What gifts do you never want to be given again? And what do you wish people knew you would always like to receive?

[escapingthecity]

My never again list:
Mugs
Tea towels
Socks
Biscuits
Jam
Wine
Tea

Drawers and cupboards bursting with all of them!

What I would always love more of:
Knitwear, esp fair isle jumpers
Scented soap (it goes in drawers to deter moths if it's too pungent/floral for hand washing)

I love how what’s on some people’s yes please lists are on others’ no thanks. Except for generic gift sets where there is a bit of a common theme. Someone must be buying them as the shops are always full of them.

My no thanks are:

Coasters
Candles
Diary
Purse/wallet
Prosecco, white wine, gin, champagne, aperol spritz
Christmas decorations
Anything for the kitchen
Cushions
Ornaments
Posh chocolates
Mugs
Any experiences where there is a risk of the voucher expiring before I can find time to book it

Yes please to:
Red wine
Bailey’s
‘Normal’ chocolate - Galaxy or Dairy Milk is grand
Jewellery
Chanel perfume (any type)

I’m adding books to my “no thanks” list. Not because I don’t love them- I absolutely do- but I currently have about 50 books in my To Read pile so the chance of someone buying me a random book and it getting read in the next 6 months are basically zero.

No to:
Cheap scented candles
Tea
Bayliss & Harding anything
Bars of soap

Yes to:
Chocolate of any description
Socks
Hand cream ... I get through buckets of it

No to
Any kind of experience or spa day
Chocolates no matter how posh as I am diabetic
The same for wine or spirits
Pretty much the same for any food product
Toiletries gift sets
Slippers socks

Yes to
Anything gardening even a bag of manure would be welcome
Anything cats even tea towels if they were cat printed.
Base layers

I just don't actually want gifts from anyone. I prefer to choose my own things and hate to waste other people's money. A voucher is lovely, but I'm quite happy to just have a card.

No to anything that I have to house on a permanent basis, no matter how lovely.

Yes to consumables which are gone once they're used up - smellies, scented candles, wine, booze, fancy cooking ingredients like expensive olive oil or truffle oil, preserves, chocs etc.

I don't want
Gin I've still got bottles from last year.
Toiletries.Again I've still got loads left from last year and the year before. I'm nit keen on Soap and glory so end up giving it to the teens I work with.
I dont want hobby related gifts,especially novelty items. I hike and cycle so get so many things that I've already got ans prefer what I already have, eg map cases, flasks etc. Personalised maps are no good because i know where i live and the areas around me!!
Cook books. I have far too many, over 200, and really need to thin out.
Random perfume and make up. I like receiving these but only stuff I'm going wear and love.

Gifts that I have liked.
Olaplex mini gift set was a good buy.
Gift vouchers for expierences. I got one for Honister via Feretta which is great, and also got one for the zip wires in North Wales which I loved.
Vouchers for afternoon tea in nice places.
I normally get asked to pick a dress or something so order something from EMP.
Bobbi Brown Vit E face base.

Yes please:
Books from my wish list or book voucher
Chocolate
Nice coffee
Cashmere
Good candles

No thanks
Cheap gift sets
Body lotion!
Fleece pjs

Houseplants...hate them, can't keep them alive and the cats mangle them in days, assuming I don't have to put them in a different room because they're unsafe around animals.

Random toiletries and scented candles...one of my hobbies is aromatherapy so anything artificially fragranced isn't for me

And in my mum's case...practical gifts and stuff that's almost what you asked for but not quite.

The year I requested a Flash Power mop as I'd been impressed by hers and instead got something similar, along with gift wrapped floor wipes and a large bottle of Dettol.

What I'd love but never get:

Book tokens/Amazon vouchers
Perfume
Jewellery
Art materials
Stationery

The main lesson I take from this is never ever to buy anyone body lotion. Hand cream seems to be a safer bet though - are we less fussy about what goes on our hands?

And I really ought to set up an Amazon wish list to make sharing gift ideas easier.

Oh goodness, I need to send this thread to DM who feels the need to still provide a sack of gifts at Xmas!

