Forum menu
It's not like I receive a lot of presents. This year I received two; a box of beers (fair enough) and a TwistFit.
It annoys me. Never asked for anything. Explicitly said buy us nothing (we're currently in the process of selling off all our possessions), yet the GF gets a massive book (never going to be read, she doesn't read much if at all) and I a TwistFit. Never going to be used. I've got various bands for that...
Just the pointless consumerism and wasted money annoys TF out of me.
Want to swap?
#firstworldproblems
A bottle of Champagne to celebrate 4 months since I stopped drinking alcohol.
To be fair, she did say it was a present for everyone else who had supported me but it was still the only thing she gave me
We're still living in a motorhome currently whilst doing a barn conversion....I stressed time and time again, no gifts as we've got 0 storage.
My mum got my girlfriend a ****ing massive build your own gingerbread campervan ffs! We've got an actual one, we dont need a gingerbread one!!
we dont need a gingerbread one!!
I don't either, but I'll swap.
I got a jumprr off the mother in law, the same jumper i got 2 years ago and never wore so put it in the charity shop when i was clearing out the other week
5 pairs of Krusty the Clown socks. I've already planned who I can pass them on to.
You know those metal mugs , the one that burn the backs of your fingers as they transmit heat really rather well. Yep , one of those. With my name on it. just in case I forget
Why don't you just I've them back?
Especially the duplicate jumper person.
It annoys me
It's a gift. Some one cares enough to go a spend money on you, presumably as a token to show how much regard they hold you in.
You can choose how to react to that.
I got a jumprr off the mother in law, the same jumper i got 2 years ago and never wore so put it in the charity shop when i was clearing out the other week
Is it just me imagining his mother in law seeing the same jumper at the charity shop and thinking.... Perfect for ffati......
I had to look up what a twistfit was. I used to quite like playing with them when I was a little lad. 😁
Waste of time thread give back if you don't need or want.
Because thats really rude , maybe .
You could keep them and re-gift to someone else? Or put them into the charity shop?
Singletrackmind I would of thought that was just being honest.
Everything I got will be used or consumed.
It’s a gift. Some one cares enough to go a spend money on you, presumably as a token to show how much regard they hold you in.
Or more likely, someone just picks up any old crap with no thought put into it, just because they feel they have to.
Few years back I got SIX of the same Costa gift sets. FIL and partner are the worst for it. Two years ago I got a plastic mini table top drum kit. Just screamed of “that’ll do”. Don’t even get me started on the amount of novelty cycling related garbage I’ve had over the years.
You can choose how to react to that.
I know it makes me look a berk, so I'll bite my tongue and express the fact I have all I need/want.
Don’t even get me started on the amount of novelty cycling related garbage I’ve had over the years
Yup... The amount of crap tyre levers, novelty bike tools and other tat over the years. Most of it ends up at the local bike kitchen.
All the bike crap you will never use is amazing gifts for the kids on their new bikes you see riding around at the moment.
Great bike, did Father Christmas get you that? Here, have some remote control lights and indicators for it held in place with flimsy elastic bands. No use at all to me but you are 6 and will think they are fantastic*
*possibly worth checking with their responsible adult before just approaching a 6 year old in the park and offering them presents
Also good for work colleagues who get themselves bikes for their New Year ambition to ride everywhere but only need kit that will last a few weeks until they give up.
"Here Martin, have some cycling glove/mitten things for the commute to work. As mittens you have no control of your bike but the ends flip back to expose your fingers which then freeze why you are riding along. No, honestly, keep them."
It’s a gift. Some one cares enough to go a spend money on you, presumably as a token to show how much regard they hold you in.
You can choose how to react to
Agreed. Make them feel good about it.
Then send to charity shop when they're not looking if that bothered.
Does 2bottles of wine and a bottle of whiskey count?
I don't drink and haven't for around 8yrs - all from close family members too, who know I don't drink.....
I bet there is a thread somewhere called miserable ungrateful ****…
[i]Does 2bottles of wine and a bottle of whiskey count?
I don’t drink and haven’t for around 8yrs – all from close family members too, who know I don’t drink…[/i]
Oh great, I thought it was a novelty for this year and no-one would be so thoughtless or dumb to do it again 🙁
Amongst other stuff my wife gave me a book and before I'd even opened it she said "I don't think you'll like it".
Is it just me imagining his mother in law seeing the same jumper at the charity shop and thinking…. Perfect for ffati……
Was about to say the same! Hopefully to troll him as well.
A 'The Proclaimers' CD.
Why did you buy me this?
'Because they are Scottish'.
It wont be coming out of its plastic wrapper.
Everything I got will be used or consumed.
Before or after it was given to you?
My 5yo boy received a baby crocodile head.
