Does anyone else buy/wrap presents for themselves?

[JinglesWish]

I know it sounds a bit strange. My father has no interest in shopping (or in my interests or likes). My DM died when I was younger, so for as long as I can remember he tells me to buy what I want and let him know how much. Money isn’t an issue, as he’s well off. I don’t always follow up though and usually don’t buy anything for myself and he wouldn’t remember/care either way.

This year I’m buying my presents from him, so that I can wrap them and put them in a nice box and they’ll be a nice surprise for myself on Christmas Day. Well, obviously not a real surprise, but I’ll have forgotten what it is by then 😊

Does anyone else do this? So far, I’ve bought:

• some lovely fluffy sheepskin slippers
• another pair of slippers
• red checked pyjamas for Christmas Eve
• Molton Brown shower gels and hand cream
• fun socks
• more socks
• Philosophy Christmas shower gel
• some lovely bath bombs
• Benefit mascara set x3

So basically some treats that I could usually buy myself, but they feel frivolous. Can’t think of anything else to add. Maybe some candles.

Don’t know why I’m posting really. I suppose I put so much effort into choosing and buying presents for everyone else. I feel sad and daft for buying them for myself.

DH buys himself presents and I wrap them. In my defence, it's stuff like a new motorbike helmet or outdoor gear.

Does anyone else buy you presents, Jingle?

I don't think it's silly. It's so easy to overlook yourself.

I buy myself nice chocolates on my birthday, but don't wrap them.

I think it's a great idea. I love getting a stocking, but haven't had one since I was a kid, so I might do one for myself this year.

I sort of do this, in the sense that my parents live in another country and send me a JL voucher usually so i can buy us all gifts and wrap up.
I am contemplating buying my gifts from my kids this year as Im sick of the same cheap crap my ex buys me from them.

I've just bought myself a ruinously expensive jumper that was supposed to be a Christmas present and a firm investment in the post-covid future. But now I need it for a Zoom meeting next week ...

I did this once in my early twenties, but my parents were so horrified by how rude this was (apparently) I never did it again. I think the idea was that any spare money at Christmas should be spent on other people? Which i now think is bonkers.

I think though, if you like to unwrap things at Christmas and nobody else will wrap them, it's a lovely thing to do for yourself. (But I can see why it might make you feel sad).

Yes. I'm a single mum and my DS got upset a couple of years ago because 'father Christmas hadn't brought me as many presents'.

So now I wrap things for me to make it all equal. It makes it nicer for DS and can be anything really - socks, a new lipstick, a book - they don't have to be much.

And yes, I do realise how sad that makes it sound

I’ve been wondering about this. Mainly because I’m a single parent ( and single!) so don’t get any presents from anyone apart from the ones my kids buy with my ex. My mum does send me some money. The reason I’m wondering is because the kids are now old enough to start noticing and my youngest gets very upset on my behalf!

Having said that I hate wrapping so probably won’t bother 🤣.

When I was a single mum I did this. I’d buy myself some presents and wrap them up myself.
Nobody ever bought me any presents, or even bought me a card from my kids.

Luckily I have a DH now, and he buys me presents.

X post @Mintjulia

Not the same at all but in the same vein... every year I say I'm happy with a lovely bunch of flowers and fancy chocolates. Every year I get a try hard version of the same but absolutely not what I want (soap and cola bottles??) but I smile and nod anyway! But I do stockings for everyone at Xmas, and fill mine up with lovely things I want and pretend to be surprised on Xmas day. Santa is generous!!

I buy my own B'day gift from DH. Don't bother wrapping it though. It's an excellent solution-I get exactly what I want and he doesn't have to bother. This year I'm being 'surprised' with a Rituals beauty advent calendar
My darling mum conspires with me to buy a small something from my DC, but she gets it so again, I get exactly what I'd like and all I do is act surprised and delighted!
It is a good way of avoiding getting tat and choosing what you'd love!

i don't but i think i might this year, it sounds like a great idea.

Thanks for sharing. Glad others do this for themselves too, especially if you’re a single parent.

