Christmas presents

[Kara 1]

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Five years ago we decided not to give Christmas presents to adults and give the money we would have spent to charity ...We dont need anything and if we do we are fortunate enough to be able to buy it but my mum amd my sister get quite cross with me and still buy us things (sorry to sound ungrateful but its crap ....)usually a tin of biscuits (£3 ) from my sister and if i receive another gemporiaum candle from my mum
I have asked them both again Please Do Not give me a present ....
I sponsored a kennel with battersea for my parents and a horse at redwings and asked them to do the same instead of buying us something. ....
I still buy for grandchildren, nieces nephews until they are 18 ...... ..
Christmas is so commercialised now that it doesn't feel so special. ..you only used to get tinned sweets in December and nuts and satsumas and Turkeys ...now you can buy it anytime of the year ...
I do however love having everyone over at Christmas and decorating the tree and house ...

 

[Mayblossom]

Totally agree Kara, we stopped buying for my children ( 38, 46 and 48 ) a couple of years ago , they were more than happy to do the same with us. Why buy stuff people don’t need or want? I give the grandkids money now so they can buy what they want .We won’t be able to afford it as much when hubby retires so they can make the most of it now

 

[JoanneF]

I like to make gifts - some truffles (must do that again soon), scented candles, and this year - I hope none of my friends are reading - I'm going to beg our local pub for empty bottles and make bottle lights.

 

[Mad Murphy]

We dont have much family around, we dont have much family at all so its not such a huge issue for us.
I tend to buy my daughter something practical for the house. This year a set of proper kitchen knives and HACCP chopping boards. She does so much for me and her dad she deserves a treat.
OH and I tend to buy a little something, last year he bought me a tiny pen Id seen ( DD directed his eye) I know it cost less than €10 and I got him something for his home bar.

As for the rest only my grandchildren get gifts, normally one toy type of thing and the rest clothes.
Christmas cards are my non starter, most people are on FB so we all say Merry Christmas and send e cards or Christmas greeting via the internet why then spend a ton of money on cards??

So a few years ago I started sending cards only to the older people who dont use internet everyone else got a special Christmas photo greeting and the money we would have spent goes to our local food bank.
This year I want to go one step further. Lots of people ask about exchanging cards with Murphy and George so Im going to have 10 photo cards made with them on and if someone wants a card then they can donate £5 to a dog charity of our choosing and I will send them a card..

As always my elderly friend will get a homemade cake and a small gift and I will arrange something similar for an elderly French man we know who has no family at all.

 

[JudyN]

I love Christmas, and I love giving and receiving presents. It's difficult to strike a balance between keeping those traditions that make Xmas exciting (cards with glitter on, crackers with plastic moustaches in) and being eco/less wasteful. OH and I are in discussions about crackers - is the snap essential, do we need the hats as everyone but him refuses to wear one, would Xmas lunch be the same without them?) Last year I did fill-your-own crackers, putting in stuff I'd bought in charity shops, then after Xmas I donated all the stuff back to the charity shop.

I try only to give gifts that will be useful/treasured, rather than novelites, or 'nice but useless' stuff, like pretty bags when the recipient has more than enough bags already. OH and I are generous to each other, but again, we ask for things we want, even things we'd buy anyway - this year I'm asking for some new drinks glasses as most of ours are opaque after years of going through the dishwasher, and socks. And anything else that takes my fancy before then... OH is a pain to buy anything interesting for as all he wants is beer & chocolate, and socks if he's running low...

DS2 and GF want money this year as they're getting married next year, but I'm determined to find some little gift for each of them. Nephews and nieces get money till they're 21.