What's with all the hampers?

[KC225]

Is it me or has this board gone hamper crazy. I get the whole family 'foodie' but it's the individual hampers. Everyone seems to be doing 'hampers'. Even people with meagre budgets are doing it. I think you can get a nice gift for say 10 pounds but them you find taking about 'doing a hamper'. Surely a hamper works out more expensive if you have factor in a basket and cellophane to wrap it in.

I suppose it depends on how its done, and what people mean by a hamper. but I know what you mean. a lot of the time i don't think people save themselves any money at all, it's just that it goes out in dribs and drabs so they don't notice it as much.

Yanbu. It's very hard to do a nice hamper without spending a fortune. People often seem to buy a collection of tat and call it a hamper.
I thought the hamper craze had peaked but it seems not.

Oh I was thinking just this earlier too. Somebody who had a 'small' budget of £40 pp for family members. Advised to do hampers to make it go further. I think £40 is generous for a gift and think you could get lovely items for that. But no, hampers!

I agree. Saying that a hamper can make an inexpensive gift look "posher" or if you have lots of small items it looks neater.

For example I spend 1/2 hour at Boots today trying to find a body/bath gift for my mum which does not contain a body scrub. Impossible. Or a make up set for my DD which was a) not too expensive or b) is not something what she already has. So I bought all the items separately but it doesn't look nice in my view just wrapping 3 individual items so I will get a small bag or a hamper as a wrapping presentation.

I find people forget sometimes what a "small budget" is, especially if it for family members. My mum/PIL ask what I would like and I normally choose something for around 20 quid max, getting a gift for 40 would actually make me feel uncomfortable.

My sil gets my mum a M&S hamper every year. She doesn't have the heart to says she doesn't like them. sil bough a huge basket years ago and asks dm for it back every year to refill which saves on buying the basket, but dm has very basic tastes and eats very little in it. Around easter time she will give me a load of posh marmalades/jams/biscuits/bucks fizz/cake/pickles etc she'll never eat before they go out of date.

Hampers are generally naff.

I have some small basket/boxes which for the last couple of years I have given to family.

I have an extremely large family and really couldn't afford to do gifts for everyone so immediate family (i.e. parents, siblings, kids and nieces/nephews) get 'proper' presents and then I give a box/basket to each aunt/uncle for their family. I fill the boxes with homemade biscuits, chocolates and honeycomb etc.

I think that this sort of thing is fine, and can save money. Everyone gives me the baskets back for the next year. I don't understand people doing bigger hampers full of bought things though. it must cost a fortune.

I'm doing a hamper this year, but not with the intention to save money. I just think it's a nice way to present lots of little presents

I'm doing a couple hampers, one for my nan and one for my dad and his partner, I'm doing them because I haven't got a clue what else to buy them as they have everything. They will only be small hampers containing a bottle of wine, posh chocolates and some nice chutney or jam. Quite simple and easy, wont cost a fortune and it's better then buying a gift that won't get used.

I do hampers every year for adult family. But not to save money.
I live in the Lake District so I add lots of lovely local stuff like Grasmere gingerbread or a herdy mug

My ds does a hamper for my mum , he puts in a couple of DVDs , all the chocolate and crap she shouldn’t eat and some Chanel NO 5 soap or talc . Shop bought hampers are generally a waste of money I think .

I do a food and drink hamper for my in laws once every 3-4 years. Not to save money, but because I have run out of ideas on what to buy. I buy all their favourite things, they have different tastes so I get a few things for mil and a few things for fil and then a small gift for each to go in it.

Some years I feel inspired and think of something good to get them. I probably do end up spending more than if we just bought a gift, but we don't really have specific a budget for them, we just buy something they would like, some years this is not much and other years we will spend a lot more.