Jump to content

Obligatory gifts?


tinkrbel

Recommended Posts

Does anyone else have people they wouldn't normally get gifts for but you end up having to get something for because you "have" to or am I being silly? It doesn't feel right to be at a get together with everyone opening gifts and have odd people out. If so, what do you get them? I find it gets harder every year because you don't want to get them junk but at the same time it can't be overly expensive because that would feel like you were expecting something big in return or whatever. (I know for a fact the ppl we do this for on a yearly basis couldn't/wouldn't find a deal if it socked them in the face.)

 

Also, a big thank you to everyone who posts deals as a lot of these EXTRA gifts come from deals I find here :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just don't get them anything. I will not waist my money on someone who I don't get along with. But in the case of kids who its no fault of theirs. I get them a 15-25 gift card to walmart.

I'm not to the point of not getting ANYTHING(for ppl I don't get along with) but I certainly won't think too hard about it or spend much on it. Such people got blurays from amazon's sale last year under $10 :P and if they didn't like it or already had it, they can regift it.

 

One such person had the audacity to return something(bday gift that I begrudgingly gave to begin with) and tell me they won't use it SO.....they got nothing back even though I was told I should get her "something. Some people need to learn manners, she could have regifted it, donated, hell even trashed it. I'll be damned if I'm buying someone who constantly picks on me and belittles me a $60 perfume everytime they "deserve" a gift, they should be just be thankful I turn up to events and DON'T respond to their crap instead of NOT turning up at all which I'd much rather do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also do baskets with freebies....I get so many shampoos, razors, deodorants, toothpaste and brushes, etc....I just make a basket with what I have and might pick up something small to personalize it. I did a basket with cleaning supplies including toilet paper (something extra for our adopted family as I know welfare doesn't pay for paper products)....I figure everyone uses these items so....could make baskets also with a theme like I found some really nice collanders at Target clearance and did a spaghetti theme last year (parm cheese, sauce, grater, garlic, seasoning, bread, potholders, dishtowel (I lined the collander with this). I even did a cupcake one with a pan, ingredients needed, sprinkles, candles, etc.... I grew up in Amish country too, so I have gone to the cheese factory and made a basket with cheeses, maple candy, etc. I feel with baskets, I can go as crazy as I want, or just a small something...can always add a gift card too.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have in the past gave that type of gift but that stopped. These days, instead of the big get togethers, we just get with whoever it is we are exchanging gifts with out in a restuarant.

 

In the past, we have bought small gifts for people we don't really care about. That's over too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree that baked good are a good bet for the "obligatory" gift. I also will pick up tree ornaments when they are on sale or clearance to give as gifts when I'm not sure what else to give. Most people that aren't going to like or use anything else you get them will like another ornament to stick on the tree!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most people that aren't going to like or use anything else you get them will like another ornament to stick on the tree!

You remind me that we did pick some up at Kmart last year :) I hadn't thought of baked goods since we're always asked to bring most of the desserts anyhow. I guess we could double it up or make something different as gifts too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ive had a hard time w/this in the past too! a lot of our family lives in the same town. but we are closer with some than others. ive always tried to make sure that all my neices and nephews recieved gifts from us. but some of them, it was becuz of that obligation feeling. not becuz i necessarily wanted to get them anything..........or for that matter even knew WHAT to get them. we dont all get together for one big exchange, we visit individually. which helps somewhat, becuz none of the kids know what we bought the others. im not even sure if we are going to buy for anyone this year. its become a frusterating situation =/
Link to comment
Share on other sites

my husband had 7 siblings, they all used to buy for all kids at xmas. I didn't even know some of them and felt we had to buy for them. As they turned 18 , my husband said take them off the list. We now buy for none of them, but now we have 3 grandchildren and a few of the siblings still buy for all kids. It used to bother me, but not anymore. In my family there are only 3 of us kids and I buy for my nieces, I have the only boys, LOL> I pick up stuff all year, like our flower gift shop had a big 80% off sale adn I bought tons of neat stuff for extras.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thankfully I have no obligatory gifts anymore. When I was married, my ex had a large family with lots of kids that we had to buy for, but yet I only had 1 child they had to buy for, so I did feel a bit resentful and when trying to keep expenses and spending down, it got harder and harder when they kept having more and more kids! But, what I did was just try to keep it as cheap as possible. I would spend no more than about $10-15 per kid. Since I had to ship gifts to 3 different houses in another state, shipping got expensive too! Now, I only have 8 people to buy for and those are people I want to buy for, so no obligations anymore. :)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
×
×
  • Create New...