While all gifts are synonymous with a nice gesture and are meant to uplift our souls, not always do they do that. Sometimes, the very opposite happens.
Remember the last time you received a gift you didn’t want or need, or something that was plain insulting? After all, we are just almost a month after all the winter festivities, meaning we have probably one or two gifted things we’d be much better off without.
So when the Twitter page UberFacts asked people “What's the most messed up gift you've ever received?”, it hit way too close to home for many. The stories that make you laugh, cry and feel bad for these gift receivers (and givers, too!) started rolling and we wrapped up some of the most eyebrow-raising below.
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While buying a gift seems pretty straightforward, the task often turns into a headache-inducing mission that yields questionable results. No wonder so many gift givers tend to leave it for the very last minute, or grab something on their way to the party, or be a little too creative with it, or overthink it altogether.
So in order to find out what it takes to pick the right gift for a person and what common mistakes to avoid, Bored Panda reached out to the spokesperson of PartyPlease, a party planning platform where you can book, schedule, and manage chefs, bartenders, DJs, and other entertainment professionals for your party.
Just imagine being tired and going to pee in the middle of the night and you see this down the hall
There are thousands of mistakes people make when buying a present, but PartyPlease named a few of the most common ones they see. “People not considering the recipient's interests or preferences before buying a present. A great example is the classic ‘regifting’ scenario, where someone receives a gift they don't want and decides to give it to someone else who, ultimately, doesn't like it either.”
Another faux pas when picking a present is buying something too generic or impersonal. “It's acceptable when playing Yankee Swap, but it is a no-no for a birthday present or, worse, an anniversary. 9 out of 10 couples that give each other socks end up breaking up. That might be a made-up statistic, but seriously, avoid generic and/or impersonal gifts,” PartyPlease explained.
A typical mistake number three is not considering the occasion or the relationship with the recipient. “I've seen people giving home decor items such as vases, shakers, or even ashtrays at baby showers! Read the room…”
Last but not least, PartyPlease argues, the most common and worst mistake is buying gifts at the very last minute. “Whenever you do that, you cannot take the recipient's interest into consideration, it won't have any relation to the occasion, nor will it be an appropriate gesture for the relationship between the gifter and the recipient.” In fact, all you will be able to find at the last minute will be generic and impersonal gifts.
To be honest, Santa is not a Christian thing either. Anyway, it's a silly birthday present, especially for a person who does not celebrate Christmas. Perhaps the person didn't try to be offensive. A friend of mine (50) recently "discovered" (I told her) that Jewish people don't celebrate Christmas. Her answer? "...but EVERYBODY celebrates Christmas!"
When asked what gift ideas work for most people, PartyPlease said that they have to check the following requirements – to be thoughtful, practical, and timeless. “For example, a nice piece of jewelry (nothing too flashy), a good quality wallet, a set of high-quality kitchen knives, a best-selling book in the recipient's favorite genre or by their favorite author, a luxurious spa or massage gift certificate, and of course, a 21st century original, a subscription to their favorite streaming platform.”
No! No! No! For those of us who live real happy married lives, where finances were all in for everyone! If he gave 50, it would be 50i could guilt free spend and enjoy! I never buy things for myself
This was my exact thought. Maybe she doesn't like Amazon or wanted something more personal but it is all coming out of a joint account either way so I'm not sure why that part bothered her so much...
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Don’t really see the problem with this. Does the woman not like gift cards, not like Amazon, or not like having a joint account? In any case I don’t see the issue with the gift.
Not really a problem as I see it, all of their money is probably shared on some level, but the prospect of an Amazon card seems a bit lowend to me, why not Nordstrom, Newman Marcus, or her favourite designer brand shop? Or course $50 won't go far there, maybe add a zero or two.
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Whatever he brought presumably would have come out of the joint account and at least with gift card for somewhere like amazon there's loads of choice to get something she likes
How is this bad, wife and I have a shared accounts and a budget. So can't just blow money...so as gifts we free up some money for what that person wants...cash, card whatever, nothing wrong with this when an account is shared. Guessing she doesn't earn or understand money to know how their budget works. If the account is shared what does she expect, there is no secrets no surprises only.you get exactly what you want. As you would just see the bank logs anyway and only a select fee believe in surprises and getting people gifts they never asked for.
Ha yep I can sympathize! My ex just gave me a wad of cash from his pocket one Christmas. I think $34. After 15 yrs of marriage.
permission to spend on something frivolous and just for yourself? not a good way to go about it, obviously...
You know you can choose to use the gift card or not on a purchase? It’s not automatically used on the next purchase. Fiancée and I have joint account for Amazon. If I get a card, I add it to the total and use it for my purchases and she uses her credit card.
I don't get why this one is so bad? My hubby gives me gift cards to Amazon and some of my other fav stores and we have a joint account. I do the same for him (usually as a stocking stuffer or part of a gift box) - it's nice to feel like I can treat myself to something that I wouldn't normally spend the money on since I have a gift card...
I have gotten my wife a gift card before. You're basically pre-paying for her to pick something out. But Amazon doesn't work, you can use that for household stuff. If you buy one for a women's clothing store or a boutique, then it's a real gift.
