The sort of thing you get from relatives that you’d never buy for yourself and have no need or desire for. What is your household policy? Seems a bit rude and wasteful to chuck it straight away. Our general policy seems to be to keep it for a few years ‘in case they come round’ according to the wife. Loft is now pretty full. Might have to chuck some of it while she’s out and see if she ever notices. Some will go to charity but the charity shops always seem full of this sort of stuff, do they really want it?

The miracle of “regifting”

Charity shops.

I was doubtful that my crap is worth anything to charity shops, but I signed up to Gift Aid a bunch of donations once. BHF made £86 from my tat. £86!!

We tend to keep things for a long time, largely through some sense of guilt that someone else had gone to the effort and expense of giving us the item. Eventually they are thrown/regifted/donated.

That said, when Mrs North bought me the large iPad pro for my 40th birthday last year (cost her c£1k), I didn’t want her to have wasted her money so made her take it back for a refund.

No, she never did buy me a replacement present. And I certainly don’t think I’ll be getting a gift when I’m 41 in a few weeks..!

The miracle of “regifting”

Just one of the many joys of viewing Seinfeld…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VGbY6sirHM[/video]

We have a drawer under one of the beds dedicated to re-gifting.

That said, when Mrs North bought me the large iPad pro for my 40th birthday last year (cost her c£1k), I didn’t want her to have wasted her money so made her take it back for a refund.

Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you want one?

And didn’t you notice the custom engraved message on the back? 😉

Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you want one?

At the time I was working away from home 3-4 days a week. I didn’t want another item to lug about. And not one so large. Even now I’m home every night, I only use an ipad for casual surfing, so a 12″ screen is OTT.

She surprised me with it. Which is never good, as I loathe surprises. It was rather embarrassing, as I didn’t want to open the box causing an issue to her when returning it.

Unsurprisingly I haven’t been allowed to forget it..!

Not me but a friend…

They were staying with his family over Christmas and her husband bought her a satnav which she opened in front of them, trying to looking mildly pleased but not doing a great job of it. Never mind thought husband, I still have the second ‘big’ present.

A LadyShave.

She then burst out crying in front of everyone.

‘Here you go love, you can’t drive and your legs are hairy’ (he didn’t say this obviously).

We always remind him of that particular one and he has never lived it down 🙂

On the bright side, he made it much easier for her to leave him and attract a new man.

😀

Charity Shops +1

She surprised me with it. Which is never good, as I loathe surprises. It was rather embarrassing, as I didn’t want to open the box causing an issue to her when returning it.

Unsurprisingly I haven’t been allowed to forget it..!

I’d have done the same!

I prefer people not to buy me stuff as if I really wanted it, I’d have bought it already.

Birthday and Christmas are roughly 6 months apart. I keep unwanted stuff until the next one comes around then regift/charity-shop/bin.

Mercifully for Christmas we have a £10 limit so it tends to be either stuff I can eat/drink, or tat that I don’t feel guilty about binning.

People buy me whisky because i have an extensive selection of bottles, however, i never buy whiskey and only receive it as a gift.

I like it, but i wouldn’t mind something a bit different 😀

My parents once bought me a trouser press.

My parents once bought me a trouser press.

Mine did too!

My wife once asked for a trouser press.

One year the nasty **** bitch that my dad married bought me a new school uniform for my birthday.
She’s dead and I’m in the sunshine drinking beer.
Payback and all that.

My parents once bought me a trouser press.

My wife once bought me a trouser press. I thought it was going to be Playstation. 🙁

Still use it most days though.

Charity Shops!!!

Well I’m shocked and appalled!

(have you lot never heard of eBay?)

I’m difficult to buy for, I’m by no means wealthy, but if I need/want it, I’ve probably got it, or it costs too much to be worthy of even the most generous of gifts. My nearest and dearest ask me nowadays.

Last Xmas I got a Skills Course at BPW which I adored, really helped me enjoy my riding more – bestest gift ever – I chose it myself.

