Giving/getting Christmas presents as an adult

I don't have much family left. Just a few in laws on Lisa's side and my sister her husband, aka @thebrotherinlaw.
We tend to look for thoughtful gifts throughout the year instead of Wally World crap on Black Friday. My family got me a hot sauce assortment and some camping goodies as those are things we both enjoy. We returned the favor with some items for their goat farm and a framed picture of me, because who wouldn't want that?
Lisa and I look forward to having my sister and BIL over each year for a prime rib throwdown and to spend some time together (not in the shop or dragging winch cable up Crawford's Cry).

Cliffs: buy from the heart not from the wallet.
 
CasterTroy said:
We do dirty santa for extended family. We buy gifts for the kids and our parents

Mom usually gives me a Lowe's gift card.

That's standard

This year I got a great bonus. As appreciation I wanted to do something for the boss. But what do you buy a man who can buy and sell YOU all day? Something he can't BUY. I was able to score a bottle of Blantons. Not something you can just buy. For some reason they only release a bottle like every few weeks to the whole damn state. He's looked for months for one and I happened across one last week. Presented it to him before we left Thursday and he damn near cried. That felt good.

Also I NEVER buy for friends, but this year I got my best friend something money can't buy either. Won't say because I haven't given it to him yet...but it's one of a kind deal...momento and something he'll cherish.

I got his wife something too, which is really out of character for me as well, but it was A time/place thing that she will remember.

I've never bought gifts for friends. I agree with the above 100% as far as buying for myself...but this year has been the exception for giving AND receiving
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I can’t wait to open my gift!
 
I’m not much on getting useless gifts from a bunch of people I hardly ever see. I buy my own gifts year round. I do like to buy my brother gifts because he is a tight ass with money so a lot of times I get him things he would never buy with his Money.
 
I come from a family of tight wads so we buy each other things we can either use or are too indulgent that we wouldn't otherwise buy ourselves. Example: my parents are big long time eagles fans. One if the highlights of their out west trip last year was standing on THE corner in Winslow AZ. They would never spend the $$ on decent tickets to see them though. Eagles tickets are stupid high but my brother and our significant others went in and got them really good floor level seats for their Raleigh show coming up. We're all really excited to see their reactions tomorrow.
 
shawn said:
This is a solid idea. I do this as well. 8x10 glossy in a tasteful frame is usually the way to go.

It's one of those things that everyone wants, but are too shy to ask for.
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Not me. I'll take one ;)
 
Don't buy me crap. I won't buy you crap. Use your $ for more useful things and I will as well. I asked the same if family for the kids but told them if they feel they must get something, get a card with a note saying the $ you sent to their 529 plan will pay back ten fold later. :lol:
 
shawn said:
This is a solid idea. I do this as well. 8x10 glossy in a tasteful frame is usually the way to go.

It's one of those things that everyone wants, but are too shy to ask for.
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Anyone else picturing Shawn in a 10 year old suit, just outside the range of fitting, thumbing through the background choices at the Olan Mills in Walmart???
 
Shit wife got me a sweet 243 for Christmas and I spent the same amount of money on things she likes like shoes bags normal female staff

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jeepinmatt said:
So every year I make her an elaborate list of all the things I would likely buy in the next few months, or could put off for the past couple months.
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I actually provide lists as well...they just never buy from it. Although this year, I did get a Milwaukee hex driver to impact socket adapter set for 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2” impacts that was on my list. Next year, I think I’m buying everyone bibles and telling them to write out a check to my church.
 
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shawn said:
This is a solid idea. I do this as well. 8x10 glossy in a tasteful frame is usually the way to go.

It's one of those things that everyone wants, but are too shy to ask for.
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I hope it’s one of those bad ass double exposure photos.
 
Wife gave me a BladeHQ gift card, that was it. Perfect. Adding a little cash on top and getting a Mini Griptillian with a CPM-20CV blade (instead of the normal 154CM) and G-10 scales. I'll put it into rotation with my other 9 knives and I'll have it forever.
 