My wife and I have a joint bank account so anything she or I buy is with our money. We don’t get secret night jobs to get outside money to buy gifts. A gift card lacks effort though
This probably just hits differently depending on personality and relationship. Even coming from our joint account, giving an Amazon gift card isn’t a thoughtless or impersonal gift. We are always on a tight budget so basically, giving an Amazon gift card is setting aside money for a time we may not have it available in the future and the gift card is only allowed to be spent at the receivers discretion.
Does she think the husband will spend it? I'm confused as to why any of the extra details matter or make the $50 unusable. She seems to be coming off as a little ungrateful.
can't see anything wrong with that. does it matter that you have joint accounts, whatever gift you buy comes from that same bank account
We spent $60,000 on construction on our property and the contracting company gave us a $20.00 Amazon gift card as a thank you.
Tbh $60k doesn't go far for building works these days, that would barely get you a new bathroom / kitchen and their margin would be pretty tight, they would have added it to the contract price you paid anyway.
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Gift cards you get as a last resort, or for a coworker/neighbor/mailman, not for someone special in your personal life
Seriously? A gift card is perfect for me. My husband knows I'm prefer something I need, so if I don't need anything, he just gives me a gift card for future use. It's a good practical gift.
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Husband is thinking like a true dad. Quite hilarious, in a matter of fact.
Divorce? For a gift card? I understand that might not be the best gift, but no need to go that far :D
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When it comes to surprise gifts and parties, they can surely be fun if planned and executed correctly. “The key is ensuring the surprise is well-timed and appropriate for the occasion.
A surprise birthday party for a close friend or family member can be a great way to show them how much they are loved and appreciated,” PartyPlease told us. However, the details must be appropriate to the occasion and even the weather. “Imagine planning a beach birthday party in the middle of the winter season or near the storm season.”
My mum is very hit and miss with Christmas presents. After 40 years I just go with it.
Another tip from PartyPlease is to always take personal preferences and restrictions as your north star when planning a surprise gift or party. “For example, if you hire a private chef for a surprise anniversary dinner for your SO, make sure you inform the chef about allergies or food restrictions from day 0; if you forget about it and remember 20 hours before the anniversary dinner, there is little to nothing that the chef can do about that.”
Or, just entrust your party to the professional planners who know what they’re doing while you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your mimosa.
Someone gave me a phone case that has liquid and glitter in it, it's very soothing to watch at least
I've always found the conversion tactics very weird. In school I learned the three C's when the Spanish were taking over my state. Colonize, Convert, and Control. They wanted everyone to be Christian, weirdly enough.
That would be nice in 2020 if you were stuck home with toddlers imo
Note: this post originally had 52 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
So, something I feel bad about to this day, even though my parents are long gone. My parents were struggling when I was growing up, although they ended up well off later in life (paid for college, gave me my first car, etc.). One birthday I got a lot of freebie type stuff. Think hotel soaps, free pens, etc. Truly awful gifts for a kid, but looking back it was probably just a lean time. I was upset and said something about "stolen" gifts. I am sure it was very hurtful. It's one of those times I wish I could go back and change. Kindness is never a bad choice, especially with those you love.
Thank you for posting something worth reading in this entitlement festival
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One year my mum got a concussion at the start of December, and *everyone* got multiple stressballs and colourful underwear. By Christmas she couldn't remember what was in the presents, and even she has no idea why her injured brain decided everyone needed hot pink panties and half a dozen stress balls. Multiple gifts each, for 6 people, wrapped in a variety of slightly odd ways, and it was always a stress ball or underpants. Christmas cracker? Underpants. Envelope wrapped in christmas paper? Underpants. Round and wrapped in two meters of cellophane so it looks like a comet? Stress ball. Pringles tin? stress ball between pairs of underpants. Box of chocolates? Nope, it's reused packaging for three pairs of underpants. By the about the fifth present my mum was looking completely mystified and the rest of us were laughing our heads off.
Your poor mum! That's the definition of "It seemed like a good idea at the time!"
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A few years back I got nothing on my birthday, it was Corona time and nobody actually had time to get anything. I went out to buy a bottle of alcohol and the woman saw it was my birthday on my ID. She gave me leftover chocolate from Christmas and she didn't even know it was the only gift I'd get.
Awwww! That makes me happy. I hope you had better birthdays after that one. If not, here ya go 🍾🍷🥃🥂🍻🍺🍕🍦🍨🥳
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When I was 7 I got my aunt a gift pack of nail polishes. I picked it out myself and bought it with the money my mom gave me for doing my own Christmas shopping. I was very proud of myself. When I was 23 I my aunt regifted the nail polish back to me forgetting that I gave it to her in the first place. The polishes were dried out and unusable. The woman is infamous for her unusable, insensitive, thoughtless gifts.
I worked for a woman like that as a caregiver. She was Jewish and had this "I'm poor" mentality despite being loaded down with secret cash from her very wealthy mother (she lived off the state). All year round she would shop bargain bin trash and free stores. She collected them along with regifted gifts from the previous years. It was an odd obsession for someone who wasn't even Christian. She frequently regifted gifts back to family and friends the next year when she forgot who had originally given them to her.