A few years previous I got a tacky revolving plastic chrome spice rack thing, I tried to ride it out, my mouth said “that’s lovely thank you” my face however said “HOW **** DARE YOU, I DO ALL THE COOKING IN THIS HOUSE BECAUSE NO OTHER **** WILL, IT’S NOT SOMETHING I ENJOY, IT’S A **** CHORE I COULD DO WITHOUT, IN FACT A MUCH BETTER GIFT WOULD BE SOMEONE, ANYONE, JUST ONCE, SAYING “DAD / HUSBAND – I KNOW YOU’RE KNACKERED FROM WORK AND YOU DO SO, SO MUCH FOR US, TONIGHT I’LL COOK, IT WON’T BE AS GOOD AS YOURS, BUT YOU’LL GET 30 MINS TO YOURSELF” JUST ONCE – I THINK I MAY WEEP WITH JOY AT THAT, BUT NO, YOU GET ME THiS SHITTY PLASTIC VERSION OF “TRY HARDER””.

Not that I’m much better, year before last I got my wife a beautiful bracelet – exactly the thing she’d be hinting for – THE YEAR BEFORE, I got her the same thing 2 years running. I’ve never been so ashamed of myself, safe to say it’s replacement cost A LOT more.

Golden rule when giving presents to a female other half: nothing with a plug on it*. This isn’t my rule, but apparently it works every time. Don’t try to fight it.

* or that needs a charger.

nothing with a plug on it

Must. Resist.

A few years previous I got a tacky revolving plastic chrome spice rack thing, I tried to ride it out, my mouth said “that’s lovely thank you” my face however said “HOW **** DARE YOU, I DO ALL THE COOKING IN THIS HOUSE BECAUSE NO OTHER **** WILL, IT’S NOT SOMETHING I ENJOY, IT’S A **** CHORE I COULD DO WITHOUT, IN FACT A MUCH BETTER GIFT WOULD BE SOMEONE, ANYONE, JUST ONCE, SAYING “DAD / HUSBAND – I KNOW YOU’RE KNACKERED FROM WORK AND YOU DO SO, SO MUCH FOR US, TONIGHT I’LL COOK, IT WON’T BE AS GOOD AS YOURS, BUT YOU’LL GET 30 MINS TO YOURSELF” JUST ONCE – I THINK I MAY WEEP WITH JOY AT THAT, BUT NO, YOU GET ME THiS SHITTY PLASTIC VERSION OF “TRY HARDER””.

😆 😆 😆

On a serious note, this is one of those First World Problems that I struggle with more and more each year. It’s just such a waste in so many ways 🙁

I’d gratefully receive experiences if someone must buy me a present, be that a meal out, some bike coaching, a track day to learn how to drift (hint hint) or even just some babysitting so the wife and I can go out. I don’t need more stuff though and, if I do, I’m pretty picky about what I want.

sell it on ebay if easy to post/sells easily and worth a fiver+, otherwise charity shop, we donated a few bags within a few months of moving house, somehow they got £350 out of it. ;0)

i’m glad i’m not the only one..
i have told my mum and mother in law to not buy me socks, as i had 60 pairs of spares at one stage, (i’m down to 12 pairs now)

i once said i’d like a step ladder for chrismas, i got it, quite pleased to be honest. although its not the style i would have bought myself.

hence why i hate people buying me stuff, as if i wanted it, i’d already have it.

3 putting machines in a six year spell off one sister in law, I don`t play golf!! and off the other many various Guinness branded bits of tat , this years was a small passport sized man bag, I hate Guinness!! Wife will not let me buy them crap in return!!

On the other hand, if your family are good at thinking of presents, the surprises can be quite cool.

For Christmas me & my wife got a really nice outdoor teak furniture set from her mum and dad which was 100% not expected – they just thought we’d like one. Saying that, they keep nagging us to cover it but we don’t want to – we want it to get the naturally silvered look.

Then for my 50th last month I got a joint present from a few people of a huge hammock (one of those solid wood framed ‘arc’ style ones).

zippykona – Member
One year the nasty **** bitch that my dad married bought me a new school uniform for my birthday.
She’s dead and I’m in the sunshine drinking beer.
Payback and all that.

you have issues !

Never mind thought husband, I still have the second ‘big’ present.

A LadyShave.

