Thoughtless gifts

[MrsHugsxx]

Fully expecting to be told I am unreasonable on this one but would like others thoughts. We met up with my mil yesterday and exchanged presents and opened them after she left. Now I will say I am not materialistic at all. I like nice things but I'm not obsessed by it and I know that some people don't have a lot of money. I'm not flushed myself.
I received a deodorant wrapped up and my DH received a pair of socks. The kids each all received a card game and eldest DS got a toy car. None of these gifts were age appropriate or had any thought put into them. It is not about the money but it has just annoyed me I suppose that she has just picked up the cheapest things she's seen and thought " that'll do". Again it's not about the money, but the thought that goes into giving gifts that I think is important.
We didn't spend a lot on her, we got her a bottle of the alcohol she likes and a couple of little things that we know she likes. But she must have known that the gifts she got us were unsuitable. Reading this back I know how I come across, but honestly, she's their nan. It made me feel as though she doesn't care. It's the thoughtlessness that bothered me, not the lack of an expensive gift.

@RelightMyPfizer

My SIL gave us framed photos of her children for 16 years (school type ones)

Haha I did this to my parents and in laws for my ds first Christmas. I must have still been too hormonal and suffering from PFB syndrome . I haven't done it since!

Many years ago, my DH once bought me a secondhand Yoda backpack with stains on it. He was being thoughtful because he said on school trips, the students would be able to identify me easily (I’m nearly 6ft, ginger, a big girl). I am not a Star Wars fan, he is. I have since said to him that new is probably best for gifts.

My mother is very old fashioned and insists on buying souvenirs when abroad. I have finally talked her out of buying poorly made massive plastic jewellery. She once bought me a wooden cat with scary eyes staring at its own bum. We have dogs. (who ‘accidentally’ got hold of it and chewed it.)

We sent my PIL 96 rolls of Andrex gift wrapped by amazon this year

That would be the ultimate gift of 2020!

@cptartapp

BIL/SIL got me a plastic 'lazy susan' with six bags of Cheddars last year. BIL then ate half. I've also had B&M bargains Mint jelly and apple sauce set, an umbrella that changes colour when it gets wet, and a red towel with glittery 'christmas' on. DH got a tshirt with a santa body on last year. MIL used to buy me pan scrubs. We've said no presents this year. Kids only.

That is the worst so far 😂😂😂 An umbrella and some cheddars

My mil gave me a regifted cardigan year before last. The cardigan her other Dil sent her (they live abroad).
She had already shown me it a week before Christmas, slating my sil saying it was too old fashioned for her and it was bought as a dig. So she passes it on to a woman 30 years younger than her 😂
My face on Christmas morning must have been a picture 🤣🤣
None the less I graciously accepted because it seemed out of character.
It went to the charity shop though

@ddl1

We sent my PIL 96 rolls of Andrex gift wrapped by amazon this year

That would be the ultimate gift of 2020!

I know

Prior to lockdown they used to say how much they loved our loo roll- Andrew puppies- so I sent them some. Amazon gift wrapped it- I can't wait until the Christmas day zoom call

The worst present I ever had was a cookery book for meat - I’m veggie.
An ex P once got cinema vouchers from his sister. We often heard her husband on the local radio show entering the daily competition to win cinema vouchers, so we knew where they had come from. Just a shame they had all expired by the time Christmas came round!

I like nice lingerie and buy it myself. Late MIL bought me a pair of polyester floral knickers from Asda.

*Thoughtless gifts irritate me. Last year my parents bought me Prosecco. I was pregnant. They knew I was pregnant. Something along the lines of “ooh we bought this before we knew!” was said, as if it would have been impossible to get something else in the meantime. But they'd already bought it and prosecco is something which can be saved, it's not like it would spoil. Maybe they can't afford back up presents. I certainly couldn't!

The worst I ever got was...

A big shoe size 10 for my one year old and I was told (he can wear it when he is around 5.

Bibs for my newborn that says “daddy’s little princess”, he is a boy.. but apparently they were on discount.

