Tubs of chocolate & toiletries gift sets - show no thought

[notedbiscuits]

Now shops have aisles full of gift sets - mainly toiletries. Plus tubs of chocolates

To me, they make me think they are bought by people who give no thought. Plus some gift sets are more expensive than buying them separately. Take Dove, 2 bottles of shower gel and a body puff thing. Cost in shop £6. Go to a shop and can buy the bottles for £1.50 and body puff thing is 75p-£1 (though doesn't have the Dove tag on it) You are paying £2 for a box! Card Factory do sell gift bags for that size for about 75p. For me also, there are things in gift sets which I don't use such as bubble bath and bath salts - have shower. Last week I had a clear out of the cupboard which has medications, toiletries etc and put some of these into food banks and the posher brands, to those charity shops that do sell (unused) toiletries.

Those tubs of chocolate, which get smaller each year, There's always one chocolate families don't eat. Quality Street- toffee finger and penny - due to fillings, Heroes - Eclairs (they cheapen it by adding Eclairs) again due to fillings.

Remember being behind a woman buying 50 odd tubs of the same chocolate. Said to the cashier "Oh that's my Christmas present shopping done in one shop". Glad I am not related/friends with her. As she would give each member a tub.

If you have no idea what to buy someone, don't buy anything. My family have not sent each other Xmas presents for many years. Why waste time, money and stress?

I think you're overreacting. Are they generic gifts that dont involve much thought?- absolutely. But I presume they are for acquaintances/work colleagues etc that you dont know well enough to buy something "thoughtful" or expensive for.

There are people I buy gifts for as a thoughtful appreciation but I dont know their interests well enough to buy anything personal like perfume or jewellery for example as I have no idea what they'd like. It's also a complete waste of money to buy something you think is "thoughtful" for someone and then have them chuck it away as soon as you've left because you misjudged their interests and likes. I would HATE for someone I didnt know very well to attempt to buy me something personal because chances are I wouldnt like it.

The entire beauty of generic gifts is exactly that they are generic!

Whilst I also am not a fan of the chocolate you get in the tubs, whether they are the "best" chocolate is dependent on your personal taste.

I don't get offended if I receive them though. They're often used as "token" gifts to show they have thought about you. We usually get one from my aunt at Christmas, who I don't see regularly because we live far apart. She sends it with a card. She knows that DD will eat it and it's nice to have something open for guests to nibble on over the Christmas period.

Take them with the intent behind them. A gift. Don't be so snobby.

😂
Roll on deodorant...Now you are talking.

Shower gel...not so much. But I'd not buy someone bath or shower stuff as tastes in toiletries vary so much.

I quite often get gift sets for younger SILs/step siblings. I’m told by my brothers that they look forward to them each year. Last years gift sets were YSL make up, this years are drunk elephant and sol de janerio.

I equally always look forward to the Soap and Glory bubble bath gift set my little brothers buy me every year. I stick them in the cupboard and they usually get me through most of the year!

I'm always happy to receive chocolate!
Must have a clear-out of all the shower gel and body lotion.

I keep, getting lovely gifts, that require wall space or cupboard space and all I want is wine. Anytime I'm asked I say if you really want to get me something, wine please.
You can spend as much as you like or as little as possible. I dont mind. If the wine is totally awful, I lob it in the compost. I then have zero items I must keep or display forever and the bottle is recycled. Win win.
Wish people would listen to me about this.
I once for a change asked for jam instead. Same principle, eat or lob in compost and recyle jar. 25 jars of jam later, I want no more jam ever in my life. Lovely though they were.

Rant over.

Agreed. I like low thought, low value gifts so I don't feel obliged to try to love them.

My dad and brother stocked up for the year on the Lynx sets they used to get before we stopped doing wider family gifts.
My mother and I still buy them sets to get them through part of the year 🤣

And all the chocolates get eaten here. We buy them for the house

I hate buying gifts as I never know what to buy, I just do vouchers or generic gifts.

Idgaf to be honest.

YABU - eclairs MAKE Heroes.

I LOVE all chocolate gifts. None are wasted in this house.

I used to agree about the toiletry gift sets but actually they come in quite handy for when you need a new shower gel or fancy a bit of moisurising. Not saying I'd put them on my Christmas list but actually they are useful and save you buying something yourself here and there.

Isn't now the time to tell family your only doing gifts for children?
Or yes ask for a tub of sweets for the family... lol.
If you don't start a trend not to waste money no one will.

I told my mum to buy something she wanted last year , and so would I and we would say that was our gift , instead of the hassle of buying and wrapping.

I’d like nice chocs like Hotel Chocolat and Lily O’Brian’s !

My BIL & SIL did that, they went into The White Company and bought identical gift boxes for all females in the family and then they told us about it. Thanks, thoughtful gift! 🙄

Some very ungrateful sounding comments here. Surely someone buying you anything shows thought. They thought and cared enough about you to spend money on buying something for you, whether it's to your taste or not.

I love getting a gift set or some chocolates, sometimes more than a 'thing' that I then have to find a home or use for.

I think it depends on the context of the gift, e.g. if a vegan was given dairy chocolates by a close friend, I can understand their disappointment.

However, I'm always very appreciative of anyone taking the time and effort to give me any gift at all. Like others, I've been through harder times and been relieved that I didn't need to buy toiletries for a while.

My partner has a massive family, so now we just do under 18s, special birthdays, special events, and his mum. My family set a spending cap (there are only four of us), as do my partner and I.

With friends, almost all of us now just do special birthdays and events.

I much prefer only needing to find and budget for a few presents - it means I can afford a nicer gift and it's less stressful.

I like a gift set and chocolates.

The chocolates make a nice treat to a family movie night and I'd use the shower gels and creams so I don't mind them at all.

Don't want to sound like a goody two shoes, but I'm genuinely pleased if someone has bothered to buy me a present. Any chocolate is fine by me, toiletries not so great because of eczema, but there are plenty of charity shops or tombola happy to receive them.

I have collected together all the shower gels etc that I will never use and have half a carrier bag full of them. Need to find a good home for them .... Food bank maybe?

Vouchers are good, give you something to spend at the sales 😃

I love it when I get dove or Nivea or radox sets, stuff that will get used, and saves me buying. Chocolate fine, any I don't want I can leave in the kitchen at work or drop off for the food bank.

I'm less keen when it's the less plain toiletries and candles. Candles are a nightmare, no where takes them now.

@NoahsTortoise , it's not good when you get several gift sets and are unlikely to use any of it.

Charity shops don't all accept toiletries, and they probably get a glut of Christmas-themed ones in January.

@mumda, the Boots near me has a donation box.

Please don’t anyone give me anusol or a year’s supply of tampons to open in front of my IL’s !

Yes, or Women's Aid.