To think this is the embodiment of miserable fuckers

[Scrooooooooge]

Something they want

something they need

something to wear

something to read

I mean - how bloody joyless is that bloody thing?

I love funky socks, they match each of those points for me. Imagine I could throw some pairs with buggered elastic and just replace them with xmas pairs, wouldn't that be grant?!

when i was a child my mum saved with provi all year for clothing vouchers, we all got a new school uniform, and were allowed to choose one or two pieces of clothing ourselves, that was half our xmas haul

I started using that after I had heard it. I was just going overboard, getting whatever, then panic buying last mi

I'm struggling to remember but think my children only had one big present from us. Something they really wanted. They also had carefully chosen presents from other family members (usually with a bit of guidance from me).
The stockings (small pillowcase sized sacks actually) were from Santa and were filled with lots of relatively cheap but thoughtful gifts: a book - usually an annual; drawing pad and new crayons; a game for example top trumps on a theme they liked; a selection box and most definitely socks!
I took great joy in finding bits I knew they'd love. Even now my grown up sons love their stockings and they still always contain socks of some description. They may just be work socks but could be trainer socks; cycling socks or football socks. They are always appreciated and part of our family tradition. It's also one less thing they have to buy for themselves through the year!

People who run out of ideas in this world with pretty much anything you can think of available at the click of a mouse must have very limited imaginations.

It litrally takes zero effort to think of 20 things my kids would like because I know their likes well.

And yes people buy gifts AND do pantos, visit santa, xmas lights etc...

I've just been building my Lego Friends advent calendar (yes I'm doing it earlier but I want to use the parts in a xmas scene build) and it got me thinking....
Do people count the advent calendar as 1 of the gifts? I mean the type that cost around £15 - 20 (like a Lego/Playmobil etc one).
The Lego set I am hoping to get for my 'main' present only costs a few £s more than my advent calendar.
I am curious.....if you buy one of those type of advent calendars do you count it as a gift?

I had this annual as a child. Loved it, although I was the top end of age group for it. It's definitely something I wanted. We only had about half a dozen presents in total, including from family members.

I buy DGSs a book each, and all are keen readers. Their father is a voracious reader and was as a child, too. My DC only had a small number of presents too as we don't have large families and we're poor ourselves.

Were poor ..bloody autocorrect

No, I do not count an Advent calendar as a Christmas gift.

We have a few: a star path for Mary, a wooden tree with numbers and a sleigh MIL gave the DC. The Kindness Elves put a smartie or a jelly tot into the sleigh for each DC.

@stargirl1701 but if your child really really wanted a Lego Star Wars advent calendar (which are around 20 quid) would you pay for out of your Christmas present budget?

I don't have a budget. I don't use the poem to save money. The whole purpose of our approach is to reduce our impact on the planet. No new plastic - second hand only. I haven't wavered from that in the 10 years since my DDs were born. They have had new wooden toys.

Same rules for me too. My phone is second-hand, my laptop is second-hand, my car is second-hand. My clothes are second-hand (except underwear...not ready for that step!).

@stargirl1701 you must have some sort of budget in your head surely?
Anyway...my thinking was along the lines of people who say they follow the 4 things rhyme or say they only get their child "one gift" yet when you look at it they also buy a fancy advent calendar, christmasy craft sets (to do before the actual day like a make a tree decoration kit), Christmas jumper, Christmasy films on dvd to watch on Xmas Eve etc and I was just wondering if in their mind do they count these as gifts.
My pre-christmas stuff I have bought already (2 Christmas Lego sets for a display, 3 new tree decorations, 2 craft kits) adds up in cost more than what I hope to get as my actual Christmas Day gifts - so for me they are part of my gifts.

Not really. They never ask for anything wildly expensive. DD1 asked for a potato one year 🤪

Letters to Father Christmas need to written on Sunday coming as it's the beginning of Advent. We'll see what they come up with!

One book?

Well, that would have taken care of boxing day. Boring as hell for the following week and a bit until school started again, though.

I did love getting nice clothes from family at Christmas, though. Especially as they bought things from marks and sparks in the colours I liked and in materials that didn't look knackered, faded and scratchy by mid January.

No. It's an advent calendar, not a Christmas gift!

@GiraffesAreTheBestDancers I was just curious...how can one of these be a gift and one not?

I think an Advent calendar is a good gift for a November or early December birthday. Bit early for Christmas.

Lego advent calanders were not classed as a present when dd was younger. Same as all the Xmas crafts and the days out. They were just things we did in the run up to the big day.

A Christmas gift is something that is given or received on Christmas.
An advent calendar starts 25 days before Christmas and progresses one day at a time.

Exactly. I was somewhat confused when we got a gin advent calendar wrapped up for Christmas Day. We ended up having 1 each on the 1st of each month. 3 bottles of gin would have been better value for money!

That is weird. Smacks of regifting...

I find these gin/beauty product/tea etc advent calendars totally bonkers. It's like buying a gigantic commercial.

@Nutrigrainygoodness but.....are you one of the people who say "oh I only get my kids 4 presents and I use this handy little rhyme" but actually you get the 4 presents, plus a full stocking, plus a Lego advent calendar, plus a bunch of craft things, plus new novelty tree decoration etc etc?
Obviously not saying you specifically are one of those people but in it's just something I was curious about.
Person who follows the rhyme of 4 but actually also gets all these other bits or person who buys 20 gifts all piled under the tree together. Really what's the difference?
Anyway.... I've built all the little builds in my Lego advent calendar. Have an actual cardboard one for December 1st 🙂.

@TheSilentPicnic I didn't mean giving an advent calendar as a Christmas day gift. That would be odd. It would be given on December 1st. I was more curious if people would count it as part of their gift budget.
As in £15 on a Lego advent calendar plus £15 on a Lego lorry set. In a persons budget would it be "I have £15 for a gift the advent calendar doesn't count" or " I have £30 for a gift so I will use half to get something I gift on December 1st"

If you think back to your childhood, your presents probably all fitted into these categories. You don’t love your child more just because you buy them more presents (and possibly get yourself into debt) Depending on budget, each present from each category could cost a £1 or could cost £1000 plus. Up to you really 🤷‍♀️

I dislike that poem intensely!
I grew up in Ireland and Christmas was a huge deal there with lots of wonderful gifts brought by Santa.
My dh grew up in England with a far more 'sensible' take on Christmas. We have carried on the traditions I grew up with and he loves it!
We don't buy mountains of 'tat', we buy things dc will love and use and cherish. But we definitely buy far more than 1 thing they want.
I have never given, nor received toothbrushes, toothpaste, knickers, sanitary towels or spot cream in a stocking. The thoughts of that makes me sad to be honest.

I have given and received socks though - nicer ones than the norm.

We have never run out of things to buy as gifts either and we also do lots of 'experience' things too - Christmas markets, carol services, travel some years

And we always give books as dc love reading even now as teens