Should gifts be indulgent or practical

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

I love indulgence, something I wouldn't buy for myself. Not necessarily expensive but something frivolous. Some of the family are very practical and turn up their noses at frivolous gifts and wouldn't even appreciate the value of certain brands, e.g. White Company smellies would be akin to Asda to them. I like nicely wrapped gifts and appreciate the effort, other just plonk things in a gift bag. What do you like to give and receive?

I like things that I can use up or really want rather than clutter as I suspect we all do.

I am the easiest person to buy for 😂. I love practical eg a kitchen gadget or something for the garden and I love indulgent eg perfume or a posh handbag. 👝. I think I may have a 'surprise' of a mulberry handbag this year but in the past I've even had a new iron which I was thrilled with.

I love candles, wine, gin, nice smellies. Easy peasy. My husband on the other hand ........ usually practical but always something from his list. I used to try to surprise him. That didn't last long 😂😂

neither...

To me practical isnt really a gift - practical is day to day items you need, I buy those myself because I need them.

Indulgent is usually a fancy items (like luxuary fabrics, chocolates, designer items etc...) which might be great for some people but would be utterly wasted on me - I'm a 'cheap' person and see no need to have brand names or silk sheet or £30 chocolates.

To me a gift should be thoughtful and fun.

One of my most favourite presents ever was a suki tea teapot and loose tea . I hate smellies and expensive ones are wasted on me . They just seem such a waste of money . I do like nice bars of soap.
I wouldn’t appreciate expensive chocolate either .

I get very excited ( ok that make me the wrong word ) with new kinky clothes pegs and Lamont tea towels .

• may be ** minky not kinky 😱

And pottery . I love pottery

Practical - or really nothing, and I mean that, I do like a charity goat type gift but no one I know ever gives me one. I really don't want or need anything, like others have said, I just don't need any more clutter in my life.

I manage a charity shop, you would be amazed, and shocked, at the volume of unwanted Christmas presents we receive in the New Year - even have special posters printed now, sometimes only a corner of the wrapping paper has been torn off and the gift is clearly not wanted ... great for us but what a waste of time and money. .

I've got loads too and want to move house so trying not to acquire more stuff.

I still like nice skincare and perfume though. I've gone right off candles

Love warm socks

Never keen on kitchen gifts

Maud 🤣🤣🤣

WitchesBitchesPumpkinPants. No I definitely don't do the cooking ! Lovely DH adores food shopping (always takes ages and spends loads) and prepares and cooks our feast. All I am responsible for is decorations inc table which I love and bring drinks guru - house champagne cocktails as soon as family arrive and then topping up etc , doing wine, soft drinks and licquers throughout the day.

Present buying - unfortunately most of recipients are hard to buy for nearly teenager (puppy and lots of gaming stuff his top items ) and men who don't want anything / fussy blighters ! I ended up doing my DF as he is nearly 90 , a sweetheart and psrtially sighted and wants to get everybody something they will love .

Surely depends on the person. When it comes to gift giving, I like combining both indulgent and practical with handmade, like two years ago I gave my cousin a bunch of handmade candles knowing she loves candles and she uses them a lot but she would never spend money on some sophisticated ones. I was into candle making back then, so it worked out quite fine (here is a guide on that if anyone is interested, too!). Last year I did photo calendars for almost the whole family and it was so much fun when little kids would look at the pictures screaming "Oh, that's meeee!" . I just knew nobody was going to order the calendars with their photos, so I did them myself (here is the program for that for those who are interested).

As for gift receiving... Well, I'm a practical girl but it's only because I usually can't think of any indulgent things that I'd like to obtain. But my friends and family still manage to find something that I didn't ask for but I end up loving anyway, like a nice jewelry or a tickets to some shows or spa certificates.

Indulgent, unless I've specifically asked for a practical item. I don't want kitchenware etc unless I really need/want it.

A mixture I think.

I always like getting hair bobbles, because they snap/ping off and get lost/migrate to the bathroom cabinet.

I like things that I'll use but might not buy for myself, so I was given a set of paper clips shaped like roses last year that I love — I probably wouldn't have bought them for myself, but I smile whenever I use them.

If you want to buy me diamonds or perfume though I definitely won't complain!

I'm a bit strapped for cash so I like an upgrade on my normal, so Yankee candles rather than Poundland. I usually get some Aldi chocolate from DH but that may well off the cards this year. Actually when I think about it I only get presents from DH and my 3 kids my dad and in-laws give me money, my dad because he hates Christmas he says he had enough of it when he was a junior school teacher, my in-laws are getting on a bit (90) and as MiL has dementia they can't shop. In the past there's been a mixture from them.