She then burst out crying in front of everyone.

My wife actually asked for a Braun Epilady one year. Then on using it it hurt like buggery a lot and went in the drawer never to be seen again. And then accused me at a later date of buying her a shit present.

Just. Can’t. Win.

Regift, if it’s ok and I just don’t want it.
E-bay, if it’s expensive and I don’t want it.
Give to G/f for carboot if it’s **** and I don’t want it.

As for the no plugs, that’ b/s once got a lot of love for a new set of GHDs, from the ex-wife….

from the ex-wife….

she’s a great actress, but you answered your own statement there.

For my 18th my parents kindly paid my poll tax for me.
Unusual, but a bloody good present.

First year me and Mrs S were together I bought her an iPod.
She bought me a lamp shade.
To be fair, it’s quite a nice lamp shade.

She is getting better though, I got a new bike last year.
🙂

you have issues !

He’s not the only one on this thread 😆

I got a trip to Rome for my 50th from my wife (we go in October).

Everyone keeps saying ‘it will be lovely to have a weekend without the kids’.

We are taking them with us 🙂

Charity Shops!!!

Well I’m shocked and appalled!

(have you lot never heard of eBay?)
due to the way Gift Aid works (you can only donate money, not goods) they actually act as an agent and sell the goods on your behalf.

They then offer the money back to you, with the expectation that you’ll donate it to them. But you don’t have to 😀

No boxing up, posting, stupid/scamming buyers… don’t know why anyone still bothers with eBay lol 😆

nickjb – Member
The sort of thing you get from relatives that you’d never buy for yourself and have no need or desire for. What is your household policy?

Household policy ? Que ? Like an agreement between the adults of the household ?
Yer.. it’s the agreement between the adults I don’t get.

As for the presents, Shirley the best option is to open them in front of said presenter and inspect…. either accept or hand back with a raised right eyebrow and a sarcastic smirk of indolance..

😉

One year the nasty **** bitch that my dad married bought me a new school uniform for my birthday.
She’s dead and I’m in the sunshine drinking beer.
Payback and all that.

Unless you were responsible for her death, I’d say that was more mortality than payback.

The older I get, the more I’m tempted to insist on a policy of…

“I bought {specific thing(s)} at a good price in sales during the year that I really needed/wanted, if you want to give me something, please give some money to my other half and she will Paypal Gift me the collective pool of money and a list of who donated.”

As a a 40-something I don’t expect much and the stuff I do want is so specific (and often more expensive than I would want someone to buy me as a gift) that I don’t expect others to know what exactly I’m trying to source.

Once in a while there has been a surprise gem, like the Nexus 7 2013 tablet I was given Xmas 2015, which I use heck of a lot for web surfing at home and out (and used for Strava until recently).

But I’ve also had really random stuff, simply after pointing out a funky looking plant in a garden centre (when I’m not green-fingered in the slightest); a cool looking Ferrari Dino “airfix” model (when I’ve had no interest in getting my hands covered in glue and paint for decades); a mancave pc desk (which is way too high for my stump legs and pc chair, so I cannot use a keyboard/mouse on it and have a 90-degree bend between my upper and lower arms, consequently the keyboard like now sits on my lap as I type and the mouse sits on a storage unit top ~10cm under the desk)!

While at the same time, I’m often spending what little disposable income I have on bike and fishkeeping bits! 😆

I’ve had some interesting presents off my mum and sister in recent years, despite the fact they’ve known me for well over 40 years.
Including a floaty silk scarf reminiscent of cabin crew uniform, a green plastic handbag, and a plastic cow to store your specs on.
I’d much rather they gave me a bar of green and blacks chocolate!

I always tell people to talk to my wife about what to get me

she knows I’ve already bought stuff and we just lie about the cost

“ooh, a garmin GPS – thanks, you shouldn’t. 25 quid you say?” 😀

I’ve had some interesting presents off my mum and sister in recent years, despite the fact they’ve known me for well over 40 years.
Including a floaty silk scarf reminiscent of cabin crew uniform, a green plastic handbag, and a plastic cow to store your specs on.
I’d much rather they gave me a bar of green and blacks chocolate!