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My bio-mom, who I've seen 4 times in 35 years since she took off, came to my daughter's graduation (sort of, she was in the area but missed the ceremony to visit friends) bc my daughter invited her. She brought us "gifts"... Mine was a keepsake urn with ashes in it... She didn't know whose just thought it was pretty 🤦🏽♀️
So, she bought it "filled" or stole it from some poor widow?! The mind boggles.
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Thank you. I read through these wondering if it was just me. I'm grateful for anything.
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I bought my step-daughter a pack of fun band-aids, like with little faces on and so on. BUT. The proper gift was a set of expensive - and very sharp - cooking knives. She thought it was great.
I had a gift for my 10th birthday that'd probably be considered 'messed up' but to me, it's one of my favourite memories of a beloved uncle who's since passed away. My name rhymes with 'Banana', so this uncle always used to give me a banana when he visited. Unfortunately he was an alcoholic, so had almost no money to live on but not once did he forget my birthday and even when he was skint, he'd still find a way to give me a gift. So, my 10th birthday arrives and said uncle gives me a parcel of newspaper that's about the size of a beanbag. So I unwrap it and beneath the newspaper, there's another layer of newspaper. So I take off another, then another. Twenty-eight layers of newspaper later, the bean bag sized parcel is now the size of a modern day smart phone and when I finally unwrapped the last layer, out popped a banana! And the best part was, when I peeled it, it was somehow pre-sliced on the inside! I laughed for ten minutes solid. Best prezzie ever! I miss you, Uncle Ad! <3
He sounds like a fantastic person and marvelous friend. Hope you have many memories to cherish.
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My now ex husband one year gave me a tshirt marked “irregular” with the decal on front peeling off from the dollar store. And a 4-pack of fridge magnets. Yeah.
Yeah, for Christmas this year my aunt got me a tartan bag which obviously had some stuff in it. My siblings were eager for me to open it, because apparently they had had some “interesting” gifts from her in their own bags. So, I unzip it and the first thing I pull out is a Target bag, and inside it was Target brand whole wheat bread, Peter Pan crunchy peanut butter, and a tiny thing of Nutella. I hate crunchy peanut butter and Nutella, and the bread was legit three days expired! It straight up looked like she accidentally put one of her grocery bags in there, so I believed it was simply a prank. But it wasn’t, and it got even weirder. I then proceeded to pull out: a 300pc National Lampoon puzzle (never seen the movie) two candles (one was ok, the other awful), a little journal with my initial, a mini CD book about Tolkien???, and some other random stuff I can’t even remember now. I was torn between laughing so hard I was crying and bafflement. Weirdest gift ever
I think ur aunt may be a clepto. She prob bought the tartan bag and stuffed it with anything she could get her hands on to walk out of the store with. That's why it's all random! 🤭
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When I was like 8 or 9 this wealthy lady we knew gave me a pair of Victoria’s Secret sexy panties. They belonged to her youngest daughter who was in her 20’s... she also gave me the Madeline DVD and it was used too lol.
Lol. One of my in-laws is a pricy, yet terrible gifter. My first Christmas with my now-hubs, his sib gave him a Keurig - which for most people is a great gift. My hubs does not drink coffee, like at all. His coffee maker hadn’t been used in years when we started dating. His sib tended to just pick something pricy, yet probably on a big sale, and gift that. We ended up regifting to people who actually needed the things, so I guess it was good gifting with extra steps?
Keurig has tea and cocoa pods too... So still a great gift
Load More Replies... Nothing so bad, but last year my mother sent me three sets of flannel pajamas. They're very nice and look/feel expensive, but where I live it might get below 80'F (~27'C) a handful of days in a year, but with ultra high humidity (so 80'F feels more like 95'F/35'C) and she used to live down here for around 40 years... I spend a fortune running the a/c 24/7 to keep my place at 68'F (20'C) just to be able to sleep.
One year I got a gym bag and a can of aqua net hair spray and a box of tampons. From my own room that was wrapped for me. My sister got a brand new boom box and one of those translucent phones. Wtf.
It must be nice for her to be the favorite... I have a sister like that too
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At 5 I was told by my father that since I was the oldest (of 4), the only boy and an accident ("that ruined his life"), that I shouldn't expect any gifts, for any reason. He even went as far as to tell me that Christmas was only for girls and that's why I never got anything. Was in 3rd or 4th grade (forget which, I'm getting old) after the holiday break when I found out otherwise. Teacher was going around the room asking what we did and got for xmas. She was horrified when she got to me and I was confused by the other boys in my class talking about their gifts and told her they must have been liars, because boys don't celebrate Christmas and explained my reasoning. Well school called my parents and when I got home my father had the first gift he'd ever given me waiting for me. A roll of garbage bags and the help wanted ads from the paper. So I could "pack my s**t and find my own place" since I was apparently so unhappy under his roof.
...hope that man acquires a socially unacceptable, embarrassingly itchy, randomly bleeding rash on his a$$. I hope *you find unexpected joys in every day.
