Having Christmas without presents.

cheesefest

cheesefest

cheesefest

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My parents and family don't do Christmas presents. We buy gifts for birthdays which are more personal.

For Christmas, I buy the food and some of the drinks - thanks to the discount I get at my work. My parents contribute with the rest of the drinks and cooking what needs cooking.

I get mixed comments from people - most say its a great idea as that way, the food and drinks are used. Others say Christmas is about giving.

There's no need to buy presents for everyone as some get put in a cupboard and forgotten about. Some get listed on eBay almost straight away - 40k+ results for "unwanted Christmas present" on eBay last BD and similar to unwanted Xmas gift too. Then some presents, such as the tubs of the inferior chocolate, toiletries gift sets etc scream to me 'Not thought much'.

I remember a lady who bought about 40 tubs of these inferior chocolates (the same one) and said to my colleague "That's all my Christmas presents shopping done in one shop". I despaired her friends and family - as for example - a family of four related to her would got 4 of these.

There's no point getting skint over buying presents for those who won't use them.

Anyone else like me who don't do Christmas presents?
 
cheesefest said:
I remember a lady who bought about 40 tubs of these inferior chocolates (the same one) and said to my colleague "That's all my Christmas presents shopping done in one shop". I despaired her friends and family - as for example - a family of four related to her would got 4 of these.
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That is shockingly lazy and thoughtless.

To quote cancer man off the XFiles*: "life is like a box of chocolates: a thoughtless, perfunctory gift which no-one ever asked for"

*this is from memory, so may be slightly off
 
So how do you gift the **** presents your Auntie Val bought you back to her the following year if you don't do Christmas presents?
 
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VincentHanna said:
Me and my wife don't get anything for each other, we just put the money towards holidays.

I buy for my immediate family, and that is about it.

Plus there is this:

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This is what I’m talking about! People need to watch and implement.

Plus working at a supermarket, we get customers trying to refund branded stuff - booze, toiletries, books, toys etc without a receipt after Christmas as either they don’t drink that booze, already read the book etc.

We and many retailers don’t refund anything like that without a receipt!

They try to refund as it’s the nearest supermarket to them.

No receipt, no refunds!

Or just ask nicely what they want or don’t drink
 
wordy said:
So how do you gift the **** presents your Auntie Val bought you back to her the following year if you don't do Christmas presents?
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My late grandmother used to get Readers Digest and other things on subscription and got free gifts and she gifted them. My dad got a RD year plate. Off to the charity shop it went. On display in the window. Don’t worry my grandmother lived 100 miles from us!
 
Many shops sell pointless gifts. Such as the miniature jars of jam which don’t do a slice of toast.

Some toiletries gift sets are more expensive than buying the things separately- as the latter are on offer. Lynx body spray and shower gel in a box - £8. Separately- £5.
 
We have a family secret Santa, that way everyone gets something to open without spending a fortune and it becomes a bit of a competition to see who can get the best present in budget.
 
cheesefest said:
Anyone else like me who don't do Christmas presents?
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Yea my side of the family is like that, I think the whole thing is commercial rubbish.

Don't get me wrong, enjoy spending time with family, good food drink etc.

But buying presents for the sake of it......


Unfortunately the other half and family are the other way around, they ask me what I want, every year, I say nothing, every year some ******** they wasted money on.

I go problem getting presents for the kids though.
 
A few years ago I remember a colleague panicking about not bought anything for her sister’s fiancé’s stepmother. I asked does she buy anything. No. I said she doesn’t buy for you and more importantly you aren’t related!
 
Sheff said:
We have a family secret Santa, that way everyone gets something to open without spending a fortune and it becomes a bit of a competition to see who can get the best present in budget.
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This is the way to do it. We use a site called "drawnames" where each person can make a list of what they want, and the names are distributed randomly & anonymously.

Everyone has something (hopefully that they want) to open & nobody goes skint buying useless tat for everyone.

Other than that, everyone brings/makes some extra nice food, drink, snacks etc.

My family all live at opposite ends of the country, meaning we rarely all get together, so - for us - Christmas is about card & board games, playing music, and plenty of decent food and whisky :D
 
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