I should add that I do get other presents. DH will ask what I want and this year it will be nice leather boots which I’ll get before Christmas (last year it was a Dyson hoover 😂). PIL will send a hamper from Fortnum & Mason (they’re very wealthy and don’t care about any recipient). It’s none of the loveliness from F&M. It will have a bottle of brandy, some duck liver pate and something pickled, so all quite yuck and I’ll give it away.

I know this sounds ungrateful. It would just be lovely for someone to write a list of what they think I’d actually really enjoy. Little treats like socks and hand cream.

Anyway, thank you for listening and I’m loving this board, especially the bargains threads!!

I buy all sorts of things for myself, but mainly if they're from websites where I'm already shopping (I don't shop in actual shops much). So if I'm already ordering & there's something I'd like, I see no point in DH having to spend extra on delivery if I'm already doing an order which will make delivery free. DH then hides them & wraps them & I act surprised 😂. They're usually just stocking filler type things & he does buy me other bigger things.

I started doing this last year not from anyone else like yours is but from myself. I chose a couple of books I wanted and some nice chocolates and wrapped them from Santa.
I do get gifts from my DH but I just wanted to treat myself too with something I chose. Sounds daft but I lost my DM a couple of years ago and I think that made me a bit more thoughtful around myself as it was one less person who cares enough to choose a nice gift if that makes sense.
I think everyone should do it!

@littlestpogo

Gift bags are a thing of joy for us, for beautifully wrapped presents without spending hours in tedious wrapping

We keep the bags from each year to the next. Use tissue paper wrapped anyhow round the contents. They look fabulous as presents and under the tree

Enjoy

Everyone gets a stocking in our house. I pick up stuff for one 14 year old kid, 3 adult kids and DH and DH is supposed to get stuff for my stocking and 3 adult kids sometimes get odds and ends if they see anything they think I would like. My stocking used to be less than half of everyone else's and DH kept apologizing all day. Now I just pick myself up a few bits to add to what they have come up with. None of us mentions this but it just works for us. DH usually buys me jewelry as present from him under the tree.

I do this, for presents from both my Mum and DP. I have a couple of friends who buy me gifts that they choose for me and my eldest daughter does now too. I actually like it as I get exactly what I want so nothing gets wasted, I hate pointless items! This year I think from my Mum I am getting a box of books from Persephone Books and some Harris gin, and from DP a Neom wellness pod. These are things I wouldn't buy for myself, definitely very treaty!

It's good that you are choosing some gifts from your DF this year, it's good to treat yourself.

My DP is completely hopeless with presents under pressure its very odd as through the year he will pick up little things he knows I will like as a surprise and they're always lovely but for some reason he is just hopeless at Christmas or birthday shopping, I think mainly as his family do very low key holidays and mine go over board.
So instead of stressing we agree a budget and I go and get presents for both our stockings and we don't bother with big presents. It works well as I get exactly what I want/need.
I do occasionally wind him up when opening them by declaring oh my goodness how did you know I wanted this.

This is kind of why I buy beauty advent calendars. It's like someone has picked surprise presents for me.

If I was going to buy and wrap presents for myself I'd take them to the wrap thingy at the mall. I'm shit at wrapping and couldn't get excited over my own dodgy effort.

yes and no - I buy little bits to make up a stocking, they are only a few pounds worth of silly little items (sweets, an item of non expensive jewellery, a coin purse etc...) and unwrapped for myself because no one else does and I make up the other stockings so might aswell make myself one

my DH does buy some gifts for me and my mam sends a sack full off things (although its often like wish.com threw up in a bin bag lol) so its just the stocking I do

if someone gave me money and told me to buy something it would just end up in my emergancy savings. I litrally hate being told to buy my own gift, to me the point of a gift is the thought and effort a person puts in and its not a gift its just another chore if I have to do it myself

No but I might start doing it. I'm also thinking about getting an adult xmas eve box for myself (Fortnum and Mason hamper, where I've hand picked all the items)