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I once gave my brother a DVD (way back when) of the movie "The Perfect Storm". His wife mentioned he liked the movie. Literally as he's tearing open the wrapping paper, and not looking, he's going on about how he can't stand the movie. Then he sees the gift and hilarious awkwardness ensues. Those were some good times
A few years ago (was already into my 30's), my parents gave me a white and pink Minnie Mouse watch for Christmas. I grew out of my Disney phase as soon as I hit puberty and I am notorious for always wearing black and being a pseudo-goth who is also into horror movies and death metal and all that. They are well aware of this and also know I hate pink. If they got me something that they knew I would like on top of that horrid watch, I would have just chalked it up as a joke gift, but that was the only thing they got me. Also, I'm pretty sure it was re-gifted to me.
After a lifetime of dealing with people making xmas and my birthday all about themselves, giving me re-gifts, and giving me things they want for themselves and then “borrowing” those things from me at a later date, and my absolute favorite thing of my then-spouse starting drama on birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, I long ago decided to quit celebrating special occasions with others. It’s been great. Especially now that the money I saved to buy gifts for others now goes toward treating myself.
The most insensitive thing I got was honestly way nicer than these tbh, but my mom got me a necklace with my name on it which I thought was a bit weird cause I don't really do jewelery except for earrings and even if I did, it was super gaudy and my name was on it, in cursive. Very weird overall. She ended up bringing it up layer and admitted that she got it as a way to say that she accepted me and my transition. That would be a super sweet gesture, and my aunt actually did the same thing in a different way (she took a price of wood and burnt my name and some other really cool designs into it by hand, very my aesthetic and the other designs were also things that were really important to me), but the catch is that she's actually kinda transphobic and rarely gets my pronouns right anyways. I'd be grateful no matter how gaudy if she actually did anything to back it up, but it just felt like an excuse. It's definitely a lot better than any of these, but it still kinda hurt.
Otherwise kinda transphobic or not, it sounds like Mom at least made an effort to make you feel included (as did your aunt). Sometimes we have a hard time expressing our real feelings about someone and we use gifts to say what we can't, you know? She didn't pick this necklace up at the gas station, she had to go out of her way to find the specific name. No matter what she calls you, this sounds like a sign of love to me. I'd wear it at least once when you two are together, doesn't even have to be in public. As a gesture. Just my cheap desk chair analysis, don't mind me, carry on!
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When I was 16 I had the in-style haircut for my high school for the "arty" girls, shoulder length hair on top, shaved head underneath. My dad's girlfriend got me a bottle of volumizing shampoo. If it was from my dad it would have been a funny joke, from her it was not. No, it was shaved off lol. I really felt it was cruel and or thoughtless
The worst gift I've gotten isn't as bad as these, but it was at my seventh birthday, my bestfriend at the time was the only one who showed up and she gave me a frozen teaset. I did not like tea sets or frozen at the time, my bestfriend on the other hand, loves frozen. It felt more like something she would want. Never used it, what so ever.
I got a fingerling this Christmas ik I shouldnt be dissapointed but I'm 15 and those things creep me out... it also showed me how much my parents don't know me
I totally agree with stories about insensitive or cruel gifts. Like a diet book for a plus size person. But some of them were given with good intentions.
To be fair a few of these were in the vein of "the best worst gift we ever got" sort of thing. You can tell some of these are fond memories
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I asked for a bike for Christmas one year when I was 12. My older brother (15) doesn't ride his bike and it fell into needing repair, he never was one to get off the couch or do anything. My parents got him a new mountain bike and I got his bike... which I needed to have fixed.
when i was like 10 my grandma got me a bible; the outside was this seizure inducing zebra print pattern and the pages were tissue paper thin. i am not religious (she is fs) it was the only thing she gave me that christmas
Every Christmas when I was a kid my uncle would turn up to our house with a sack of presents, all completely random things, an orange, a half full bottle of perfume, a chocolate bar, a couple of the tiny little green toy army men, everything and anything. For me as a kid it was the best part of Christmas, was only when I was older I figured out that it was his way of getting rid of all the used wrapping paper from their house and dumping it on my mum! Brilliant joke! I now do it to my sister and nieces
My old boss got me a $50 coupon for a restaurant I'm not a big fan of. Swiss Chalet, in case you were wondering. I even told him I wasn't a fan of that restaurant before Christmas, and could have gotten me something more local like Subway, LCBO, or even Timmies. I had a previous bad experience with them, where they served me raw chicken, in a place that prides itself on slow roasted, rotisserie chicken. The kicker? This coupon only worked at one restaurant, and said location was 40 minutes away from where I lived at the time, and that's on a good day.
Since this is about gift giving please allow me to make a suggestion to any one who decides to buy clothes. I know my wife's size, shoe size, favorite colors and style. Very simple. Go in the closet and look at the sizes. Pay attention to the styles and colors. Pay attention to what they wear and avoid wearing. Also, pay attention when you shop with them or when they look through a fashion magazine. Make mental notes. It's not rocket science and the results are usually worth it.
I got some scented soaps for Christmas from a cousin. "Not like you stink or anything..."
