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?

@nocutsnobuttsnococonuts I think you can only use them between certain dates, I also hate the clothes from Morrison’s, I don’t mind Sainsbury’s or Asda but I really dislike the designs in Morrison’s, so this year we bought 10 cases of beer which will probably last the next 12 months!

I would donate them to a food bank but I once donated some chocolate MIL gave us, it was about 3 carrier bags full and I’d begged her not to give us it and told her we wouldn’t eat it, but she insisted she wanted to give it to us, so I donated it to a food bank and she was really annoyed and kept going on about how we were just so ungrateful and hated her etc, so I won’t be doing that again!

Baylis and Harding gift sets. Complete tat.

Also body lotions and creams. I cannot be arsed to spend my time rubbing lotions all over my body when I don't need to

Scented candles. Half the time I can't even smell them and I can't cope with the clutter.

Diaries - I have never used one of these in my life.

Those annoying little ornaments and photo frames you get from places like card factory. Little bears that say things like ''best sister/mum/aunt'' on them

Stuffed toys - I don't have any interest in a soft toy rabbit with a Christmas hat on as I am not a small child

Food or alcohol gifts are very welcome though

Bath stuff, I don’t have the time or inclination for baths (my bath is too small and cold).

Stuff with pugs on, I like them but I don’t have one and don’t want my house covered in pug-faced tat.

Selection boxes of fruit tea. I don’t like normal tea but I do drink peppermint, most fruit teas are rank.

I hate tatty gifts for the sake of it, I’d be happy with some chocolate brazils tbh!

Just don't tell her you donated them @Babybel90. Just say you spent them on food.

Body lotion
Bath stuff (I use showers)
Hand cream
Books (I like to choose my own)
Candles (I love them, but have a cupboard full already)
Handbags, wallets and purses (I have to give them away every year to charity shops as they are never my style)

Unwanted toiletry sets are also good for donating to tombolas.

Another vote for candles here.

Bath stuff, I never take baths I shower.
Beauty sets with tweezers, nail files in ect.
Hats gloves scarfs... and vouchers for shops I never shop in. My Nan bless her always used to get me a new look Voucher. I'm in my thirties and personally I haven't shopped there since I was in my teens. I used to sell it to my sister haha

Me and dsis once mentioned to dm how much we liked ginger. Every year after we got a posh jar of ginger in syrup. Bless her cotton socks, we didn't have the heart to mention that no one ever eats a whole jar every year. I still have 3 yars stockpiled.

Chocolate. Really not bothered about the stuff but still people buy it.

Generic decor items. Why do people impose their taste on you? I had to break a wolf figurine that my ex’s mother bought for me. My sister’s Ladro statue met the same fate sadly.

Wooly beany hats. Why? If I wear them for longer than five minutes, I end up with a corrugated forehead.

My best friend of thirty years bought me a book on cats because she said she couldnt think of anything else I was interested in.

Yes it’s ungrateful of me but the lack of thought irks. How hard is it to sit down and think, right, ‘Nights’ loves singing and playing guitar, she’s a crafter and loves all things Italian. She loves spicey food and macaroons and loves to visit the Tate while doing her hobby - metal detecting.

Do straight away, gift options include tickets to the Tate or a print she mentioned seeing there, or some really unusual crafting materials from Italy? How about a book on famous metal detectors? A box of speciality macaroons?

It’s not hard is it but no, that wolf throw looks just the ticket!

Baa humbug.

I like getting toiletries except for bubble bath and hand cream. I kind of wish people wouldn't buy me mugs. I live alone but have enough mugs to run a residential complex.

It would be handy to have a wish list or present suggestion list, givers could access, especially the ones you know will buy for you.

Lush products. I can't be bothered with stuff like "lip scrub" or whatever obscure purpose they can come up with for their lumps of scented, coloured glycerin with rose petals. Their products may look nice in the shop but I doubt any of it is for fit purpose.

My MIL always gives me the kind of slippers and pyjamas for Xmas that she would wear herself. I'm not really a full-length polyester lace-trim nightie kind of girl.

@Emeraldshamrock I do have an Amazon wish list, and a Pinterest ‘Wanted’ list - both public. They get ignored.

My MIL will bring me white wine when I've only drank red in the 18 years I've known her. And a bunch of flowers.

Because everyone knows that on Christmas Day you need your host to have to run around looking for a vase, cut the cellophane open, set the flowers out nicely in the vase, and clear Christmas stuff away for the fucking carnations.

Baylis and bloody Harding.

Candles - I'm very picky and highly sensitive to certain smells, even nice ones. Not allergic, it's just that certain smells seem to have an 'effect' on me🤷🏼‍♀️

Perfume - same as candles.

Food with gluten in it - Coeliac, 'nuff said. And you'd be surprised at the number of people who know yet don't bother to read labels.

It's one of the reasons I'm glad that my family is a big supporter of lists. We each make one up with items we'd like from inexpensive for those on a budget to ridiculously expensive items we couldn't afford in our wildest dreams . A racehorse is on mine, DH's has a speedboat.

Sloggi knickers from DM.
They are extremely comfortable, but show under anything but loose fitting clothes.

Mugs , I get one or 2 every year and I can tell by the shape of a present from mil that I have yet another one ..

Clothes
One offender does this every year and the clothes NEVER fit! Straight to charity shop. Aggravates me as I buy stuff they like.

I'm a really very easy person to buy for, have accessible hobbies, wide interests etc etc if someone took 30 seconds to think about me.

However.

The bargain hunter person who thinks if it's cheap, it's best. I agree up to a point but unfortunately their cheap stuff usually breaks or is cheap in the first place because it's so pointless no one else wanted it or it can't be used. I've had items that literally cannot function for the purpose they were designed for.

The 'bag of tat' person who buys a bag of small items of random tat which are too useless to even give away. I know from experience of working in charity shops that this stuff will never find a home and just be binned, so sadly that which can't be eaten has to go in the bin at home.

The 'gift-set' person who goes into a department store and splurges on prepackaged 'gifts', the novelty kind from the 'gift' section where most stuff is neither use nor ornament, such as uncomfortable socks in an ugly mug and so on.

The 'incapable of empathy' person who buys me what they would like for Christmas because they aren't able to put themselves in other people's shoes. Including stuff related to their own interests and hobbies which I have never taken any part in.

All these people mean well so I'm grateful, but the worst gift giver is the 'This is the person I want you to be' gift giver who buys me things they think I should use because they don't approve of my lifestyle or choices. They don't approve of my frying pan so they'll buy me an frying pan in a brand they approve of, or stuff related to my personal image - for example. That's the one that grates, because it feels like an extra fuck you wrapped up with the gift.

I've suggested over the years donations to the charities I support instead, which I would genuinely appreciate because I'm drowning in crap I don't need every year and feel horrible that so much money and resources get wasted. But that gets shot down by almost everyone. They aren't even controversial charities. I've even suggested not getting me gifts at all, but no go.

@AudacityOfHope

I remember seeing a bit with Jo Brand where she said she was so fed up with the faff involved with receiving flowers that she just puts the straight in the bin.

I always wince when I see people suggesting plants as a great alternative gift for new mothers. 'Congratulations, here's something else helpless and temperamental that you have to keep alive. As if you weren't busy enough!'

My DM is under the impression that I am still 8 years old. Every year I dread the inevitable tat like cartoon socks or novelty chocolate brussels sprouts.

Mugs. Especially as I dont even drink tea or coffee.

Every December MiL goes to a craft fair fundraising thing. She always buys me a necklace and a scarf. In 10 years she has never chosen one that I would have. They end up at school fairs a few months later.