topic Re: Holiday Gifting in Among Friends

Holiday Gifting

lolakimono — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 16:50:10 GMT

Re: Holiday Gifting

plc123 — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 16:51:59 GMT

I agree!!

Re: Holiday Gifting

mspatmac — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 16:54:50 GMT

👍🏻

Re: Holiday Gifting

Jk9 — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 16:55:23 GMT

Nice post @lolakimono

Re: Holiday Gifting

threecees — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 16:58:25 GMT

So true @lolakimono

For Thanksgiving I will be giving my Mom's neighbors a coupon to

pickup a free turkey that I earned with my points from the grocery store.

My husband gets a free turkey at work and these kind people help my

Mom out often. I know they will appreciate it.

Re: Holiday Gifting

PamfromCT — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 16:58:33 GMT

Absolutely!

Re: Holiday Gifting

RedTop — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:04:16 GMT

Absolutely agree with this, and started it with my Mom more than 5 years ago.

I really only buy one gift now, and it's for my adult nephew. My girls prefer money.

Re: Holiday Gifting

nana59 — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:04:28 GMT

@lolakimono wrote:

great post....never liked holiday gift giving of 'stuff.'

Re: Holiday Gifting

QVCkitty1 — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:13:00 GMT

What a thoughtful post ! 🌺

Re: Holiday Gifting

Duckncover — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:18:57 GMT

We have started exchanging the names of nonprofits we like to support with our adult children and siblings, and we make donations in our family member's names as a Christmas gift. The nonprofits acknowledge the donation with a beautiful holiday card that is sent to them....we still do toys, etc for the little ones. Everyone prefers this plan and enjoys picking out charities we want a donation to be sent to in our name. SIL has had a kidney transplant so she prefers the kidney foundation. A son likes us to donate to a MLB foundation that supports inner-city youth. This will be our fourth year doing this. Win-win!

Re: Holiday Gifting

meallen616 — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:32:47 GMT

@lolakimono,

For this post,

Re: Holiday Gifting

BirkiLady — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:54:36 GMT

@Duckncover What a thoughtful idea! Rather than ask my DIL and son what they want, I'm going to suggest we do this. I'm confident they will love the suggestion as well. Thanks so much.

Going to have to chat with my 15-year old grandson. Sometimes he surprises me! This is something he might enjoy doing, too. I hope so. However if he prefers gifts or money, I'm fine with that for a few more years. He's a good kid, an A student, very musical and still has lunches with his grandmother in public (sometimes invites a friend or two to join us)!

Re: Holiday Gifting

chickenbutt — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 18:14:54 GMT

I love that!

While I would never be less than gracious, sometimes the whole 'gift' thing can be tedious because people will give you something because they like it and if you don't and/or have no use for it, it's like they just wasted their money, time, and effort.

I don't have family anymore except my father who lives across the country with his wife, nor does my husband, so it's just us. We stopped with the gift thing years ago.

Due to reality, TBH, cash or Amazon money are what I need the most. I don't need any stuff and actually want very little. I have lots of stuff - too much stuff! With cash I can either save it or use it in the way I would want or need to. With Amazon money, I buy a fair amount of household stuff there so that would serve the same purpose.

Probably the only exception is that one good friend usually has a beautiful coconut cake sent to me from a bakery in the NE that I truly love so that is a wonderful thing. But I could survive without it. I'm not the best at accepting gifts, anyway. I always feel like I'm not worthy and would just rather give or just exist somewhere in between.

Re: Holiday Gifting

BirkiLady — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 01:10:54 GMT

@Duckncover Before I chat with my family, how do you give to charities in other people's names? I'm assuming this is for IRS benefits, as well as their preferences in the charities.

Re: Holiday Gifting

wagirl — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 13:13:52 GMT

Love that!! I try to buy meals at my local grocerie stores for the holidays--you know, the big brown bags that cost $10 that will feed a family---try to do that everytime I go buy groceries. I don't need anything at all and am content with my situation but know there are people who are struggling.

Re: Holiday Gifting

candys mine — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 15:34:53 GMT

@threecees Your mention of your DH getting a turkey from work brought back a memory for me. When my oldest brother started working,the company gave out a check to all the employees at Thanksgiving. He was so proud and pleased that HE could give that money to my Ma to help buy everything needed for the Family Thanksgiving dinner. The founder of the feast young man!

It's the giving that fills your heart.

Re: Holiday Gifting

SouthernBee — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 22:45:24 GMT

@lolakimono : Totally agree. I am giving practical gifts this year. I borrowed your cleaning idea : the cleaning caddy. Two people received them for birthday gifts and were very thankful. Three more people will receive them for Christmas gifts. I hope that I will be the recipient of a few practical gifts.

Re: Holiday Gifting

qvcaddition — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:23:35 GMT

Years ago I would make a list of what I needed or wanted and got slam for it.

Now I just ask for food market gift cards. Actually they know this . Or an Amazon gift card.

I also ask them for a list. We really don't exchange much.

The great grand kids have always gotten big item that are very costly. I can't afford it and my 25 or 50 bucks doesn't phase them, so i stopped giving and let the parents give.

I can't afford it.

Re: Holiday Gifting

ScrapHappy — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:39:55 GMT

My friend and I were just discussing this. She had mentioned to her family to only buy for the kids and not to exchange with adults. Did not go over well. I mentioned to my husband's co-worker who is also a good friend that instead of exchanging gifts (at husband's work), why not adopt a family? Whether for Christmas gifts or the meal. Dead silence. I thought it was a good idea.

Re: Holiday Gifting

RetRN — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:47:43 GMT

A gesture of kindness rather than a material gift would be appreciated by many people I would think. Almost everyone I know has too much "stuff".

I also know that many people don't agree with me.

With inflation and the shortage of many items this seems like a good year to do things differently.