We buy something for my parents and the in-laws. They give us something as well. We do try to make sure it's something that they will use rather than just completely random crap. This year Mom got an Insta-Pot since she cooks alot and said she liked the one my wife has. Dad got some new DeWalt power tools to replace some of his older stuff.
 
UTfball68 said:
I actually provide lists as well...they just never buy from it.
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Similar thing often happens to me. I'll send a link to item X on coolstuff.com, then I'll open a present that is really close to item X, but lacks an important feature and still costs more. First world problems...
 
jeepinmatt said:
Similar thing often happens to me. I'll send a link to item X on coolstuff.com, then I'll open a present that is really close to item X, but lacks an important feature and still costs more. First world problems...
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Same here, especially my inlaws. My MIL and SIL don't know what to buy for a guy (FIL is passed and SIL is single) so I end up with random, slightly crappy "guy stuff" that I either already have a good one of or I just don't need. I got another tape measure, I have probably 10 scattered around work and home already. I got bungie cords and zip ties, which I get an unlimited supply of from work. They also like to buy me dress clothes. Unfortunately I wear nice clothes one day a week and plain ol work clothes the other days. My ratio of clothes gets more skewed every holiday :lol:
 
The kids make out like bandits, but the adults only trade symbolic gestures. Several years ago we acknowledged it was mostly dumb, my side of the family is financially very sound and practical, so lie Ben said, if I need something I tend to just buy it.

When I was younger my parents would ask for a list, and pick something from it. I always thoughts that was kind of dumb and lazy, and never provided one. We've mostly given up on that. Wife and I trade presents, but it's fun stuff that we'd likely not get around to doing for ourselves. Like I gave her a fancy pedicure, massage, and a set of those wireless "tile" things you attach to things to you lose so you can find them (her idea). She got me a certificate for 4 buddies to play paintball, and gizmos for smoking meat. We could easily have bought those things any time, but the way we see it it's more like giving the gift of forcing to take a break from life and have some fun guilt free.

My brother's wife is a baker and every year she gives me a homemade jar of spiced rub for meat. I'm as happy w/ that as anything b/c it's something I can't get elsewhere and I know it took her own hands to do it.

For our families (parents, siblings) generally the only gift we give them is a calendar for the next year, that has all of the family members' birthdays highlighted on it, and every month has pics of our kids from that month of previous years. Rachael custom makes it every year, one with her family members' birthdays and one with ours. That's been a big hit, and only costs about $15 plus time. One year we messed up and sent one of her family birthday set to my brother, lol oops.

At work it's really awkward bc the government has very specific rules about gifts and people in different levels of chain of command, and between civilians and contractors etc. Generally I just have a "team meeting" at a local bar involving any collaborators, and buy a round of beer/snacks and call it a day. People will do things like show up w/ a box of doughnuts or cookies and leave them out for everybody.
 
At 31, I don't look forward to getting gifts at all, so I don't get many. I'd much rather host a big get together and cook for everyone. In 10 years, would one really remember what they were given back in '17? Probably not. Sitting around a fire, telling stories and eating a few hundred dollars worth of awesome food stays with you for a long time. Only the closest of family on this day (8 members this year).
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My wife and I quit buying presents for each other not long after our son was born.

We do the secret santa thing with my wife's parents and her sister's family with a limit of $50. Each person writes down one to three things on a piece of paper and then we anonymously pick someone. I got a pair of 6 ton jack stands from HF that I asked for. I think it works out pretty good, and is fun.

We still exchange gifts with my parents. My parents are usually hard to come up with ideas for. My mother typically buys me a dress shirt or two and maybe something else. I wouldn't be upset if we quit buying gifts for each other and just got together, or did the secret santa thing like we do with my in-laws.

For my sister's family, we usually just exchange gifts for each others kids.

The best gifts are the ones money cannot buy. My father makes homemade Irish Crème desert drink and spiced pecans every Christmas as gifts for family and friends.

Like most others have said, we are older now with disposable income, so I don't need anyone to buy me stuff, and receiving stuff that doesn't get used seems really wasteful. I'm a bit of a tight wad, but generally just buy what I need throughout the year.
 
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