Woman Told To Suck It Up After She Rethinks Attending Family Christmas Over An Expensive Gift

The holiday season can get expensive very quickly. You’ve got gifts to buy, parties to host, family dinners to enjoy, places to travel to, and fun events to attend. That can leave a significant dent in your budget! Most of you can at least relax when you’re surrounded by your nearest and dearest because you know that they value your company far more than price tags.

However, things are different in some families. Redditor u/scorpioh2o went viral online and in the media after sharing how she’s considering skipping this year’s family Christmas gathering altogether. The reason? An exorbitantly priced white elephant gift exchange that she simply can’t afford. You’ll find the full story below. Bored Panda has reached out to the author to hear more about what happened, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.

White elephant gift exchanges are a ton of fun! Arguably, the most enjoyable part is the actual exchange, not the presents themselves

Family exchanging white elephant gifts by the Christmas tree.

Image credits: gpointstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

A woman went viral after sharing how she’s considering not attending her family’s Christmas get-together due to the huge gift price tags

Text discussing a woman's dilemma about skipping a family Christmas party due to a costly white elephant gift limit.

Text expressing concerns about the high price of a White Elephant gift impacting Christmas plans and budget.

Text on financial stress over a $250 Christmas gift expectation amidst holiday pressures.

Text about a woman considering skipping a family Xmas party due to White Elephant gift costs.

Text on a white background expressing embarrassment about not meeting expectations for a white elephant gift.

Text about family opinions on gift price for Christmas party participation.

Woman pondering Christmas party attendance, sitting on a couch with a phone, concerned about gift price.

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Text discussing the financial stress of costly family Christmas gifts.

Text discussing the dilemma of skipping a family Christmas party due to a costly white elephant gift requirement.

Image credits: scorpioh2o

Many American families are struggling to buy gifts this year. Meanwhile, well-off families are splurging more than ever

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Money is tight for a lot of American families this year. And a lot of it is due to inflation. The Washington Post reports that US households with incomes between $40k and $100k expect to spend a whopping 20% less on holiday gifts in 2024 than a year earlier.

However, data from a recent Gallup poll also shows that higher-income American families tend to spend a whopping $1,578 on gifts this year.

“Everyone likes giving gifts this time of year, but we’re seeing income inequality becoming more and more pronounced. That’s changing how and what people can buy,” said Monica Haynes, the director of business and economic research at the University of Minnesota at Duluth. “That’s changing how and what people can buy.

It’s never a good feeling when someone pressures you to conform… especially financially. In some social situations, you can feel left out if you don’t spend as much money as everyone else on gifts, don’t order the same food, don’t dress the same, etc.

Human beings are social animals, so it’s only natural for everyone to want to fit in. But there’s a balance to these things. Sometimes, conformity can lead to connection; other times, it can come at the cost of your authentic self or your wallet.

If you’re spending hundreds of dollars to keep up appearances, you may need to reevaluate your relationship with the people you’re trying to impress. Try to imagine a way to get what you want (being part of the community you care about) without sacrificing your welfare (i.e. your limited budget).

Ideally, you want to feel relaxed around the folks you love. You want to be honest and vulnerable, not someone who has to pretend just to fit in. In this particular case, it’s possible to attend the family Christmas gathering (fun!) while also skipping the super expensive white elephant gift exchange.

It would be ideal to participate in the family gathering without spending so much money to keep up appearances

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

You could tell everyone upfront that you’re sorry you won’t be able to participate, but it’s too expensive for you. You can be polite and friendly while also being to the point.

Furthermore, you could also participate with a gift that’s comfortably within your budget. Maybe you can’t afford the $250 price tag. There’s nothing embarrassing about such a huge amount of money. However, you might be able to swing $5 or $10. Again, be transparent, be honest.

The white elephant gift exchange is supposed to be fun, not a financial burden! Hopefully, this is all an opportunity for your relatives to remember this.

The idea behind the white elephant is very straightforward. Everyone brings a gift (usually wrapped in a weird way to hide what’s inside), they all place it in one spot, and everyone takes turns picking something from the ‘pool’ and unwrapping it or picking a gift that someone else has already picked out. The ‘stealing’ bit is a core part of this gift exchange.

There are tons of variations, but broadly speaking, there should be limits on how many times a gift can be stolen. For example, you might decide that someone keeps a particular gift the third time it’s stolen. The game ends when everyone’s gotten a present and refuses to swap it for something else.

We’ve participated in this sort of gift exchange a few times, and it’s frankly impressive how creative some people are with their wrapping skills. Hats off to them! Of course, not every present is going to be a winner. Some things are simply so lackluster that they incentivize you to steal someone else’s much more attractive gift. But, again, the point isn’t really the gift. It’s the process of swapping things and simply having fun. The ‘real’ gifts come later!

But what are your thoughts, dear Pandas? What advice would you give the woman whose family expects her to shell out a quarter of a thousand dollars on a white elephant gift? How would you handle the situation? Do you have a budget for family and friend get-togethers or do you all just show up and enjoy each others’ company? What’s the most fun you’ve had with white elephant gift exchanges? Let us know in the comments!

The author later added a bit more context in the comments

Reddit conversation discussing skipping a family Xmas party due to a high white elephant gift price tag.

Most internet users were very supportive of the woman. Here’s their take

Discussion about the high cost of a white elephant gift for a family Christmas party.

Reddit comments discuss gift-giving traditions and avoiding expensive white elephant gifts.

Text discussing White Elephant gift exchange and high price concerns.

Text from a discussion on the high cost of a family Xmas white elephant gift.

Reddit comment about high white elephant gift prices at Christmas, suggesting donations to charity instead.

Reddit comment criticizing the high cost and environmental impact of white elephant gifts at Christmas parties.

Text exchange about skipping family Christmas party due to the white elephant gift price.

Text screenshot discussing issues with family gift exchanges and high gift costs.

Comment discussing high cost and impracticality of white elephant gift for family Xmas party.

Comment on skipping family Xmas due to costly white elephant gift.

Text discussion about family holiday gift-giving changes and high price tags for White Elephant gifts.

Comment discussing parental focus instead of comfort at family Christmas party due to White Elephant gift cost.

Some readers shared some great pieces of advice with her

Text discussing options for managing a high-priced White Elephant gift for family Christmas.

Screenshot of a comment discussing the high cost of a white elephant gift at a family Christmas party.

Screenshot of a comment discussing skipping a family Xmas due to gift expenses.

Comment suggesting a cheap white elephant gift from a charity shop.

As always, some less-than-popular opinions wormed their way out of the woodwork, too

Comment about skipping family Xmas party due to White Elephant gift cost.

Text debate on skipping family Xmas party due to White Elephant gift cost.

Comment discussing high price for White Elephant gift at Christmas party.

Reddit comment about skipping Christmas due to the high cost of a white elephant gift, addressing awkwardness.

Text discussing skipping family holiday due to high white elephant gift cost at a Christmas party.

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!