Having Christmas without presents.

cheesefest said:
There's no need to waste time, money and stress for this.
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The difference is that I dont see buying things for the people I care about as a waste. Its not even stressful as I'm finished, I tend to have gotten everything by the end of Nov.
 
Bear said:
The difference is that I dont see buying things for the people I care about as a waste. Its not even stressful as I'm finished, I tend to have gotten everything by the end of Nov.
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Same with me, I save throughout the year for food and gifts so by the time Dec 1 rolls around I have a shopping list and the means.

Tbh I enjoy the day I give myself to do all the sorting / shopping etc - puts me in a good mood.
 
Bear said:
The difference is that I dont see buying things for the people I care about as a waste. Its not even stressful as I'm finished, I tend to have gotten everything by the end of Nov.
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Yep, everything I am buying for people this year is wrapped and ready to go. I love getting things for people and buying across the year when I see something appropriate is much better than just buying any old thing on Dec 24th. Now I can relax knowing I don't have to endure the shopping madness (except the supermarket on the 23rd)
 
Bear said:
The difference is that I dont see buying things for the people I care about as a waste.
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If it's something they don't want, won't use, and will take up space in the back of a drawer or cupboard for a couple of years until it ends up in the bin, then what do you see it as if not waste?

By all means if you want to buy someone a "proper" gift (by which I mean something which is meaningful and will be appreciated), then great (although I'm not sure why Christmas is needed for that), but lets be honest here, for every decent gift given at Christmas, there will be countless pieces of overpriced & unwanted tat gifted due to people feeling obligated to do so.
 
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Haggisman said:
If it's something they don't want, won't use, and will take up space in the back of a drawer or cupboard for a couple of years until it ends up in the bin, then what do you see it as if not waste?

By all means if you want to buy someone a "proper" gift (by which I mean something which is meaningful and will be appreciated), then great (although I'm not sure why Christmas is needed for that), but lets be honest here, for every decent gift given at Christmas, there will be countless pieces of overpriced & unwanted tat gifted due to people feeling obligated to do so.
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It depends if you actually put some thought into what you are buying for them does it not? If you buy something that isnt wanted and not going to be used I think you failed in putting the slightest effort into thinking what they actually like or are interested in
 
Bear said:
It depends if you actually put some thought into what you are buying for them does it not? If you buy something that isnt wanted and not going to be used I think you failed in putting the slightest effort into thinking what they actually like or are interested in
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I agree, but you're lying to yourself if you think presents like that make up more than a tiny fraction of the gifts which are given for Christmas.

Like I said, people feel obligated to give something, and in most cases that something invariably turns out to be pointless tat which only exists for the purpose of being given as a gift.
 
Haggisman said:
I agree, but you're lying to yourself if you think presents like that make up more than a tiny fraction of the gifts which are given for Christmas.

Like I said, people feel obligated to give something, and in most cases that something invariably turns out to be pointless tat which only exists for the purpose of being given as a gift.
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Oh I absolutely agree but I was talking about me and why I dont feel it a waste buying for people I care about (you even quoted it before). For sure people all over the world will get things they dont want and thats usually down to thoughtless gift buying out of obligation as you say. If people dont want to put any thought behind it then I can see why they prefer not to bother
 
Used to love Christmas when younger, looked forward to opening presents, watching a Christmas movie together around the TV and a nice dinner.

Now no one gets around the TV together, ever, and buying/receiving presents when we don't need or want anything isn't the same.

I'll still buy the kids presents but once they ripped open and left the wrapping scattered all over the place it's back to OCUK forums :)
 
Who was the guy here who used to buy such a mountain of presents that were like the top Gadget Show prize for his kids and arrange them in such a way that you knew he was only doing it so he could photograph and share it online, rather than actually buying them for his kids. :cry:
 
I think if that's agreed upon and everyone feels the same way then it's fair enough.

I find as I get older I think much more about what to get my loved ones rather then what I want myself. I try to put thought behind the things I buy, I think that ultimately matters more.
 
Em3bbs said:
Who was the guy here who used to buy such a mountain of presents that were like the top Gadget Show prize for his kids and arrange them in such a way that you knew he was only doing it so he could photograph and share it online, rather than actually buying them for his kids. :cry:
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My other half's niece is like this, she will buy (on credit) her kids literally the biggest pile of presents ever, so she can plaster photos all over Facebook to show what a great mum she is.

In reality she's an arrogant, selfish, aggressive and downright nasty piece of **** who repeatedly gets evicted for non-payment of rent, probably doesn't pay off any of the credit cards she runs up debt on, and is constantly crying to her mum and dad for money, she also sure as hell won't be winning any parent of the year awards. To be fair her parents are **** too, who screwed over my other half for any inheritance when her dad died, tried to stop her coming to the funeral, scattered his ashes without telling her, and sold all his stuff without any input from her. All for the sake of a couple of £k.

Needless to say they definitely don't go on our Christmas list :cry:
 
BowdonUK said:
I only buy presents for my parents. I haven't got kids (that I know of!), so it's easier not to have an obligation to buy presents.

I tend to buy things I want throughout the year, so Christmas isn't a special time to buy things.
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I'm the same as you, but as a thought, what do people think to buying presents that are events that you do with the person you buy them for? E.g theatre tickets, cinema ticket to go watch a movie together, trip round the nearest castle etc. Perhaps this is an idea of what we should be buying now. Items are so easy to buy now that everyone owns all they really need, but events are something you can never have too much of.
 
We don't go too mad with gifts. Spend about £20 a person and only buy for a handful of people.
I really like Christmas, me and the wife both have time off and while we see a lot of the family anyway it's nice to have an extended period where we don't do much apart from do stuff with them.
 
unwashed potato! said:
I'm the same as you, but as a thought, what do people think to buying presents that are events that you do with the person you buy them for? E.g theatre tickets, cinema ticket to go watch a movie together, trip round the nearest castle etc. Perhaps this is an idea of what we should be buying now. Items are so easy to buy now that everyone owns all they really need, but events are something you can never have too much of.
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The only thing i get my Dad for Christmas and Birthday now is rugby tickets so we go to a match together.
 
unwashed potato! said:
I'm the same as you, but as a thought, what do people think to buying presents that are events that you do with the person you buy them for? E.g theatre tickets, cinema ticket to go watch a movie together, trip round the nearest castle etc. Perhaps this is an idea of what we should be buying now. Items are so easy to buy now that everyone owns all they really need, but events are something you can never have too much of.
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No issues with this at all, for my Mums 70th we bought her tickets to the Mamma Mia Experience at O2. Last year I bought her tickets to a pantomime that we then went to together. Gives her quality time with her favourite son and a show to enjoy.

And even in the silly thing with my mate, we have done go karting, off roading, quad biking all because we've bought two tickets and given them to the other person.
 
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Think social media is making some saddos feel the need to do - the family matching PJs, the Christmas Eve box, Christmas cushions, Christmas bedding. There's a bedding/curtain/home decor shop in the shopping area of my work that sells the latter two. I don't change my cushions and bedding.
 
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