I can’t stop buying presents until I’ve used all the wrapping paper.

[nightmarestrange]

I am driving myself mad.
I have to use all the wrapping paper and strategically made all the paper and presents fit.
Now husband has asked for another gift which means buying more wrapping paper and now I am compelled to buy more presents to use up the rest of the wrapping paper because I can’t have any left over.
Whats wrong with me why I can’t I get over this it’s constantly on my mind until the wrapping paper is all gone.
I have bought far too many presents but I can’t stop until I have matched the presents and paper just right.
I hate this but I also love the challenge. I wish I could put it out of my mind.
Anyone else do this, I’m highly expecting not.

Wrapping paper does not go off. You can quite safely keep some for next year.

Buy really nice expensive wrapping paper

that will soon stop this silliness

Kindly OP, this is bonkers.

Are you feeling anxious about something else that is making you feel the need to seek this kind of control?

The healthiest thing to do would be to resist the urge to buy more presents - or simply buy a gift bag for the xtra gift for DH but anxiety doesn’t alway work like that. Can you use the left over wrapping paper for something else? Maybe make some gift tags?

You would save so much money by throwing the leftover paper away (which is of course very wasteful, but so is buying things you don’t need).

It sounds like you have a mental health issue to me if you're fixated on the wrapping paper while going about your everyday life.

Buy a gift bag for this one thing and be done with it.

Do you know have a wrapping paper drawer to keep unused rolls? Or is that just us?

I’ve just bought a whole new role for one present.
I know logically I can keep the paper until next year but I just don’t seem to be in touch with that logic and can’t stop thinking about what I can buy that will use up the rest.
I have bought too many presents already trying to get this right.
Yes it’s silly and it’s driving me to distraction.

Who buys wrapping paper? Didn’t you just inherit a stash at some point that will never run out because it gets topped up each time you receive a gift?

You sound quite fixated about the wrapping paper OP. My husband does similar and he has ICD (diagnosed).

You could look up some techniques for managing OCD(not saying you have it, just could be useful).

Or just throw it out/give it away. If you let it, it’ll continue to be a fixation.

I envy you! I only have to buy 4 presents this years and I still can’t think what to get people!

Sadly not, it’s a very one way street when you have 3 young children.

What kind of wrapping do you buy?

op… you’re being silly
but this could indicate a deeper
problem

Just buy a single sheet?

Next time you use it up. If you need to get one more present, buy a single gift bag to put it in.

I don't buy wrapping paper. All my gifts go in appropriately sized gift bags.

I don't quite see why you can't store wrapping paper until next year.

I don’t see why I can’t either and it makes perfect sense to do that.
I just can’t leave it unmatched. If I have little scraps or off cuts I will always buy something small to use it up. Now I have a whole roll and I can’t put it out of my mind even though I can see no rhyme or reason to my thinking.

wrap your last present and then donate the paper to the local school. I’m sure their PTA or on of the classes will put it to good use

Go the total opposite. Buy a storage bag and fill it up.

Example on amazon

Make a matching paper chain to decorate the tree and switch to reusable gift bags next year to solve this problem.

Could you turn the left over paper into christmas decorations, something like snow flakes that you could make with your children, then it would be used.

You definitely need to buy the single sheets..a big roll for kids and single sheets for everyone else, you can triple wrap small presents?
Or be organised and start wrapping next year's.

Definitely a fixation on this but leave that to deal with in the new year.
Any more surprise gifts, than a gift bag with some tissue paper will be lovely.

How about the thought that the only planet we have to live on is dying and overconsumption is partly to blame. That may take your mind off your wrapping paper woes. Just put it away and use it again next year.

OP you need to sort out your underlying anxiety/OCD.

Could wrapping empty boxes to use the extra paper work as an interim solution if you can just throw away the wrapping paper?