I got a colouring in and sticker book of "Knights and Castles" from my grandmother, meant for 3 year old boys. I was a 13 year old girl (well, closeted afab nb). That and hair ties from my aunt. Nice present, but I shaved my head earlier that year and I had told her I was going to keep it short. Of course, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes it feels like there wasn't any thought.
I kinda like the vakuum bunny. It reminds me of toys my long gone neighbour gave me as a child.
Allot of these seem to be suffering from "funny to me" gifting. My spouse does this to me often. They mean well but If you are not 100%sure it is funny to them to, don't do this (unless you are also getting them some things that they will actually like as well.)
One year for Christmas I bought a coworker (R) a full bathroom. All the accessories. He was like 21 and had a trash bag for a shower curtain. So I got him everything. Shower curtain, bath mat, trashcan, soap dish, nonslip shower mat... everything. A few years later I was talking to another coworker and they made a joke about my giving R the bathroom. And how much R had hated it and complained to everyone about hot insulted he was. I was hurt. I had thought it was a nice, thoughtful gift and one of my more expensive that year. So I hit up R on Facebook to apologize for giving him such a terrible gift. He admitted to not liking it but then told me this story: R had a crush on C. So he maneuvered himself into her study group but still couldn't get any face time. C always came to study group with another guy because she showered at his apartment after yoga. Well, one day C and this other guy get into an argument and she says "I don't like showering at your place... (cont)
You don't even have a shower curtain!" My friend pops out with "I have a shower curtain. You can shower at my place!" They wound up dating for a few months. And that's the story of how my terrible Christmas gift got my coworker laid.
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Virtually everything ever from my in-laws. Think ceramic, realistically painted rooster for my very modern-style kitchen; landscape paintings that THEY liked; fake jewelry that turned my skin green: the kind of stuff that says "we don't know you". When we were still exchanging presents, they had 3 daughters and 3 DILs - all the daughters would get the same thing, and all the DILs would get the same thing. Same with sons and SILs. The first year they were split up I was asked to help FIL with wrapping gifts for the 12 adult kids and the 4 grandchildren...which meant provide tape, paper, ribbon and labor so he could gift everyone the gifts she had already bought. Needless to say, gift giving was a box-checking activity in this family.
I had a very wealthy aunt and uncle who loved to show their wealth while demeaning others. They insisted on throwing Christmas at this giant house one year and started giving out gifts. Now just bc they are very well off doesn't mean they have to give expensive gifts but they would give just utter trash on purpose. So they hand out gifts and they open theirs to each other and it's crazy expensive jewelry and he got this golf club that cost apparently $1200, and their kids go next and they gave them equally crazy expensive gifts and then they get to my parents and I, they hand me my "gift" and when I open it, it's 5 National Geographic mags with their address sticker still on them....I started laughing and handed them back. My parents were silent so I figured that was a sign they didn't care if I went off and I just started laughing while calling them out for being sick, pathetic, and disgusting for inviting us there just to throw their money in our face. Best feeling ever!
I once got an engagement ring from my then fiancé. Absolutely stunning platinum with 30 diamond chips (I don’t go for solitaires as my fingers are ugly/birthmark and it would draw too much attention). We split and it turns out he paid for it on MY credit card that he had the secondary card to but at the time he managed all the finances. He earned more than me and I couldn’t make the payments alone. Declared bankruptcy at 23.
I have no idea why anyone would gift someone s****y stuff if you cannot even try... just do not give. or max give money..
Thinking it was a good idea, I got Mrs Ruffensor a heating pad for Xmas. This was at least 30 years ago, and I still hear about it on a regular basis.
Granted some of these weren't very well thought out but a lot of times people just don't have the money for gifts. It's also not a contest to see who gets the better gift.
Some people cant afford to give gifts. Regardless of what kind of gift I have ever been given, I always say thank you and appreciate that the person thought enough of me to give me anything at all. It would never occur to me to complain about what it was. That seems so much tackier to me than any gift I've ever been given. It reeks of entitlement.
Back in the 90s, a clueless aunt gave my excruciatingly white teenaged brother one of those t-shirts with a pic of Africa. She also gave me a beaded necklace that was FIVE FEET LONG and needed to be wrapped around several times. I think I was 19.
Bro I never received anything on either Christmas or my birthday. I didn’t complain tho 🤷♀️
A DVD I had bought for a friend's Christmas present and I was wondering around the house looking for it to wrap.
Tell me you're high strung without telling me you're high strung 🙄🤦🏽♀️
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So, something I feel bad about to this day, even though my parents are long gone. My parents were struggling when I was growing up, although they ended up well off later in life (paid for college, gave me my first car, etc.). One birthday I got a lot of freebie type stuff. Think hotel soaps, free pens, etc. Truly awful gifts for a kid, but looking back it was probably just a lean time. I was upset and said something about "stolen" gifts. I am sure it was very hurtful. It's one of those times I wish I could go back and change. Kindness is never a bad choice, especially with those you love.