That is the worst so far 😂😂😂
An umbrella and some cheddars

No way. How can that be worse than a plastic delph clog and a plastic daffodil? (I mean it could have been a fucking tulip - at least be consistent when bastardising a culture for tacky present) An umbrella is useful and cheddars can be eaten. Wtf was I meant to do with that?

She once bought me a wooden cat with scary eyes staring at its own bum.

Bibs for my newborn that says “daddy’s little princess”, he is a boy.. but apparently they were on discount.

I laughed out loud at these. And the plastic clog with the daffodil.

@MrsKoala totally agree !

I just read the whole thread laughed so much I woke the baby up next door!!

All of these are brilliant 😃

I've had some amazingly shite presents over the years from the in-laws. The free gift from a Boots offer (they obviously gave the purchased bit to someone else) one year, a bag of chocolate coins another. Several years of those crappy manicure sets, not unlike the sort you'd get in a cracker. We have children now, their grandchildren, and the gifts they buy for them are just as crap. It's become a bit of a family joke to be honest. They give new meaning to the word "tight", although to hear them talk you'd think they bought the Crown Jewels each year.

I love a new pair of socks, I ask for socks every year. My DD bought me 8 pairs for my birthday (and I think I have more coming fro Christmas) and I always buy shower gel and deodorants for my kids and DP for Christmas. It bulls out their presents and it all gets used!

I'm obviously the odd one out who relies on my MIL to buy me toiletries for Christmas/bday. I didn't get any this year as my birthday was in lockdown & I was very concerned that I'd actually have to buy shower gel for the 1st time in years! 😂
I also asked for socks last year (although
I did ask for bamboo ones).

My current "problem" is a glut of prosecco as DH doesn't drink it & a whole bottle to myself seems a bit much most of the time.

My aunt used to be terrible for buying my brothers & I the wrong size of pants or tshirts. Brothers would some times pass it on to each other or dad. My stuff was always 2 sizes to big even after they had asked my size & I'd told them! I think mum told them not to bother after she went for the receipt & said not to waste money. We didn't receive clothes after that.

Awful gifts. Almost comically so.

Some members of my extended family are notoriously tight, and not for the want of financial comfort.

My stepmum beats them all though, she buys awful gifts on purpose as she hates me. She once gave me a bottle of vodka, with a third of it missing, and gave my dh a woman’s cardigan. She claimed it was ‘unisex’. It wasn’t. He is a 6’4” man and this was a medium woman’s size, he could barely get an arm in when I made his try it on while falling about laughing. Was worth it for the giggle, but she really takes the biscuit.

My MIL gave me a second hand book of poetry, one of those mirrored glass jewellery boxes and a god awful tarnished costume necklace. For my 40th. Can't wait to see what i get for Christmas

Either suggest you stop swapping presents or buy her a bottle of something you know she won't like next year. I never reward bad behaviour

Every year PILs buy us a brightly coloured duvet and pillowcase set (different colour each year). They have never been inside our bedroom so have no idea how it is decorated. Sometimes BIL and his wife and/or SIL and her husband get us one too. We've never used any of them, we buy 2 sets each time we decorate.

My in-laws, yet again, have very kindly ordered presents from Amazon to be sent to us directly. However, they are too cheap to pay for gift wrapping. So I have the pleasure of opening, seeing receipts, and then GIFT WRAPPING MY OWN PRESENTS. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Year 2 said they didnt fit. Was told that no-one could have size 7 feet as it was uncouth and I must be wrong

Priceless!! Uncouth and you must be wrong

I received an empty, dented biscuit tin once. Another year, a single clear bra strap. The following year, a size 4 skirt and size 20 top. I was a size 12 at the time.

All these gifts were from the same person.

One Christmas (keep in mind that my birthday is soon after Christmas) she gave us both (me and DH, her beloved son) €20 for both Christmas and my birthday. DH was joking that I get to spend €15 since it's my birthday too

My MIL used to buy me a pack of American Tan tights every Christmas. Wrong size too. And a black jumper as well. Never wavered.
My husband got a C and A jumper which she'd stocked up on when those closed down....when she died we found about 15 more ready for the following years.
The DC would get bras one year and a Barbie the next.
We grew to find it so funny and always opened them on Christmas Eve. Loved them in their own way.
We miss her gifts now she's gone.