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?

Fake plants
Temple spa
Fluffy acrylic dressing gowns
Pyjamas that are a men’s size large

Clothes for baby DS2. DS1's hand-me-downs have plenty of life left in them, and are the right season. He's 5 months old, when he has more of an opinion about hand-me-downs, then I'll accept "but he'll want clothes of his own" as a justification.

Anything bought for the sake of having something to open/cheaper versions of what's requested so that a bigger pile of shit gifts can be given/"joke" books that are entertaining for all of five minutes.

@ohwhatfuckeryisthisnow no one ever eats a whole jar every year we could and do. Between citrus and ginger fruit salad, gingerbread and just munching it out of the jar - no problem 😁 swap you for this year's selection of toiletries I'm allergic to, strong and unpleasant perfume and strange craft stuff. Yes mil, I crochet but do you really expect me to crochet a woollen swimming costume, cycling shorts or ('and I swear this is true) a George Washington hat and beard combo for a baby????

Hand cream. It smells nice (generally) but I just never remember to use it!

What a shame we can’t all swap. I’d love a jar of stem ginger (up thread) - need to buy some this week - or fruit teas but anyone would be welcome to the bottle of Bailey’s I was given this week; can’t stand the stuff!!

In all honesty; most things. I want to choose my own decor, food, books, clothing and toiletries - I have some dietary requirements and have sensitive skin/like to stick to what works. The majority of things I am gifted go to charity and I think the only people who get it right are friends who know you well. I'd prefer everyone saved money (and the environment) and bought me nothing I'm always pleased to reveive gift cards for things like amazon or Boots but equally it's not greed- I can happily do without. It is nice to choose something you want though and I'm always grateful for that consideration when I get a gift card.

We exchange gifts with family up north already and it's the same every year- clothes that aren't in our sizes or style, non vegetarian foods (pair of veggies) and novelty socks. Just seems such a waste, but they won't stop even when asked because they 'want to get us something' .

It's really cheered me up to see that I'm not the only person who can't stand scented candles or body lotion!

I don't mind, though, I just regift them. It still saves you money. Just buy something you'd actually like with whatever you would have spent on the person you didn't have to buy a present for.

I'd much rather just be taken out to lunch or cooked something, and choose what I want to read or wear or smell myself .

Yes "special food" too. Like tins of salmon caviar (!) or finest Spanish anchovies, or peaches in brandy or whatever, when at Christmas you're so stuffed with rich and special food you put it in the back of the cupboard and forget it.

This thread just goes to prove how fucking insane it is that we all buy each other gifts every year. You can bet your bottom dollar that the posters who have received unwanted gifts on here have also given unwanted gifts out to their mils and dils too.

This way madness lie.

@Redwallisanovel

Loved your descriptions- so true. Sat here laughing

Ugly mug and socks

Body lotion! Who on earth uses the stuff? Random plastic jewellery-my dm is renowned for this. Just has to buy something because she’s been on holiday and wanted to get me something, which is sweet, but I don’t wear jewellery apart from my wedding ring. Drives me nuts.

I would love to know if you guys have actually stopped buying stuff/shit for other people.
I hate pointless stuff but it’s Christmas and I hate being ungracious more. Unless prop,e specifically say “ nothing” followed by a good reason not a “polite, don’twaste your money” reason, I’m not going in empty handed.
I really like my friends where if you see something perfect you get it but there’s no need to bother otherwise.
What was most annoying was the year I suggested family super Santa but SIL said no. She was hosting and insisted everyone bought everyone something to go under the tree. So loads of crap generic presents - scarves for the old, candles for the middle aged and chocolate for the young.

Novelty/patterned socks of any kind. I don't do novelty anything ever. Both my mum and MIL get me novelty socks most years and I always feel so guilty when they go straight to the charity shop.

Any sort of tat. Little signs with sayings about prosecco and gin. I drink the odd G&T (although it's not my usual tipple of choice, I'm a red wine drinker) but have no idea why I might need a magnet proclaiming that it's gin o'clock. Ornaments. Knick knacks. Nope. I have a friend who buys me this stuff every year but she'd be mortally offended if I ever suggested we stop buying presents and use the money to go out for lunch instead. She loves presents, both giving and receiving.

