If people hate their gifts or gift exchanging so much....

[Silent1CB]

why do you continue to participate in gift buying & exchanging?

Our families stopped this practice some time ago, and our Christmas holidays have become sooooo much more enjoyable with everyone just focusing on getting together and having a great time.

I have not wrapped or opened 1 single gift this holiday season. We hosted for 18 people. And I think this year was the best year yet.



With so many unhappy gift threads, why do you all still do gifts? Just curious. Are you generally very unhappy about the shopping, exchanging practice every year or just this year?

 

[ReneeA]

We only buy for the children on both sides. I bought some giftcards for some of the adults in the family, but more as a "thank you" (and made that clear in the card) since I finally graduated from nursing school this month and DH's family have been running after my kids when I need help.

We stopped exchanging with everyone who's an adult because the expense became overwhelming, and it's difficult to buy for someone who is capable of purchasing anything they want for themselves. Instead, spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas with my DH's family - eat big meals, enjoy the company. Then we head north for a week to spend the week between Christmas and New Year with my family. I prefer "quality time" to gifts anytime.

 

[Acklander]

We also only buy the the kids, plus a gift basket (mail order with yummy food stuff in it) for my and DH's mom. So we don't do a huge amount of shopping, wrapping, or stressing.

 

[torinsmom]

I love buying gifts, but I am glad the really big gift exchange ended a few years ago. My dad's whole family would get together and it was about 40 people. Everyone bought for everyone, so we all gave and received at least 25 gifts! It was really hard with the adult presents, but when we mentioned only buying for kids, it was nixed. I enjoyed getting together, but always had a big box for the Good Will when we were done(and I'm sure quite a few of the gifts I gave ended up there too)

Now, just my immediate family gets together. There is my mom, dad, me and my son, sister and her husband and their two boys, and my brother. My sister and I had been exchanging gift cards with our brother, but we told him we didn't want to anymore. He has no kids though, so we felt bad that he had to buy for 3 kids. We bought gifts for his CAT this year, LOL. We do buy for mom and dad, but it is usually something more personal, like a photo clock with the grandkids or a photo calendar.

 

[disykat]

Wow- you are so lucky! Although we keep it as minimal as possible, I am surrounded by people who love the gift thing and won't give it up. I would be so happy with no gifts!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

why do you continue to participate in gift buying & exchanging?

Our families stopped this practice some time ago, and our Christmas holidays have become sooooo much more enjoyable with everyone just focusing on getting together and having a great time.

I have not wrapped or opened 1 single gift this holiday season. We hosted for 18 people. And I think this year was the best year yet.



With so many unhappy gift threads, why do you all still do gifts? Just curious. Are you generally very unhappy about the shopping, exchanging practice every year or just this year?

1) My children who are 18 & 13 are dead set against "giving up" Christmas. If you think about that, it would be a pretty stinky thing to do to a kid.

2) My family, esp. my sister, refuses to end gift giving. I ask every yr.

3) I wish I could end it however my family will not do it.

 

[wdwfan16]

I love buying and receiving gifts.

 

[bumbershoot]

1) My children who are 18 & 13 are dead set against "giving up" Christmas. If you think about that, it would be a pretty stinky thing to do to a kid.

2) My family, esp. my sister, refuses to end gift giving. I ask every yr.

3) I wish I could end it however my family will not do it.

I don't think the OP was saying to end it with immediate family.

Bet your family would stop it if YOU stopped your part in it!

 

[Pakey]

We quit buying and receiving gifts a few years ago and we have so much more fun now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't think the OP was saying to end it with immediate family.

Bet your family would stop it if YOU stopped your part in it!

No they won't. So I am just going to go with the flow and try to be better about getting them stuff earlier so I don't stress out on it.

I have to change my approach to it.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I've ended exchanging with some people over the years, but with others, it's not so easy. We have a few relatives who will continue to get us gifts. We don't want to look cheap, so of course, we buy them something and the pattern continues.

After all the holiday excitement dies down, I'm going to have a heart-to-heart with my DH and convince him that from now on, we should either buy each other things we need or pool our money together to buy something for the house. No more luxurious gifts for one another; if want or need be, we can do that for birthdays.

 

[DisneyFan620]

why do you continue to participate in gift buying & exchanging?

Our families stopped this practice some time ago, and our Christmas holidays have become sooooo much more enjoyable with everyone just focusing on getting together and having a great time.

I have not wrapped or opened 1 single gift this holiday season. We hosted for 18 people. And I think this year was the best year yet.



With so many unhappy gift threads, why do you all still do gifts? Just curious. Are you generally very unhappy about the shopping, exchanging practice every year or just this year?

WOW!!! That wouldn't fly in our family- too many whiners.

 

[Inigo]

I would love to do this with the extended family. DH, our kids, and I are OK with just exchanging between the 4 of us, and not with the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Unfortunately, DH's family will not agree. (I don't have immediate family other than DH and the kids, and don't exchange with my aunts, uncles and cousins.)

It took 10 years before we convinced them to stop the everyone buy for everyone deal. We're trying to convince them to just let the little ones get gifts, and the rest of us just spend time together (that's another thread), but no go.

We do a dirty Santa exchange at our work Christmas party. I absolutely love it. At the party, the worse the gift, the more fun. It's a $5 limit, and we're all warped, so we have a blast being creative.