What gifts do you dread getting?

Beauty products that don't agree with my skin. Also, junk food such as chocolates and sweets.

by Justine Crowley

You got my Vote! I agree 100%

A piece of clothing that doesn't fit.

by Smita

Every year I dread getting a scarf from one family of friends. They send me scarf every year. I've got loads, and I barely wear scarves anyway.

by Bryony Harrison

Oh dear, that is such an English thing to do. My mother was a dreaded scarf giver. (I blame the Queen LOL)

Anything I can't consume. Twelve months ago my house was flooded by the fridge. Front door to back. Three good things came out of it. 1. Noone died. 2. It made me realise what useless things one accumulates in a lifetime, and I have been gradually decluttering. 3. My married daughter came home to clean out her room. Nicknacks I do NOT need.

by grann

Practical presents. My husband always wants to buy me "practical presents", which I hate! He's even said that he would be happy recieving motor oil as a birthday/Fathers Day present!! Therefore I've come to dread any events (Xmas, birthdays, Mothers Day) that involve my family having to buy me gifts of any sort. I put in alot of time, effort and thought into buying gifts for family and friends, but that simple procedure is rarely reciprocated back to me when buying gifts, so I dread the above mentioned times of the year more and more. Mandy E.

by steve

This year buy him motor oil!

My dad likes getting practical presents. He does gardening for people, so my mum often gets him gardening tools.

Purfume that makes me sneeze.

by Sarah Bell

Amen to that!!!!

I think I have eight bottles in my cupboard...most go unused.

Cosmetics that I can't wear because they'll irritate my skin and bulky fragile things like fancy crockery (I'm about to move house and I have two small children who break stuff).

by Jennifer Muirhead

Every single year my grandmother got me Avon talcum powder. My mum, cousins and aunts all got talcum powder too. None of us have ever worn talcum powder, and it became a running joke. I have to say though, now that my grandma has passed away, I miss my yearly, unused Avon talcum!

by Kerri

I dread getting unexpected gifts. I've usually thought of everybody plus more, but I remember once I received one so unexpected, it really embarassed me.

by fifi.

Clothes. I prefer to try them on before I buy them.

by Ivana Katz

Clothes that you think is unsuitable.
The expectation of the giver is an added stress,and you HAVE to be really thrilled.
A bad gift coupled with stress , not my idea of fun.

by Zen

Personal care products. I'm quite picky when it comes to cosmetics and toiletries and I don't have the heart to say anything, so accept these and they sit in my bathroom waiting for the day they expire - what a waste!

by Vee

You can always take them to the charity shop.

I would Bryony, but then I would feel guilty because I am giving someone something I wouldn't use myself because of the chemical content. As if I would somehow be responsible if they fell ill because of it. It might sound ridiculous, but I hope it makes sense.

Make an announcement. Send it out on a scroll (Word, Publisher, etc). Say that as of now you have decided that you no longer wish to give or receive Christmas gifts as you would sooner (e.g) save the tigers, save the whales, build an orphanage in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Rwanda etc. You will be amazed at the collective sigh of relief you may or may not hear. I did it years ago and was greeted with unanimous choruses of , "What a GREAT idea!" It gets everybody off the hook and allowed me to use that money for the Red Cross and Animal Welfare.

That's a great idea, but the people who buy for me like gifting.

Well, tell them to gift to an orphange on your behalf perhaps. A few years ago I bought goats and chickens in a third world country for all my workmates at Christmas. It was better than Secret Santa :-)))

Don't have to worry. Gifts are a thing of the past.

by donjo

We are nearly there, donjo, nearly there. . . I have nearly everyone convinced not to get on the gifting band wagon. I absolutely hate that Christmas and Easter are so commercial anyway. It's all about greed and gluttony now. Then you've got Valentine's Day which, when I was a kid, was just popping a secret card into some other kid's mailbox - no romance or gifts about it. Don't even get me started on how ridiculous Hallowe'en has got . .. !

Oh! Rice, totally agree! Many billions' of $ are spent on these 'occasions'!
Just so, so commercialised, it makes me sick! People spending money on the 'never-never', which'll take all of the next year to pay off, & then some!

Mother's, Father's Days, & Hallowe'en we can thank(?) the yanks for! Typical, no brains.......

Am over it ALL permanently, & have been for the last 30 years! Bah, Humbug!!!

1. Chocolates 2. Cosmetics. 3. Perfume. I am diabetic; never use make up; use only organic things on my face and I cannot stand perfume - I use essential oils. I would sooner slap a spoon of honey on my face than creams with chemical names 100 foot long in them. In fact, I am a much better giver than recipient and I would sooner folks gave money to animal welfare for me.

by Rice

(Sorry, I must qualify that I do birthdays.)

I had to laugh at the honey bit. Great response.

I wouldn't at the moment . . .I seem to have an ant plague! LOL

Packets of note paper with matching envelopes. I don't sent out 'notes anymore! It's hard enough to get my Christmas cards out on time. (And now we have 'snail' pace, I'll have to get them out earlier than usual!!)
My sister gave my youngest daughter a spring bind note book 1 Christmas. My daughter didn't want it, so I took it, kept it for 3 or 4 years, then returned back to my sister as part of her birthday present from me. (When she didn't give me a birthday present, I didn't give her the rest of hers!)

by Miro

Any kind of junk food, soaps, or lotions. I am allergic to the planet and have to give them away.

by Polly

Food. Like fruit mince tarts with thick pastry….yuk
Perfume
Art or home decorations (because I feel I have to have them on display on walls or wherever in case the giver turns up for a visit post Xmas) absolutely nerve wracking.

by fran.

I don't like getting secondhand gifts and I'VE HAD A FEW OF THOSE IN MY TIME, EVEN AS A WEDDING GIFTS! AND THAT WAS FROM SO CALLED FAMILY!

by Diana Nairn

Cheap toiletries. Or any toiletries or beauty products that aren't the same as those I'd choose for myself. We all know the brands and fragrances we like and what works for us, and other products given as gifts may not suit.

by Wellness in Words