday presents are a waste of money?

[lavenderbluedilly]

Do most people bring back souvenirs for friends and family when they go on holiday?

I’m currently away with DH and he has just spent a small fortune on souvenirs for his 9 nieces snd nephews. We have joint holiday money, though I tend to contribute the lion’s share, as I’m the higher earner. He has bought plastic tat and teddies, which will probably not be appreciated (I say this from previous experience). He thinks I’m mean as I said it’s ridiculous to bring back holiday presents. I’ve pointed out that his siblings have never brought anything back for our DC.

AIBU or just mean?

I didn't even know this was a thing!

We always bring back sticks of rock for the whole of DD11's class(it's a thing at they're school lots of her class do the same)and we'd usually bring back a magnet,teatowel and some local sweets/alcohol for my DMum and DDad when they were still with us and a teatowel and fridge magnet for my BF and my DH's Nan but that's because they all loved those sorts of things and always enjoyed receiving them.

I did use to bring back sticks of rock and any unusual sweets and a small gift back for all of my nephews and nieces when they were younger and there was 13 of them,I thank God that they're all grown up now.

venustiger What the fuck you talking about? 😂

I sometimes bring back things that are unique to that place - perhaps local delicacies, if they travel well, or some sort of handmade thing they are famous for. But I only do this for one or two people I'm close to. I definitely wouldn't buy teddies for a whole army of neices as nephews - if they were expecting something then I'd grab a few bags of sweets for them to share.

Also I have a friend who I always get a fridge magnet for, but that's because she collects them and always asks for them.

Complete waste of money. But even more importantly it's a waste of time shopping for tat esp when you are only away for a week.

As for the thing of bring back a class load of sweets - no, just NO! There are a couple of kids who have done it in DDs school. But I think it could become a 'Keeping up with the Jones' and nobody wants their kid coming home with 30 packs of sweets on return to school. Not to mention the cost esp for poorer families with a couple of kids.

The kids have sent postcards to their grandparents.
We don’t get anything for our friends. We feed their pets while they are away and in return they feed our pets!
My parents looked after the boys for two nights once. We brought them home some nice wine and chocolate

Who wants to spend a holiday shopping for presents? Also if abroad freaking luggage costs are bad enough already.
Xmas is bad enough IMHO

If siblings don't reciprocate, it's definitely mad to keep getting stuff for their children. In any event I suspect they really don't appreciate plastic tat or teddies and it all ends up in the bin or at the local charity shop within a very short space of time. Who really wants a bear with the name of somewhere they haven't been to embroidered on it?

There was a time when half your damned holiday would be spent looking for gifts for folks back home.

I still get given these, but mostly food treats that don’t cost much, sometimes little mugs and the odd pencil! I love them but don’t expect anything.

It's a nice gesture, but no you are not being mean. You are deing practical. You dont risk exceeding your luggage allowance or spend money that could make your vacation more memorable on toys some parent would feel bad about dejunking at some point. Having said that

Thanks everyone, I’m glad I am not too unreasonable!!

If I'm somewhere with good shopping I'll buy presents for family or friends - for example, everyone got cashmere shawls when I went to Nepal. Otherwise I might bring back sweets or duty free gin but that's it. Never tat!

When I worked in a bar I always got brought back gifts from customers holidays. I have fridge magnets from all over the world. Alot of pens. I think it was very sweet that someone would go away even think of me.

My brother and I usually get each other something edible or drinkable. Wine, cheese, local honey, olive oil etc.

If I saw something that was a perfect gift for a specific person I'd buy it. But I'd do the same at home.
I live overseas and if I'm in England in spring I always bring all my friends daffodils back.
Holiday gifts....no way.

God no, this is so old fashioned. We never do this and would hate being gifted tat that we have to find homes for. I remember getting all sorts of rubbish when I was younger, usually some sort of hideous personalised coin purse. Utterly useless stuff. YANBU.

Eh ok Pedro? VenusTiger is saying she thinks it’s weird to have a souvenir to keep of a place she’s never visited ie a fridge magnet. She’d rather be given sweets etc than can be consumed and not kept.
Not that hard to understand was it 😳

I think it is really sweet he did this for his nieces. My DD is 10 and would love something unusual from a holiday destination.

I stopped doing this years ago. I've told my adult DC too. Total waste of money. My MIL and DM used to buy such tat or loft fodder it was ridiculous.

Souvenir shopping is one of my favourite things to do on holiday! I love wandering round all the shops looking for the most perfectly tacky thing to bring home! So in that sense it's not s waste of money - even if I don't use it I still enjoyed finding it.

I don't usually buy for a lot of other people though, just the odd things occasionally.

I absolutely love the mimko bags, guess clutches, kate spade watches and handbags, alpaca scarfs and throws, my employer and his DW bring back for me everytime they travel overseas.

Just my kind of "Tat"'

Ha Angels I could def learn to appreciate that sort of tat as well! Lucky you!

Snipples, I do appreciate their thoughtfulness but it's getting to the stage where I discretely pass the odd gift on to DD or DGD

I’ve just brought my mum chocolates back but only because she loves them.. declared they were being shared with no one and they went in her bag... I also got them some drink but they’d been house sitting so I think that’s a bit different.?

Other than that I don’t bother. Got the biscuits for the office from Asda as they’re the same as the ones from where we were... I don’t even agree with that but everyone else does it..!