Thank you for posting something worth reading in this entitlement festival
Load More Replies... One year my mum got a concussion at the start of December, and *everyone* got multiple stressballs and colourful underwear. By Christmas she couldn't remember what was in the presents, and even she has no idea why her injured brain decided everyone needed hot pink panties and half a dozen stress balls. Multiple gifts each, for 6 people, wrapped in a variety of slightly odd ways, and it was always a stress ball or underpants. Christmas cracker? Underpants. Envelope wrapped in christmas paper? Underpants. Round and wrapped in two meters of cellophane so it looks like a comet? Stress ball. Pringles tin? stress ball between pairs of underpants. Box of chocolates? Nope, it's reused packaging for three pairs of underpants. By the about the fifth present my mum was looking completely mystified and the rest of us were laughing our heads off.
Your poor mum! That's the definition of "It seemed like a good idea at the time!"
Load More Replies... A few years back I got nothing on my birthday, it was Corona time and nobody actually had time to get anything. I went out to buy a bottle of alcohol and the woman saw it was my birthday on my ID. She gave me leftover chocolate from Christmas and she didn't even know it was the only gift I'd get.
Awwww! That makes me happy. I hope you had better birthdays after that one. If not, here ya go 🍾🍷🥃🥂🍻🍺🍕🍦🍨🥳
Load More Replies... When I was 7 I got my aunt a gift pack of nail polishes. I picked it out myself and bought it with the money my mom gave me for doing my own Christmas shopping. I was very proud of myself. When I was 23 I my aunt regifted the nail polish back to me forgetting that I gave it to her in the first place. The polishes were dried out and unusable. The woman is infamous for her unusable, insensitive, thoughtless gifts.
I worked for a woman like that as a caregiver. She was Jewish and had this "I'm poor" mentality despite being loaded down with secret cash from her very wealthy mother (she lived off the state). All year round she would shop bargain bin trash and free stores. She collected them along with regifted gifts from the previous years. It was an odd obsession for someone who wasn't even Christian. She frequently regifted gifts back to family and friends the next year when she forgot who had originally given them to her.
Load More Replies... My bio-mom, who I've seen 4 times in 35 years since she took off, came to my daughter's graduation (sort of, she was in the area but missed the ceremony to visit friends) bc my daughter invited her. She brought us "gifts"... Mine was a keepsake urn with ashes in it... She didn't know whose just thought it was pretty 🤦🏽♀️
So, she bought it "filled" or stole it from some poor widow?! The mind boggles.
Load More Replies... Thank you. I read through these wondering if it was just me. I'm grateful for anything.
Load More Replies... I bought my step-daughter a pack of fun band-aids, like with little faces on and so on. BUT. The proper gift was a set of expensive - and very sharp - cooking knives. She thought it was great.
I had a gift for my 10th birthday that'd probably be considered 'messed up' but to me, it's one of my favourite memories of a beloved uncle who's since passed away. My name rhymes with 'Banana', so this uncle always used to give me a banana when he visited. Unfortunately he was an alcoholic, so had almost no money to live on but not once did he forget my birthday and even when he was skint, he'd still find a way to give me a gift. So, my 10th birthday arrives and said uncle gives me a parcel of newspaper that's about the size of a beanbag. So I unwrap it and beneath the newspaper, there's another layer of newspaper. So I take off another, then another. Twenty-eight layers of newspaper later, the bean bag sized parcel is now the size of a modern day smart phone and when I finally unwrapped the last layer, out popped a banana! And the best part was, when I peeled it, it was somehow pre-sliced on the inside! I laughed for ten minutes solid. Best prezzie ever! I miss you, Uncle Ad! <3
He sounds like a fantastic person and marvelous friend. Hope you have many memories to cherish.
Load More Replies... My now ex husband one year gave me a tshirt marked “irregular” with the decal on front peeling off from the dollar store. And a 4-pack of fridge magnets. Yeah.
Yeah, for Christmas this year my aunt got me a tartan bag which obviously had some stuff in it. My siblings were eager for me to open it, because apparently they had had some “interesting” gifts from her in their own bags. So, I unzip it and the first thing I pull out is a Target bag, and inside it was Target brand whole wheat bread, Peter Pan crunchy peanut butter, and a tiny thing of Nutella. I hate crunchy peanut butter and Nutella, and the bread was legit three days expired! It straight up looked like she accidentally put one of her grocery bags in there, so I believed it was simply a prank. But it wasn’t, and it got even weirder. I then proceeded to pull out: a 300pc National Lampoon puzzle (never seen the movie) two candles (one was ok, the other awful), a little journal with my initial, a mini CD book about Tolkien???, and some other random stuff I can’t even remember now. I was torn between laughing so hard I was crying and bafflement. Weirdest gift ever
I think ur aunt may be a clepto. She prob bought the tartan bag and stuffed it with anything she could get her hands on to walk out of the store with. That's why it's all random! 🤭
Load More Replies... When I was like 8 or 9 this wealthy lady we knew gave me a pair of Victoria’s Secret sexy panties. They belonged to her youngest daughter who was in her 20’s... she also gave me the Madeline DVD and it was used too lol.
