Aibu does anyone else get annoyed getting the same gift every year?

[grinchmcgrinchface]

lighthearted!

Every year for my birthday & christmas my parents buy me perfume & slippers. Nothing else just those two items to the point I have ten pairs of slippers I have never worn and twelve boxes of perfume
never opened - always the same perfume too.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but it’s at that point where I don’t even want to open them as I know what they are. im not even a big slippers or perfume fan so I am a bit perplexed why its always the same thing. 😂

AIBU to ask them not to give me gifts in the future and to save their money? I dont want to seem ungrateful but it seems like such a waste!
Anyone else get the exact same gifts every birthday/xmas?

I'd definitely just suggest that next year you all go out for dinner or something in lieu of actual presents.
Sell the perfume and put the slippers in the charity clothes bin!

Probably too late this year but maybe say you’ve got a stockpile now as you can’t get through these quick enough and suggest the voucher. Downplay how big the stockpile is.

Sell it all on Vinted!

just take them straight down the charity shop.

I actually said on my birthday that I had that many perfumes it will take me two decades to get through to my mum and i thought she had got the hint. Clearly not opened yesterday as i wont see her over Christmas and a another box of bloody perfume with slippers. 😂

We put up with this every year and then the eldest relative in her 80’s said no more presents. I think because she said it, we all went along with it, anyone else and some wouldn’t have taken notice. I used to get some nice things, right sizes, but my DC and DH there’s only so many jumpers you can wear.

Why on earth haven't you actually said anything before?
No hints. No "ooh I have soooo much perfume to use up".
Clear and straightforward....
"Mother and Father...please DO NOT buy me slippers and perfume for Christmas. I don't need or want any more. Thank You".
Too late for this year obviously. Next October/November time just SAY IT.

I guess I didnt want to hurt their feelings! I do get a bit sad seeing all these lovely threads of parents buying their adult children thoughtful presents and I just get these which seems rather thoughtless.
Next year I will have to be blunt I think I would rather £2 box of cheap chocolates than these lol.

At least jumpers are useful. 😂

I’ve managed to stop most of them apart from a big box of Thornton’s chocolates I get every year from an in-law - at no stage have I ever said I like them and they get passed straight to DH.

I am determined that these gifts stop next year , I always gift them to the same thing (which they love) but it’s just a waste

My mum gets me jewellery every birthday. Sounds lovely and it’s a lovely thought but I’m overwhelmed with it, it’s always necklaces and hoop earrings I don’t wear and always from the same shop so the same style every year. I basically have a jewellery box of guilt.
I kindly said last year I had too much already … no more necklaces and she totally understood returned them and she bought something practical I really needed. She was super happy as was I.
This year I opened two more necklaces and some hoop earrings…

Do you have a super polite relationship with them? Surely your mum is one person you can laugh with and tell them straight without feeling like you're offending them.
My MIL gets socks for everyone every year and we all just roll our eyes with a wooowww thanks, just what I needed then everyone bursts out laughing including her. I can't imagine not having honest, direct but lighthearted and fun conversations with parents.

No she gets offended easily and gets passive aggressive. I just keep quiet for a easy life!

Last year I specifically asked my Mum to not buy me anything at all as she always just buys tat that I give straight to charity. Last year she gave me two perfumes of the same scent which I promptly gave to a friend. This year I told her a bit more firmly so we will see what happens.

MIL buys me scarves, possibly every 2 years so not quite as regularly as you, they are lovely lovely scarves but I only have one neck and now have about 10

I never understand threads like this. These are your parents. Do they not know you or like you??? Why can’t you just tell them - mum I’ve got loads of perfume right now, I’d really like x for Christmas. ???

Maybe bring out all the slippers and perfumes on display when they hand the new lot over and place the new items next to the display in front of them 😁

I don’t believe people (even parents) who get easily offended and passive aggressive should be pandered to. They soon get the message there’s no audience to be had there.

I’d find that quite thoughtless and hurtful tbh, I could say to my mum “fgs mum please no more perfume and slippers I’ve got too much” and we could laugh about it x

I think this might be the real problem and I doubt it just manifests at Christmas...

We love adult gifts in our family but we all supply an ideas list. Nothing prescriptive or extravagant but it totally avoids this.

I like handcream but sometimes end up with a backlog so I just mention that on the list. Then no-one buys it. But I might say that I’d like some Cremant or chocolate or socks or pyjamas or earings. Sometimes it might be a specific thing like a book. So we all get a surprise but not a million pairs of slippers.

Honestly you need to nip this in the bud and be honest. Mom I have ten pairs of slippers I have not worn. And I have 20 bottles of unopened perfume. For my birthday could you please get me x or y.

Can you gift them to your local women’s aid ?

I can understand why you are fed up but you will probably miss not getting these gifts when they are dead! It’s weird what you miss when you no longer have parents.

My parents ask me what I would like and I ask for their budget and then let them know.

It seems crazy to me that you are given the same gifts every year. Giving for the sake of giving.

I wouldn’t drop hints or make these little comments because many times people don’t pick up on them. You either need to have a conservation about it with them or message them early on next year about what you’d like.

I would message them in November at the latest and say you’ve come across something you really like and you were wondering if they could get it for you for Christmas if it’s within their budget?

Do you buy gifts for them that you know they want?

I can’t imagine having a direct fun lighthearted conversation with mine!

Absolutely! Or use them as decorations on your Christmas tree.