Continuing on the gin/prosecco theme - gin flavour marshmallows. Prosecco flavour sweets. Little flavoured balls for putting in gin. Syrup for putting in prosecco. Gin scented Bayliss & Harding bloody soap. I don't know why everyone thinks I'm obsessed with gin, I'm really really not.

Chocolate - don't eat it, don't like it. Most people know this but I get the odd box which goes straight to the food bank.

The same friend as mentioned above and a family member both like to give me novelty Christmas things. One year I got two Christmas salt & pepper sets. Ceramic Christmas measuring spoons from Avon. Christmas egg timer.

Lip balms. I like "natural" products. Burt's bees is not "natural" enough, it's just waxy.

But I know I've got presents people don't like. I got my dsis an Aussie shampoo/cond/serum set one year. Come June she put up a pic in the what's app group of toiletries she was getting rid of... Aussie set in there. So I got it back!

Did you know you can donate unwanted gifts to food banks - no wait, you've only been told 65 times. Sweet baby jesus why dont people read!

Toiletries
Yankee Candles
Scarves
Synthetic fibre anything but particularly dressing gowns.

Fortunately I’ve never got sucked into buying or receiving presents for or from friends, it’s family only here. My hairdresser has about a billion presents to buy as she has a big extended family she buys for and does presents with lots of friends.

if posting and stuff wasnt so much i would say we should all have a swap shop.you give to recieve something...

i love body lotion.and candles.sorry.
but actually not if i had a million of them.one at a time on a non stop stream would be lovely though.

I get pamper stuff every year and have more body lotion than any person needs in their lifetime. I never open the boxes and just donated them all to a women's aid. I also get a jack will hat and scarf box every year - these go to homeless shelters.

We have cut down massively on present giving over the years. It helps that we live 4,000 miles away. But now we just do ourselves, our parents, and my nieces. No uncles/aunts/cousins (except one who lives alone)/siblings etc. We also only send cards to about 10 people max.

It saves SO much money and I like to think we're helping the environment. OK, so the pile under our tree isn't as huge (the cutting back on gifts was reciprocal), but we all like what we get, and we alsways phone or skype people on the day instead of loads of presents.

Christmas socks and a twee calendar - gifted to me every year by DB & SIL (she was the shopper, he used to get me great stuff before he married her). I worked in a financial institution and had my pick of great arty calendars from all the banks. Fortunately, my DM managed to negotiate that it should be presents for the DC only.

Tried to kill off presents for DH adult family but my SILs objected strongly. So we get a pile of crap from them - I go to the charity shop twice a year.

Candles
Handbags
Bathbombs and cheap toiletries

I'm really easy to buy for if people just listened - I love a book token or a theatre token. No wrapping required and no major investment of time needed.

Clothing gifts for my DC that don't fit or are in weird colours that won't match anything and have the tags torn off or have been bought in another country, despite the fact the SIL has children the same age. I always give gift receipts and make sure there is plenty of growing room left. Eldest DD is resigned to the fact that she won't actually get something she can use and youngest DD ends up preferring the hand-me-downs that we've bought rather than the gifts.

Nothing gets binned, it all goes to the charity shop as fast as possible, hopefully someone will enjoy them.

DP’s two aunts and grandfather don’t buy actual gifts, but every birthday and Christmas card contains several scratch cards. Does my Brain in. For my birthday this year I got £35 worth of scratch cards sent to me. What a waste of money. Save it, or buy me something with it if you want to spend your money on me. obviously I always scratch them off Incase I hit the jackpot...

Hand cream

Mugs - One is enough, I don't need twenty.

Not Christmas present related but I have a friend who thinks I like red velvet (I hate cream cheese frosting) as I once made a polite comment when I had to try one of her cakes. She constantly bakes me red velvet cakes or tags me on social media if anything new comes out in red velvet flavour.