Lol. One of my in-laws is a pricy, yet terrible gifter. My first Christmas with my now-hubs, his sib gave him a Keurig - which for most people is a great gift. My hubs does not drink coffee, like at all. His coffee maker hadn’t been used in years when we started dating. His sib tended to just pick something pricy, yet probably on a big sale, and gift that. We ended up regifting to people who actually needed the things, so I guess it was good gifting with extra steps?
Keurig has tea and cocoa pods too... So still a great gift
Load More Replies... Nothing so bad, but last year my mother sent me three sets of flannel pajamas. They're very nice and look/feel expensive, but where I live it might get below 80'F (~27'C) a handful of days in a year, but with ultra high humidity (so 80'F feels more like 95'F/35'C) and she used to live down here for around 40 years... I spend a fortune running the a/c 24/7 to keep my place at 68'F (20'C) just to be able to sleep.
One year I got a gym bag and a can of aqua net hair spray and a box of tampons. From my own room that was wrapped for me. My sister got a brand new boom box and one of those translucent phones. Wtf.
It must be nice for her to be the favorite... I have a sister like that too
Load More Replies... At 5 I was told by my father that since I was the oldest (of 4), the only boy and an accident ("that ruined his life"), that I shouldn't expect any gifts, for any reason. He even went as far as to tell me that Christmas was only for girls and that's why I never got anything. Was in 3rd or 4th grade (forget which, I'm getting old) after the holiday break when I found out otherwise. Teacher was going around the room asking what we did and got for xmas. She was horrified when she got to me and I was confused by the other boys in my class talking about their gifts and told her they must have been liars, because boys don't celebrate Christmas and explained my reasoning. Well school called my parents and when I got home my father had the first gift he'd ever given me waiting for me. A roll of garbage bags and the help wanted ads from the paper. So I could "pack my s**t and find my own place" since I was apparently so unhappy under his roof.
...hope that man acquires a socially unacceptable, embarrassingly itchy, randomly bleeding rash on his a$$. I hope *you find unexpected joys in every day.
Load More Replies... I once gave my brother a DVD (way back when) of the movie "The Perfect Storm". His wife mentioned he liked the movie. Literally as he's tearing open the wrapping paper, and not looking, he's going on about how he can't stand the movie. Then he sees the gift and hilarious awkwardness ensues. Those were some good times
A few years ago (was already into my 30's), my parents gave me a white and pink Minnie Mouse watch for Christmas. I grew out of my Disney phase as soon as I hit puberty and I am notorious for always wearing black and being a pseudo-goth who is also into horror movies and death metal and all that. They are well aware of this and also know I hate pink. If they got me something that they knew I would like on top of that horrid watch, I would have just chalked it up as a joke gift, but that was the only thing they got me. Also, I'm pretty sure it was re-gifted to me.
After a lifetime of dealing with people making xmas and my birthday all about themselves, giving me re-gifts, and giving me things they want for themselves and then “borrowing” those things from me at a later date, and my absolute favorite thing of my then-spouse starting drama on birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, I long ago decided to quit celebrating special occasions with others. It’s been great. Especially now that the money I saved to buy gifts for others now goes toward treating myself.
The most insensitive thing I got was honestly way nicer than these tbh, but my mom got me a necklace with my name on it which I thought was a bit weird cause I don't really do jewelery except for earrings and even if I did, it was super gaudy and my name was on it, in cursive. Very weird overall. She ended up bringing it up layer and admitted that she got it as a way to say that she accepted me and my transition. That would be a super sweet gesture, and my aunt actually did the same thing in a different way (she took a price of wood and burnt my name and some other really cool designs into it by hand, very my aesthetic and the other designs were also things that were really important to me), but the catch is that she's actually kinda transphobic and rarely gets my pronouns right anyways. I'd be grateful no matter how gaudy if she actually did anything to back it up, but it just felt like an excuse. It's definitely a lot better than any of these, but it still kinda hurt.
Otherwise kinda transphobic or not, it sounds like Mom at least made an effort to make you feel included (as did your aunt). Sometimes we have a hard time expressing our real feelings about someone and we use gifts to say what we can't, you know? She didn't pick this necklace up at the gas station, she had to go out of her way to find the specific name. No matter what she calls you, this sounds like a sign of love to me. I'd wear it at least once when you two are together, doesn't even have to be in public. As a gesture. Just my cheap desk chair analysis, don't mind me, carry on!
Load More Replies... When I was 16 I had the in-style haircut for my high school for the "arty" girls, shoulder length hair on top, shaved head underneath. My dad's girlfriend got me a bottle of volumizing shampoo. If it was from my dad it would have been a funny joke, from her it was not. No, it was shaved off lol. I really felt it was cruel and or thoughtless
The worst gift I've gotten isn't as bad as these, but it was at my seventh birthday, my bestfriend at the time was the only one who showed up and she gave me a frozen teaset. I did not like tea sets or frozen at the time, my bestfriend on the other hand, loves frozen. It felt more like something she would want. Never used it, what so ever.
I got a fingerling this Christmas ik I shouldnt be dissapointed but I'm 15 and those things creep me out... it also showed me how much my parents don't know me
I totally agree with stories about insensitive or cruel gifts. Like a diet book for a plus size person. But some of them were given with good intentions.
