Things you wish people would stop buying you

[tequilasunrises]

Had a bit of a pre Christmas house declutter earlier and found that DH has THIRTEEN unused Lynx shower gels in the bathroom cupboard - all from Christmas last year.

Having chucked out a load of moisturer/bath sets il never use I had to sigh hand thinking about the next influx I’m going to get from his relatives this year.

I try not to be ungrateful but we’ve got such a tiny house and hoardes of toiletries really isn’t conducive to minimalist living!

What do you always get for Christmas/Birthdays that you wish you didn’t?

Red wine - we only drink white
Vodka - not 18 any more
Toiletries - I'm allergic to a lot
Giant plastic tat and craft sets for kids

Thornton’s chocolate

Toiletries and makeup. It’s usually from Clinique or Benefit or some other non- cruelty free company. They get returned or end up in the bin as I cannot in good conscience donate them to the charity shop and encourage others to support those brands.

This year I’ve put the brands I do like on an Amazon wish list and told OH that if anyone asks he should point them to that.

Sweaters. Usually in the wrong size.

We should do a swap thread, I love scented candles and plants

@tequilasunrises

I wish people would not buy me booze and chocolate.

From early December, there are loads of sweets and chocolates and biscuits and mince pies etc floating around, and me and DH buy Quality Street and some M & S luxury biccies and aldi mince pies and cream, and shortcake etc.... Yet I still get oodles of boxes of maltesers, matchmakers, dairy box, Milk Tray, mint thins, smarties, etc etc. Also loads of bottles of wine, port, sherry, chocolate liqueur, whiskey, brandy etc etc.

So I am trying to lose weight, (from January 1st,) and the 'Christmas surplus' is hanging around til late January. Then it's Valentines day and my birthday in February, then March is Mother's day, and also our wedding anniversary, followed by Easter shortly after (in early to mid April usually.)

So it's just a choccie and booze fest from early December to mid April. Over a THIRD of the bloody year! How the fuck am I meant to ever lose weight and keep it off?!!!

Yeah I know I don't have to eat any of it; you don't have to tell me.

Bloody prosecco, don't know why but my uncle and my sil are both convinced I love the stuff. Can't stand it , would much rather a bottle of sauvignon blanc.

Anything from Baylis and Harding.

My DH loves his Lynx Africa sets. I couldn't have a Christmas without one! MIL always buys me slippers and PJs. Neither of which I wear. I've said so but still she buys them.
DH and I loathe us or the DC being gifted "experiences". It ends up taking a full day for just an hour activity because it can be two hours drive away and two hours back for something like 1hr of laser quest. Add to that the fuel cost and buying nasty soft play centre type food for a family of five it ends up costing us a fortune. Just bung the kids a fiver in love to shop vouchers or even good old cash if you don't want to buy a toy.

Chocolate from my parents! It's all nice stuff, but there's this family thing that I'm a 'chocoholic, ha ha'. I mean I like chocolate, but no more than anyone else!

Every year I say 'just get me this perfume, or that book, I'm a grown adult, I don't need a pile of presets'. And every year without fail there's a pile of gifts (because they don't want to buy me 'just the one thing' that I've asked for), and 80% of it will be chocolates.

It gets me irrationally upset! I live a pretty full, busy life, but my family seem to predominately view me as someone who sits on her arse shoving chocolate in her gob all day It all goes to the food bank in any case.

My husband’s cousin always gives us a bottle of the cheapest, shittiest “wine” imaginable. Think 5% alcohol and worth about £2.99. I’d rather we got nothing at all.

Horrible toiletry sets which I would never use in a million years!
Slippers not to my taste!
Cheap chocolates - I rarely eat chocolate so if I do, I like to eat a good brand
Godwattery as my mother used to call it (defines ornaments and bric a brac which you would never put on display!).

I love getting shower gel and any kind of food or booze. I've got loads of candles, I just don't use them.

My MIL buys good presents. She's just given me some nice jars of chutney and some crackers for my birthday.

Don't throw away the shower gels and bath bubble type stuff. Its all just soap. I use it throughout the year to top up my pump bottle of handwash in the downstairs loo. I can't remember the last time i had to buy handwash

Any Homeless Hostel will welcome toiletries - especially male ones.

Perfume! I have a backlog of them as I don't wear it every day and don't overspray. It's not something I like giving to other women either as I think everyone has personal tastes.

I don't mind nice shower creams so much because at least I'll get through them eventually!

My mum loves to buy us all calendars. I spent 24 years receiving calendars which never got put up, never had dates written on. I had to say one year "mum please don't get me a calendar I'm really sorry but I just don't use it!"

Boyfriends mum got me some bath bombs for my birthday last month. I picked one for my bath tonight that didn't look like it had any glitter in. It was worse, it had horrible brown dried rose petals in it. I've spent most of my "relaxing" bath scooping rose petals out with a sieve😤

Anything because when you have no money you get used to not having stuff and there is nothing you want so things the children need or want is best

Soap and Glory. Any toiletries really, as I already have a preferred brand for everything I need.

I have really clear hobbies and not hard to buy for.

My sister regifts me shite and I have to pretend every year.

Jokes on her this year...

Tell people you don't want this garbage.

Silver & or costume jewellery - I wear the same fairly simple gold jewellery all the time & other than the odd extra like a bracelet or pendant on my necklace I don't want anymore. I like what I have & would rather choose my own if I wanted more!

Ornaments - pretty much same as the above!

Dairy free products - lots of people buy me dark chocolate or other 'dairy free' treats because I'm dairy free but I'm fairly picky with it & don't like most of it. I donate most to the foodbank.

I love vouchers, tubs of moisturiser, bubble bath/shower gel, socks, slippers!

scented products i am allergic lol

Nail polish. I only ever have gel on my nails and can’t be bothered with the faff of normal nail polish now for it to chip in a couple of days.

@percheron67 agree with you. There is nothing nice about their products aside from the packaging.

Toiletries that are tested on animals
Any kind of milk chocolate or dark chocolate that isn't either a bar with 85% or higher cocoa content or good quality dark boxed chocolates
Wine
Candles
General crap that either isn't something I've asked for or consumable