No thanks, ever again:
Dove gift sets, I hate them, they go straight to the donation pile
Toothbrushes/roll on deodorant/ anything I buy on the weekly shop - capable of maintaining basic personal hygiene thank you
Fluffy pyjamas - I run exceptionally hot since having DD (I used to be a chilly teenager but age and hormones have changed that!)
Cartoon character pants - also I am now in my 30s and have no inclination to wear Minnie Mouse pants

Yes please:
Vouchers
Nice quality biscuits
Houseplants

If anyone has lots of dove sets etc hanging about. Take them to food bank or refuge as they will find a home for them.

I don't want things I regularly buy myself like hand wash (although was handy when the shelves were empty)
I would like a book or cinema voucher as I always look at price of cinema and change my mind about going!

Hand cream seems to be a safer bet though - are we less fussy about what goes on our hands?
No, that gets regifted. I only ever use E45 as hand cream.

Lots of no thanks for hand cream too... Cheap gift sets only give body lotion and shower gel, both of which I dislike. Now worrying because if I do get any, I donate them to a women's refuge box at work, I'm sure they hate them too! But those sets certainly were better to get when I was stony broke and just using value soap and shampoo in daily life so perhaps it's still OK.

Yes please to consumables including soap, shower gel, hand cream . . . Because hand cream comes in smaller tubes, better quality hand cream is a comparable price to a big vat of horrible body lotion.

I'm quite partial to a Dove gift set.

No thank you to anything that will hang around, especially if it has my name on it, or anything that needs other things to be usable (last years wax melts for example).

I just googled owl experience and now I keep getting adverts for them on Facebook 🤣🤣😬

It seems everyone wants an owl experience but no-one wants a Dove experience! 😁

Good one!

I would love socks, preferably nice soft bamboo ones. Nobody ever gives me socks. Ended up buying myself some in Sainsbury’s the other day.

I don’t really want any more hand cream - had so much a year or two ago I ended up using it as after-shower body ‘lotion’.

I would be happiest with no presents. Just enjoy seeing people.
These days I equate presents with a chore ie something I have to do or use

And a no to posh chocolates, or any white ditto. To me white chocolate is the work of Satan. . I’d rather have ‘pleb’ chocolates any day, milk or dark, I’m not fussy - but no white ones thanks.

No thanks gifts include
Random ugly jewellery (my mums speciality)
Jewellery bags, cases, boxes (ffs I barely wear jewellery, stop buying me them mother!)
Books of cat/dog facts (they just live in the downstairs loo)
Lacy or fancy underwear.

Yes please
Chocolate, any chocolate is good chocolate.
Nice bubble bath
Books (not the cat/dog facts ones!)
Comfy pyjamas
Theatre tickets

@theelephantinthegroup

We recently had a major declutter to move house, and I'm loving how much cupboard space I seem to have. So I really don't want any:

• gift sets with one mug/glass etc
• Christmas mugs
• 'Art'/fridge magnets with motivational quotes on
• gloves for small lady hands (nice big gloves welcome though!)
• nail varnish sets
• body lotion
• bed socks (I always have VERY hot feet!)

or anything that is a version of something we already have but in red and with the word Christmas on

Always welcome are:

• cheese and nice crackers
• chocolates (incredibly unfussy about what sort)
• big cosy gloves and scarfs
• books

Unfortunately, MIL likes to buy everyone lots of 'little bits' to unwrap with her and is convinced that I like the same things as her. After nearly 20 years of DH trying to gently persuade her otherwise we have given up and just to a discrete charity shop run in January!

Wrap them back up and give them to her for her birthday/Mother’s Day/Xmas! If she’s failed to notice for 20 years that it’s not what you like then she probably won’t notice getting it back!

Hate getting any smellies because I have eczema and can’t use them, even my mother buys them for me knowing full well how sensitive my skin is.

Happy to get socks (everyone needs socks) and gloves as I lose them often. House plants or plants/bulbs for the garden gratefully received.

Always welcome:

• Books (don't care if I might have read them already!)
• Chocolates
• Alcohol
• Earrings

Not welcome:

• Anything that is meant to hang on the wall/be on display
• Clothes