No Free Gift Boxes For You This Holiday~

[allison443]

My dds like to shop at Victorias Secret and we often get coupons in the mail for a free cotton panty (no purchase required.). They will go in the store to get it, and they get the free item carefully wrapped in tissue paper and in a thick little shopping bag. I always noticed that-even though they spent nothing (well, on that visit, anyway )
Actually, usually when my girls buy friends gifts at VS they use the VS bag and tissue as the gift bag!!

 

[pixiewings71]

Our family hasn't had to buy boxes or ask for boxes at stores for years. We just save boxes and gift bags from year to year and reuse them (until they start to look worn - then we recycle). We just store them in a tub along with our Christmas stuff and bring them out every year in time to wrap the gifts. The only thing we have to get is extra tissue paper, but we usually get the large packs of those at Wal-Mart after Christmas at a discount.

We reuse our boxes and gift bags too. We use them over and over and over......I've got gift boxes/bags from when my girls were 2 years old.....it doesn't make sense not to reuse them really. And I only buy wrapping paper, tissue paper, new boxes and bags when I can get them for 75 or 90% off after the holiday.

My dds like to shop at Victorias Secret and we often get coupons in the mail for a free cotton panty (no purchase required.). They will go in the store to get it, and they get the free item carefully wrapped in tissue paper and in a thick little shopping bag. I always noticed that-even though they spent nothing (well, on that visit, anyway )
Actually, usually when my girls buy friends gifts at VS they use the VS bag and tissue as the gift bag!!

We use the VS bags as gift bags too. And I have a co-worker who uses hers to bring her lunches in. lol Those bags are awesome!!!! They are very sturdy and super cute for gifts. One year I had some big ones, we used them to load up gifts to take to DBF's parents for gift exchanging.

I try to remember to take my reusable bags with me, I have quite a few of them that live in the back of the minivan. Sometimes I forget them but I'm pretty good at remembering. My grocery store gives me a 5 cent credit for reusing bags, whether they are reusable bags or the bags they gave us on our last grocery trip.

I'm really not too worried about stores not giving free boxes, but like other posters I really think that higher end stores should continue to offer them.

 

[jcc0621]

It is just funny as stores get bought by other chains we still have some of the boxes in the attic to use again. Nothing like getting a gift in a John Wannamaker or Gimbels box! (ok, those boxes were tossed years ago...)

Had to laugh at this. I have a, are you ready for this, a LIT BROTHERS box (I believe it was meant as a glove box) that I use to store all my gift tags

 

[Traveliz]

I personally don't have a problem with this....do you really need a bag for your books, especially if you are going right to the car? I generally don't get bags anymore unless I absolutely need it, and I use reusable at the grocery store and CVS. Really isn't a big deal to me

We also reuse our boxes and I don't find that to be too big of a deal either. People can just be so incredibly wasteful. I love using the Victoria Secret boxes for my dad or brother. They always laugh when one pops up. We also had an old ratty Wanamakers box that circled through my family for years. It kind of became a little tradition to see who got a gift in that box

Yes I do. Generally speaking I prefer a bag when I am shopping. I reuse my bags too so I don't feel bad getting one when I purchase something.

Liz

 

[swilshire]

We have always saved boxes until they disintegrate, so I guess I can do without the new ones. I have just one box left over from my job in a dept store when I was 17 years old. I'm well over 50 now. I don't use it every year, but bring it out once in a while just for sentimental reasons. It still looks good after all these years. It was a very high quality box.

I've also stocked up on inexpensive gift boxes at after holiday clearance sales and use those for gifts leaving the family.

I often find new looking gift bags and boxes at estate sales. I always buy them and add them to my stash.

Sheila

 

[tinker&belle]

I am all for being helpful for the environment, but I agree with the poster about no one wanting to bag anything any more. Two weeks ago when I left the grocery store they had left my milk out, a six pack of beer (for DH for a BYOB event) out and my small bag of catfood out.

This just seemed ridiculous since with all of that left out, there was just one small bag of food in a bag (it was a quick trip.) The way they bagged it, it would be several trips from the car back in to balence everything. I just wish they would bag things, or at least ask. When you are carrying in groceries and have two small children, things like that matter.

 

[Ava]

My mom saves gift boxes too until they fall apart. If I had the storage space I'd do the same. Thankfully I don't usually buy gifts that require a box.

I am guilty of always taking plastic bags at the grocery store, but I use them as garbage bags in my small trash cans & to throw away the used cat litter. Once I have a good stash I try to remember the reuseable bags for a while until I run low on the plastic, but more often than not I forget.

 

[n2mm]

My BonTon still gives free boxes with purchase. I was just there. I believe Boscovs does too.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

I personally don't have a problem with this....do you really need a bag for your books, especially if you are going right to the car? I generally don't get bags anymore unless I absolutely need it, and I use reusable at the grocery store and CVS. Really isn't a big deal to me

I normally love when I can take my items without needing a bag (or I actually remember to bring my reusables!), but if I forget a bag of my own, it's annoying to get a strange look when I want to keep a new book from Borders from getting wet because it's raining outside, or when I want to hide my purchase a bit from the little sneaky eyes of my daughters (it's certainly a lot harder to surprise them ). I definitely prefer when they just ask "do you need a bag?"

As for gift boxes, we also rarely use them and just reuse and reuse and reuse gift bags, but I did like those cute Disney gift boxes - they were enough wrapping just as they were, as for my young daughter, THAT was part of the gift! We did save ours from last year, but I won't be buying new ones if they get too used.

 

[momxx5]

I have never seen Target have gift boxes.
Our Old Navy has been charging for boxes.....comes 2 boxes/tissue/tag....for at least 4 yrs now.

I know JC Penny had to see your receipt and then they stamped it showing they gave you a box.

Way over 30 yrs ago we used to wrap everything without boxes because most of our gifts were sent out of state parcels and it was easier to pack.

 

[v.t.]

I swear my DM has boxes older than I am. I know my DMIL has wrapping paper older than me as well. When at their house all Christmas gifts are opened with pocket knives as not to tear the paper. Too Funny! We do save boxes and gift bags year to year. But our favorite is to save cereal (and other colorful) boxes to put gifts in. Nothing looks better than a couple of Fruit Loop boxes with big red bows on them under the Christmas Tree.

 

[pixiewings71]

I have never seen Target have gift boxes.
Our Old Navy has been charging for boxes.....comes 2 boxes/tissue/tag....for at least 4 yrs now.

I know JC Penny had to see your receipt and then they stamped it showing they gave you a box.

Way over 30 yrs ago we used to wrap everything without boxes because most of our gifts were sent out of state parcels and it was easier to pack.

Target sells gift boxes, with all the other gift wrap stuff in the seasonal department. They have never given them away for free, they have always had them available for purchase.

 

[minniebeth]

But our favorite is to save cereal (and other colorful) boxes to put gifts in. Nothing looks better than a couple of Fruit Loop boxes with big red bows on them under the Christmas Tree.

My kids LOVE cereal and this would be so fun! What a cute idea!