Experiences. We buy our parents show tickets, train tickets, etc where we can all get together

I give my wife concert tickets, trips etc

I have so much shit I do not need any more (well, there is that disc wheel and underwater strobe and dive computer and .....)

Anyone under 25 gets a gift card. Over 25 gets either booze or a basket of something. KISS is my motto. Merry X-mas.

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"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

Parents and grandparents get nothing

Grandkids get less than 20 in craft stuff. All other cash is put in to savings

Gift card and cash only works if you are giving more than you are getting. If I give you $20 and you give me $20 why bother? The reason the saying "it is the thought that counts not the gift' is a saying is because it is true. A gift card tells me that you couldn't bother to put any thought into it.

The exception is if you are giving a gift to a younger family member and you are giving a lot more than them. A broke college kid getting a crisp $100 bill works well.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

JPO rules the day on this one.

This is my rule for receiving gifts also — if I cannot eat, drink, or experience it, I don’t want it. I’m particular about anything physical I need, because I don’t purchase many things that aren’t clothing, gear for my hobbies, or books, all of which I know specifically what I want and can find the absolute best deals. I also don’t want cash; I have a fine enough job and feel weird accepting cash from people. My wife and her mom have finally understood this.

My wife likes the gift giving process, so she purchases for everyone except herself and my dad, so really I just worry about purchasing for her. She wants physical gifts, but provides me a list. Generally I stick to it, but this year I bought what was on her list then decided not to give it to her until her Jan birthday and purchased her something she’d mentioned interest in before but hadn’t focused on for a gift — an Apple Watch. I think they’re ridiculous devices, so it’s a something that I’m actually stepping outside of my curmudgeonly attitude about it and spending my money on something I think is stupid (at least for the ways in which she’ll utilize it like a more expensive FitBit).

To receive, I’d prefer to provide a specific list and get something from that list, unless I’m looking to make a larger purchase (new laptop or something like that) in which case I’d want gift cards for wherever I’m making that purchase from. I don’t want or need random crap that someone buys me.

To give, it depends on the person. I give my brother gift cards to music shops, because he knows much better than I what he specifically wants, but he’s too disorganized to put together a wish list. My sister in law always gets the Starbucks travel cup that comes with free coffee all January, and she loves it. My sister is a bit weird, so I keep my eye out for offbeat stuff during the year. My parents are old, so they get whatever is on their list. Totally dependent on the gift recipient.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Jesus, I’m glad I’m single and buy myself presents.

My little people (4 and 7) are getting books, Preds hockey sweatshirts and then a $100 bill (his for his hockey lessons), a $10 bill to go into savings and another $10 bill to spend.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

It's just easier for all adults in our family not to give anything

No one needs anything. If they want it they buy it themselves so we stopped doing it

Adults - white elephant, yankee swap style

Kids- kid draws another kid, 25 dollar limit

Thats how it works in our family.

Same here, most parents buy their kids crap they don't need or appreciate. We have dinner and call it good.

We go one better. We see both sets two weeks before then we go on our own. No BS. No crap. Dinner then my kids get a tree and colouring books a d that's it

We have a mix of generations. We draw one name. I fix the lottery and make sure I get someone from the nieces and nephews. I ignore the dollar amount. We have a low dollar limit but highly encourage hand made things.

It is fun when someone goes off the list to get you something. I collect old stuff. 2 years ago a nephew made sure to get my name and buy me a very cool nautilus fossil from a Manhattan store we were in when I dropped him at college to add to my collection. Last year a different nephew that I have taken to coin shows made sure to get my name to buy me a Roman coin.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

In my family, someone would know you like olds stuff, so they would give you the broken tupperware container they found at the local flee market.

Its great if they go off script and know what you like. Unfortunately way to often those who do what they want, get gifts they think you should like instead of gifts you do like.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

You should give everyone a baby jesus. Or a make your own manger kit. I hear you'll all into that stuff, no matter whom it might offend

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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix

Nova wrote:

You should give everyone a baby jesus. Or a make your own manger kit. I hear you'll all into that stuff, no matter whom it might offend

No one in my family would be offended, most of us would treat it the same as if you gave us a snowman kit, or Gingerbread house, lamp leg, Hanukkah menorah, Festivus Pole, etc.. just another good story we get to make a little scene of.

Now a few of us would really like a Shoe to worship (see Monty Python Life of Brian if you don't get the reference)

Now a great gift for the rest of the family is if we found out a sibling turned someone in for violating office decoration policy. OH MY GOD the fun we would have. I can see manger scene's all over the front yard, Kits to build your own being mailed to them for many many years. The next year's gift exchange would probably be 1/2 manger kits. OH god it would be so much fun..

EDIT-- I wish I had some artistic talent I would make a manger scene using only non-christian seasonal items... OH BOY NEW POST COMING

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Well, there was the year I got a dead cat.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.