Who do you buy presents for?

Tt88 · 14/10/13 - 16:06

Each year for xmas the only people i buy for are:

My partner, who doesnt tell me what he wants but i can usually find something.

My dog, who gets spoilt rotten!

My sister, who tells me she wants a present but gives absolutely no clue as to what. She has years worth of presents still at our parents that she hasnt found a use for!

My parents, my sister and i usually go halves and get them something nice from the both of us. Dad never wants anything but mum can be quite specific with her wish list!

So all in all for me xmas shopping isnt too stressful. Its only my sister whos a pain for wanting presents but she never uses them.

Luckily i havent got loads of friends who need buying for, neices or nephews etc so i can usually do my shopping online in one sitting.

Anyone else care to share? I know its early for xmas threads but i know some people i know have already finished several trips worth of xmas shopping!

Pumping Iron · 14/10/13 - 16:08

Just my close family, including my pets and gifts for a few friends young kids.

Jane Doh! · 14/10/13 - 16:08

My daughters, my son-in-law, my dad. I get something for my mother and her husband from my youngest daughter, and something for her dad. That's it.

Vicky. · 14/10/13 - 16:09

Just the kids in the family.

My parents kick off if I buy them stuff as they know I am skint. I bought my sister a gift last year and she was mortified because she hadnt got me one,she had only got one for my daughter..so we decided to only buy for each others kids.

[Deleted User] · 14/10/13 - 16:11

This year there is a major cull. I'll buy for my partner, my mother, my godchild and my cat.

I hope nieces, nephews and the rest are not too disappointed. Well actually I don't care if they are. :eek:

[Deleted User] · 14/10/13 - 16:15

I don't like buying for adults, especially those who send lists out (seriously- if you don't like what people purchase for you don't be a brat and start sending a list out, just say please don't worry about getting anything for me as I'm an ungrateful sod and won't appreciate anything anyway).

The only adult I happily go gift shopping for is my husband.

Other than that- kids only for me. That's my preference anyway. This year I've dropped budget per adult to £10, as its ridiculous adults expect presents let alone get loads spent on them.

I'd be happy not receiving anything (although a selection box for nostalgia would be loved!), I get happiness from watching children open their gifts, and seeing what Father Christmas got for them.

Ancient IDTV · 14/10/13 - 16:17

I no longer buy any presents at all, and no-one buys me anything. It's better this way imo.

paulsh1 · 14/10/13 - 16:20

Just for my OH and elderly aunt.

Parents long since dead,don't see or hear from brothers or sister from one year to the next and with not having kids,Christmas isn't too expensive for me.

Tt88 · 14/10/13 - 16:22

boredof_lurking wrote: »

I don't like buying for adults, especially those who send lists out (seriously- if you don't like what people purchase for you don't be a brat and start sending a list out, just say please don't worry about getting anything for me as I'm an ungrateful sod and won't appreciate anything anyway).

For me i find buying for my mum the easiest. She will let us know which perfumes she likes, which music/films she likes etc so we always know we will get it right

My sister is the pain. This year i said we wont get gifts foe each other but she sulked because she had already thought of what to get me. The problem is shes at uni so i cant buy her anything decorative as she cant put pictures up etc in the house she lives in. Cant buy clothes as shes very fashion conscious (im not). But shes adamant she doesnt want money or vouchers because she likes the surprise of opening the present. Even though she has last years still in the boxes at mums house :rolleyes:

jarryhack · 14/10/13 - 16:25

I buy for my two lads, my two nephews, my Mam and my father in law. That's it. Me and the husband don't buy for each other.

[Deleted User] · 14/10/13 - 16:26

Tt88 wrote: »

For me i find buying for my mum the easiest. She will let us know which perfumes she likes, which music/films she likes etc so we always know we will get it right

My sister is the pain. This year i said we wont get gifts foe each other but she sulked because she had already thought of what to get me. The problem is shes at uni so i cant buy her anything decorative as she cant put pictures up etc in the house she lives in. Cant buy clothes as shes very fashion conscious (im not). But shes adamant she doesnt want money or vouchers because she likes the surprise of opening the present. Even though she has last years still in the boxes at mums house :rolleyes:

In that case

find a really lovely sheet of wrapping paper, and a box. Get whatever amount in cash you'd have spent on a gift and wrap it up in box/beautiful wrapping paper. She gets to open a present and you have knowledge of knowing its likely to not go to waste.
Then each year put something smaller in a beautifully wrapped box, either smaller monetary value, or maybe a box of chocolate and wrap up beautifully. Wean her off gently

Or! Re wrap a gift you've already got for her in the past

Mrscee · 14/10/13 - 17:16

my husband..my kids who are now all older and 2 don't live at home so no santa for them..my daughter's boyfriend and his mum..my best friend..my hubby's brother and his wife and her son and his son..tin of biscuits for my neighbour..friend's son who was just born last year..think that's me..had to edit as I forgot my dogs and tweety the bird..how could I forget them
there's also a list of ones I don't buy for anymore as they are all getting older..my friend's 2 daughters who are now having kids of their own (it'll be those kids next christmas)..a friends kids who also older now..I stop when they get to 16 as they did when my kids turned 16..it was a rule we all agreed to many years ago..
I also have a birthday just before christmas which is annoying

[Deleted User] · 14/10/13 - 17:29

My parents and my brother, my gran and grandpa and my nanna. Might get something small for my best friend aswell, she's just moved to Australia and I think her Christmas will be lonely

radcliffe95 · 14/10/13 - 17:39

Ancient IDTV wrote: »

I no longer buy any presents at all, and no-one buys me anything. It's better this way imo.

