this ^^^^^

Very true Olly.

 

I loved everything I got this year.  The worst present I ever got was a jewelry box, no ordinary jewelry box though, this one had dust all over the bottom of it from where it had sat on the givers dressing table before being hastily wrapped up. (And before anyone says maybe the giver was skint, they weren't, they pulled the same crap every year, sadly most of the time it was their child that suffered for it)

We have a very practical, cold, antiseptic, and unemotional attitude to it all, and we don't like surprises. I buy stuff and give it to other people to wrap up for me!
I think Martin Lewis had it right when describing present giving, he said, "think landfill!"
We also believe that those who spend for example a couple of grand on schmuck are buying the jeweller a present rather than their partner.
Otherwise we retain a life full of fun.

We have a five pound limit for all family members over the age of 21 and a 'no chocs or alcohol' rule. It makes for some very creative presents

 

We have a very similar system in place Rexi. It works very well as people who would like a more expensive gift can get others to combine their funds into one pot.

 

I also think it is very sensible as families then don't end up spending 100's of pounds and everything getting out of hand and pocket.

 

I know people who spend 4, 5 or even 6 hundred quid on close family members!  Mainly the kids, but it's ridiculous in my opinion.

 

 

Best: a bike

 

Worst: a pen

 

 

I hand out loads of pens as presents at Christmas. 24th December I go to Argos, pick up a dozen of their free pens, wrap them in last years gift wrap which I saved and voilá 12 simple, free and extremely useful presents.

 

 

 

No you don't!  I refuse to believe that! 

 

I'm nothing if not truthful Sprout 

 

 

I know you don't like christmas but....................

 

Did you not catch the b it about it being a practical present?

 

 

 

Yes 

But no, I am not that tight or miserly. They also get a pen from the Poundshop and the British Heart Foundation who both give them away. 

Get outta here will ya!! 

 

And it's not even April Fools day 

 

I'm gone… over to the 'what music you playing' thread 

I got my husband's book 

That'll be Ronnie then 

My daughter got me (among other things) an indoor spring (to help me go to sleep). The cats are going bananas over the waterfall.

LOL! 

 I was jumping up and down when my mum and dad gave it me  

*Visions* 

^^see that really confused me.   I was thinking 'but isn't he a dick?   What the heck has he written?'

LMAO!! 

Pmsl, I was just about to defend Ronnie, seriously wetting myself here 

They got me a lot of very nice gifts but the book was 

Haha! 

The x does spell my name July so I don't think he will be bringing a book out soon 

Joe, that's basically what I do.

 

However one year Mr C took this concept one step too far.  On Christmas Day I unwrapped a Black Eyed Peas CD off him, I told him 'I've already got this in my car', but added 'no matter, I'll keep one to listen to in the car and the other to listen to in the house'.  A few days later I got in the car and went to put my Black Eyed Peas CD on, couldn't find it anywhere.  Turns out Mr C had took it out of the car and wrapped it up for me.

I hoe you gave him hell for that Cinds 

My favourite Christmas 'tight wad' story has to come from Mr C's mate.  He will only buy a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve as he knows they will be reduced. They have two young children (kids are 9 and 6), but he puts a limit on what they will spend on them (£100).  They live a mile away from Newcastle airport, and when they go on holiday, he makes them walk to the airport with all the bags.

 

Anyway, his tightest act ever was when he had won tickets to the theatre at their children's schools Christmas Fayre. He then gave one of the tickets to his wife wrapped up as her one and only Christmas present.

 

And by the way they are not skint, he is part owner of a car sales place, and his wife is a solicitor.

Sprout, it was about 6 years ago, and I still go on about it (obviously). 

 

That's disgusting IMO.  Cheap asshole.  £100 for kids xmas stuff is fine if you are really struggling and you simply can't afford to splash out but they sound like they have plenty of money to treat their kids yet he won't.  

 

 

i will be interested in how their kids end up

I'm sure that if my old chum Lady Bracknell was still here then she might remark. "A HUNDRED POUNDS!"

We had a great Christmas, just my wife and myself. Instead of running round buying loads of pressies we agreed to spend £10 on each other. Buy a few treats to eat and keep the house warm as toast. 

Will be doing it next year. We got a small box of chocolates from our lovely Filipino neighbours that was it. So nothing to return and no disappointments. I loved the cheese board My wife got me (and the cheese) She ate all the chocolates I got her (Greedy bugga)

Will be doing the same next year. Our bank balance actually went up LOL.

An article in the Daily Mail states that THESE are the most unwanted gifts this year:

 

1. Lady Gaga - Born This Way 53,041

2. The Inbetweeners Movie 47,758

3. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More 44,567

4. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black 41,741

5. Skyfall 39,587

6. Pulp Ficton 37,011

7. Topshop dresses 36,432

8. Topman t-shirts 36,256

9. Women's Next jeans 34,019

10. Xbox 360 games consoles 33,478

I don't think I'd have been unhappy to receive most of those! 

 

 What! a wonderful film.

 

The only other thing on the list I would have been happy with would be the Inbetweeners movie. The rest I would be asking for receipts 

 

 

I wouldn't have been over the moon about some of them but there was nothing on the list that I would have HATED.  

My daughter got some next skinny jeans from next from her grandparents and she loved them yet she normally hates next clothes