Who buys the presents in your house...?

[frostyfingers]

Is it all you, mostly you, or is it shared? This year, as usual I seem to have ended up buying all the presents for the children, with practically no input from DH apart from the odd grunt, and all stocking stuff. Now, the actual buying part isn't the problem, it's the total lack of help or interest and it really gets me cross! I have bought for all my side of the family, and for his nephews. The other night, he said "what have we got for SIL and BIL" "We, I said, which we would that be?" "I haven't bought anything for them". This is because, browsing through my catalogues etc and making suggestions as to what might be appropriate for various members of his family all were shot down, so I gave up. Why do I now feel guilty....? Bah humbug, sometimes it's more hassle than it's worth.

we come up with ideas for everyone together.
we do the orders online.
Then he buys everything we need to go into town for (he works in town and does it on his lunchhour)
I buy everything else (I work less hours)
We spend a couple of evenings wrapping everything up together.

Anyone we can't think of we go into town together (with ds) and have a look about.

There is no way I'd do it all on my own.

I buy for ds and both of our nieces and nephews (11 of them in total) and my mum and nan, DP buys for his two older boys and his parents.

I find this works best, I am organised, DP is not, so this way I get all he bits and bobs then DP goes out a minute before xmas and buys his while I smile smugly.

To the OP don't feel guilty! Split the family next year so he has to buy for certain people and don't cave in and buy them for him.

Me.

He gives suggestions for his dad (whiskey), and we decided on the kid's main present in the summer.

Wrapping we share (actually, last year I took DS to hospital and came back to finished presents )

Well I got all of SILs. We are all clubbing together to get BIL a laptop, which I got in Tesco. PIL we both got theirs. I've bought all of Toms pressies and it seems like i'm buying my own, lol. We're spending xmas at PIL, so just need to turn up, but will help out. We do our own xmas dinner on new years day.

Oh, we share the wrapping and he only sends cards to his parents, brother and sister. I just have loads to write, lol.

Despite being a hardcore moany feminist, I end up doing the whole thing from start to finish including the writing of cards and sending of presents to his family

If I left it to him, he'd send a cheque for Too Much Money to each person he's got to buy for while staring vaguely into space, and then would spend £500 taking up out for christmas dinner and we'd be in debt for the next year

Me.

DH wraps.

Me

I have bought all the dc's presents, will buy all my family's, dh has not got anything and not only asked to do 'his' cards/presents to friends and family but my own as well! Yesterday he said 'why don't you buy yourself something nice for christmas and i'll give you the money?' like he was doing me a big favour. I've also had emails from his family asking what to buy dh and dcs for xmas. DH is really hard to buy for so I'm having to think up presents from them too. Tempted to say 'feck all'.

My DH does nothing towards Christmas. I'm really struggling to build up any enthusiasm this year so I very much suspect nothing will get done. Now my ds's are adult I only really feel any desire to go out and get something for dd. She wants a mobile which I got ages ago on an offer so I am probably not going to do any more shopping.
I have been suggesting to our families for many years that the adults should all just go and buy ourselves something to avoid the pile of useless gifts we buy each other each year.
I'm thinking of changing my name to scrooge!

Same as lemontart!!!!

Apart from this year, when I have also had to purchase presents for dh and the dc's from my parents, and a present for dh from his mum!

It hasn't been unknown for me to buy my present from dh! Picture this......standing in a shop.......

Dh "isn't this what you wanted for Christmas?"
Me "yes"
Dh "oh good, take it to the till then will you".

Bloody nora.

Forgot to mention, dh also requested I get a present for his sis's dog and left the fake tree in bits in the middle of the loung this am for me to put together with ds (20 months)
Have just had quick rethink and here's the plan:

• email his family and say 'no idea what to get dh - SATC dvd?'
• we are going to his mum's for xmas day so buy my own present, wrap it up and then act all surprised when I unwrap vibrator and crotchless panties in front of his mother saying 'you know me so well, darling'

have dug out his credit card to do the rest of the shopping

• buy sis's horrible dog a muzzle.
• buy dh a muzzle.

I think i'm also expected to cook but no-one has mentioned this yet

MP - that is me. I do everything. But I don't complain about it because firstly I am quite controlling and like things done my way and secondly, at least I know that 'we' are getting everybody things that they will appreciate and that all relevant people will get christmas cards and so on....

What lemon tart says. And as well as that I buy present from my mother-in-law to her son (My DH) and from her to my kids, and from sister in law to my kids and from DH to both of them. They are all completely useless. My December stress has well and truly kicked in!

Glad I'm not alone then, but jealous of some of those wonderful dh's that some of you seem to have. I do the house/tree decorating as I'm bit of a control freak on that, and most of the cooking when we do ithere which again I'm ok with. It's really just the apparent lack of interest in the dc's presents that gets me, no suggestions, response to my suggestions and doesn't even want to see what I have got. I've just had abirthday which adds to the hassle, but this year wrote a long list of what I'd like and have had some things off it, and will probably get the others at Christmas which suits me fine. Exciting stuff like oven thermometer, slipper socks, book (what a glam life I lead!). Ho, hum, don't suppose it'll ever change, and I really ought to be used to it after 18 years, just seems to be worse this time round!

I buy everything, for everybody and give DH a list with shops and where in the shop to find stuff for me.
The list is very long so it is still a bit of a surprise on xmas day as I don't know which present he selected.
The one year I forgot the list I didn't get a gift and my nieces and nephews, wanted to know If I had been naughty

I have to slip DH a note at present time to tell him what he has bought the inlaws

Now and then I throw in a dreadful gift just to see his face when he tries to explain why he bought it for them

Exactly same as LemonTart

I even buy my own presents to me from dh and wrap them up as well!!

Yes, same as Lemon Tart!

I don't mind, except when DH moans that I have spent too much....

Me, I do it all....the joys of being a single parent. Come to think about it I used to do it all when I was married.

Dh does a couple of things - this year a stocking present and ds' main present
It annoys me when he asks me what I've got and then criticises
tbh I like to do it

actaully it's a bit stereotypical really - he gets ds stuff and I get dd's

We started off with me doing everything, but mid-way through our first Xmas present buying experience, I realised my mistake (complaints from dh about everything I'd got, was about to get etc!) at which point I told him to do his family and I'd do mine. We still do that pretty much. (Though I make fantastic suggestions for horrible things for sFIL.)

Now and then I throw in a dreadful gift just to see his face when he tries to explain why he bought it for them

lol! me too - this year I wrapped up some IL stuff in the WORST glittery paper that I've ever seen, it was black glitter like tar all over everything