I got given 3 large bottles of Stella Artois for my birthday, just before Christmas. I don't like Stella so I told my brother in law this & gave them to him as a Christmas gift when he dropped off the mother in law for Christmas, along with a bunch of pressies for us. He & his wife had got me 1 large bottle of Stella Artois...
got given 3 large bottles of Stella Artois for my birthday, just before Christmas. I don’t like Stella so I told my brother in law this & gave them to him as a Christmas gift when he dropped off the mother in law for Christmas, along with a bunch of pressies for us. He & his wife had got me 1 large bottle of Stella Artois…
The real question is....does the brother in law have 2 large bottles or 4 large bottles now ?
The booze gifts for those that are known to not booze are unthinkably mean.
I thought everyone knew that Laphroaig is the devil's cough syrup, but I didn't have the heart to tell Mrs Mellie as I unwrapped it. I'll probably end up decanting something more palatable into the bottle. But then she'll think I like it and I'll get another next Christmas... 😄
I'll have the Laphroaig! Pretty sure I like it.
Try a drop of water in it. Literally a drop, or two. Don't drown it.
The booze gifts for those that are known to not booze are unthinkably mean.
Quite. Unless it's a rare bottle for putting away then what's the point?
Coke works really well in Laphroaig
I was given a hardcover copy of Robert Macfarlane’s book ‘Underland’, by my sister-in-law. She gave me a copy of the same book last year. That one I gave to a mate for his birthday as I’d bought a copy that was signed by the author when it came out.
I hope she’s kept the receipt, I’m sure there’s a bunch of books it could be exchanged for, as I love books. Difficult call when it’s someone who you’re really close to and fond of…😕
I had another book from friends which I was rather hoping they’d get me, because they’re good friends with the artist who illustrated it, Jackie Morris, who’s signed it; It’s also signed by the author, Robert Macfarlane!
Its called ‘The Lost Spells’, and it’s continuing the theme of their first book, ‘The Lost Words’, and there’s been musical tie-ins as well.
@clubby I got that plastic mini drum kit a few years ago ffs....total landfill!
My ex wife once bought me a copy of the book that I was 2/3 of the way through reading.
MiL buys random presents all year, gradually filling up the spare room. Literally hundreds upon hundreds of them, with no plan as to who to give them to. Then wraps them and divvies them out to whoever. No thought process behind it except for "must buy stuff, cannot resist...".
Rolson tyre lever set, magnifying plastic book mark, magnetic bookmarks, little bottles of showr gel, etc etc. The consumerism and amount of single use plastics is shocking. I wonder whether one day people will look back at that in the same way as buying somebody 200 fags would be seen these days.
Merry Christmas though, ehh.
My ex wife once bought me a copy of the book that I was 2/3 of the way through reading.
My Dad bought me a book I'd already got on Kindle. It's very much related to this comment from earlier:
Don’t even get me started on the amount of novelty cycling related garbage I’ve had over the years
Oh it's a cycling book, we'll get him that cos he likes cycling... And maybe these nice tyre levers with it.
MY sister and I have just about managed to stop the rest of the family from giving pointless tat. Over the years much that I have been given ends up in the charity shop - usually untouched.
Numerous kitchen gadgets, strange joke toys etc. Why?
"The booze gifts for those that are known to not booze are unthinkably mean."
Its the thought that counts
I've done well to avoid cycling tat over the years, I think I once got a cycling lunch box and a puncture repair kit of questionable quality but have managed to avoid it for the most part, one year my folks bought me one of these 
Which I dont actually mind that much, it sits on a shelf out of the way, weird thing is they bought me the exact same thing again a year later!? Now they both sit on the shelf, I imagine the one behind is the first chaps minute man (I do swap them occasionally to let the one sit on and catch his breath)
The real question is….does the brother in law have 2 large bottles or 4 large bottles now ?
Yeah, right, the BIL has played and absolute blinder there so far as I can see 😂
We are quite lucky in that since the kids came along all of my family are on a "no presents for adults" rule which is fine by me. Mrs P's family do a Secret Santa which I managed to weasle out of a couple of years ago so no problems there.
As a result this Christmas I got a bottle of scotch (which I will drink) and two books (which I will read) and assorted bits and bobs the kids made me which I think we need to keep forever until they eventually form a huge pyre in some sort of Viking-style "burning boat" burial when I (many years hence, ideally) kark it. I think.
Anyway, down with Christmas tat. Does my head in too.
Does turning a slightly naff gift into a cycling one count? My niece, who was an art student at the time made some large cardboard letters to spell out out nice words like HOME and FRIENDS, we ended up with LOVE, which obviously became VELO. I was very pleased with myself.
A soda-stream. I don't drink fizzy water.
🤦
Mugs usually for me as I'm known to love a bru. Bonus points for some cycling related theme! Even though I usually use the same scabby old Sports direct mug as it fits more tea. Though this year I've got a Back to the future mug which is pretty cool 🙂