Me too. I'm so much happier for it as well. Rather spend the money on holidays or things we actually need.

biscuitfactory · 14/10/13 - 17:45

Now that all the "children" in my extended family have grown up, I just buy for my husband, my mum and her partner and my two grown up children.

It's such a relief for my purse, but I do miss buying toys at Christmas.

Hurry up with those grandchildren!

dee123 · 14/10/13 - 17:56

Really you want the whole list?

Girlfriend, mother, father, brother x 2, sister x 2, brother in law, niece x 2, nephew x 1, grandmother, grandfather, 4 of my best friends for over a decade.

elliecat · 14/10/13 - 18:01

My parents, my sister, my two brothers, my partner and my Mother in law. Last year we spent a fair bit on my sister in law (about £35) and she bought us a £4 box of chocolates that wasn't even wrapped up and looked like she had thought "shit must get them something". So this year we are only buying for my family who we spend Christmas day with and his mother. His nephews will get a selection box if we see them at Christmas time. Our excuse is that we have a wedding to pay for.

Tt88 · 14/10/13 - 18:14

elliecat wrote: »

My parents, my sister, my two brothers, my partner and my Mother in law. Last year we spent a fair bit on my sister in law (about £35) and she bought us a £4 box of chocolates that wasn't even wrapped up and looked like she had thought "shit must get them something". So this year we are only buying for my family who we spend Christmas day with and his mother. His nephews will get a selection box if we see them at Christmas time. Our excuse is that we have a wedding to pay for.

The chocolate thing sounds familiar! We used to have this family debate every year. My aunt loves miles away from us and we rarely see each other. Every year mum and dad would buy presents for their kids and they would buy for us. But they didnt like sending things in the post so my grandparents were the inbetweeners. If grandparents were at aunts for xmas they would bring our presents when they next visited us. And then they would take their presents from us to them when they saw them

Some years it would be funny because we would get xmas presents in august! Dad suggested that each set of parents buy an extra gift for their kids and just put from aunt and uncle on it. That way there was no wondering what to get, and we would get the presents on xmas day. But uncle wouldnt agree because they have twice as many children as my parents have so they thought it was unfair that they would have to spend more.

One year nan showed mum what aunt was getting for us and they were quite expensive. So mum bought extra for their children. When we got our gifts they had changed their minds and got us a chocolate bar each (2 for £4). It was so funny at the time because we thought it had been a mix up because they knew my sister doesnt eat the chocolate they got.

[Deleted User] · 14/10/13 - 18:44

I made a little ideas/budget list yesterday- the plan is as follows:

Mum + birthday gift - was going to be Lush bath stuff, going to rethink since my last bath bomb took ages for me to clean up afterwards

Dad - his usual socks and chocolate
Friend 1 - not sure, maybe a purse?
Friend 2 + birthday gift - small Lush box and a Yankee Candle (she's got loads already as she loves them, but I think it can't harm for her to be all stocked up! I know that the stuff will be used at least!)
Auntie - usual Christmas flowers with sparkles on them
Second cousin - usual tube of Haribo

Going to start buying things bit by bit in the next few weeks

RAINBOWGIRL22 · 14/10/13 - 18:45

Just our nieces and nephews, there are 9 of them!

Plus our son and the cat (and maybe each other - although sometimes we do and sometimes we don't?)

thefairydandy · 14/10/13 - 18:47

Ideally - boyfriend, boyfriend's family, my sister and her husband, my parents, maybe the odd friend.

Unfortunately, there's an ever expanding circle of relatives from my boyfriend's side of the family who get me stuff. First it was just his mum getting me something from the family. Then one year his grandparents joined in. Then last year an aunt and an uncle joined in.

I don't have a problem with these people getting me gifts from a gratitude perspective, but they break my golden rule - only buy presents for people who you know what to get them. The aunt and uncle got me 'soap gifts' - packaged soap bought exclusively when you know you ought to get someone something, but don't know them well enough to pick something they'd actually like. If they were younger than me then a tenner in a card would do, but I can't really do the same myself!

I'm still working through the soap I got for christmas last year - ironically I did ask for a soap dish, which nobody got me! That's the other thing - according to my golden rule you never have to ask someone what they'd like, and I hate the culture in my OH's family, where they specify expensive gifts they'd like. I always pick something modest and odd, and they think I'm weird for it.

Tt88 · 14/10/13 - 18:56

Oh yes fairydandy, i still have bath sets from last xmas! I think its the default gift when you have a female who you dont know too well, just get them something soapy or bath related!

[Deleted User] · 14/10/13 - 19:48

My mum
My dad
Whichever friend I get in secret Santa.

If I'm still with my boyfriend by Christmas, we're going somewhere for a show or a dinner out instead of gifts.

Jason · 14/10/13 - 19:53

Mum, Dad and Sister.

JoTaylor · 14/10/13 - 20:05

Mum, dad, nephew and godchildren. OH and I buy each other 10 x £10 pressies during the year so on xmas day we've got plenty to open but not spent a fortune. Its amazing what you get in June thats out of season in TK Maxx!! I've had DKNY PJs that were only £9.99 cos they were long sleeved so not popular in the summer.

sarahj1986 · 14/10/13 - 20:11

I buy quite afew gifts for my mothers side -

Gran
Aunts and their partners
cousin
grandad

plus my 2 sisters, 2 nieces and Nephew and my dad

I don't really buy much for my dads side, I hardly ever see my uncles or cousins from that side and my gran is in a home with Alzheimer's so she doesn't know who we are

A few friends and work colleagues.

I am half way through my shopping, brought loads in the sales during the year.

Hey there!

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