To be fair a few of these were in the vein of "the best worst gift we ever got" sort of thing. You can tell some of these are fond memories
Load More Replies... I asked for a bike for Christmas one year when I was 12. My older brother (15) doesn't ride his bike and it fell into needing repair, he never was one to get off the couch or do anything. My parents got him a new mountain bike and I got his bike... which I needed to have fixed.
when i was like 10 my grandma got me a bible; the outside was this seizure inducing zebra print pattern and the pages were tissue paper thin. i am not religious (she is fs) it was the only thing she gave me that christmas
Every Christmas when I was a kid my uncle would turn up to our house with a sack of presents, all completely random things, an orange, a half full bottle of perfume, a chocolate bar, a couple of the tiny little green toy army men, everything and anything. For me as a kid it was the best part of Christmas, was only when I was older I figured out that it was his way of getting rid of all the used wrapping paper from their house and dumping it on my mum! Brilliant joke! I now do it to my sister and nieces
My old boss got me a $50 coupon for a restaurant I'm not a big fan of. Swiss Chalet, in case you were wondering. I even told him I wasn't a fan of that restaurant before Christmas, and could have gotten me something more local like Subway, LCBO, or even Timmies. I had a previous bad experience with them, where they served me raw chicken, in a place that prides itself on slow roasted, rotisserie chicken. The kicker? This coupon only worked at one restaurant, and said location was 40 minutes away from where I lived at the time, and that's on a good day.
Since this is about gift giving please allow me to make a suggestion to any one who decides to buy clothes. I know my wife's size, shoe size, favorite colors and style. Very simple. Go in the closet and look at the sizes. Pay attention to the styles and colors. Pay attention to what they wear and avoid wearing. Also, pay attention when you shop with them or when they look through a fashion magazine. Make mental notes. It's not rocket science and the results are usually worth it.
I got some scented soaps for Christmas from a cousin. "Not like you stink or anything..."
I got a colouring in and sticker book of "Knights and Castles" from my grandmother, meant for 3 year old boys. I was a 13 year old girl (well, closeted afab nb). That and hair ties from my aunt. Nice present, but I shaved my head earlier that year and I had told her I was going to keep it short. Of course, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes it feels like there wasn't any thought.
I kinda like the vakuum bunny. It reminds me of toys my long gone neighbour gave me as a child.
Allot of these seem to be suffering from "funny to me" gifting. My spouse does this to me often. They mean well but If you are not 100%sure it is funny to them to, don't do this (unless you are also getting them some things that they will actually like as well.)
One year for Christmas I bought a coworker (R) a full bathroom. All the accessories. He was like 21 and had a trash bag for a shower curtain. So I got him everything. Shower curtain, bath mat, trashcan, soap dish, nonslip shower mat... everything. A few years later I was talking to another coworker and they made a joke about my giving R the bathroom. And how much R had hated it and complained to everyone about hot insulted he was. I was hurt. I had thought it was a nice, thoughtful gift and one of my more expensive that year. So I hit up R on Facebook to apologize for giving him such a terrible gift. He admitted to not liking it but then told me this story: R had a crush on C. So he maneuvered himself into her study group but still couldn't get any face time. C always came to study group with another guy because she showered at his apartment after yoga. Well, one day C and this other guy get into an argument and she says "I don't like showering at your place... (cont)
You don't even have a shower curtain!" My friend pops out with "I have a shower curtain. You can shower at my place!" They wound up dating for a few months. And that's the story of how my terrible Christmas gift got my coworker laid.
Load More Replies... Virtually everything ever from my in-laws. Think ceramic, realistically painted rooster for my very modern-style kitchen; landscape paintings that THEY liked; fake jewelry that turned my skin green: the kind of stuff that says "we don't know you". When we were still exchanging presents, they had 3 daughters and 3 DILs - all the daughters would get the same thing, and all the DILs would get the same thing. Same with sons and SILs. The first year they were split up I was asked to help FIL with wrapping gifts for the 12 adult kids and the 4 grandchildren...which meant provide tape, paper, ribbon and labor so he could gift everyone the gifts she had already bought. Needless to say, gift giving was a box-checking activity in this family.
I had a very wealthy aunt and uncle who loved to show their wealth while demeaning others. They insisted on throwing Christmas at this giant house one year and started giving out gifts. Now just bc they are very well off doesn't mean they have to give expensive gifts but they would give just utter trash on purpose. So they hand out gifts and they open theirs to each other and it's crazy expensive jewelry and he got this golf club that cost apparently $1200, and their kids go next and they gave them equally crazy expensive gifts and then they get to my parents and I, they hand me my "gift" and when I open it, it's 5 National Geographic mags with their address sticker still on them....I started laughing and handed them back. My parents were silent so I figured that was a sign they didn't care if I went off and I just started laughing while calling them out for being sick, pathetic, and disgusting for inviting us there just to throw their money in our face. Best feeling ever!
I once got an engagement ring from my then fiancé. Absolutely stunning platinum with 30 diamond chips (I don’t go for solitaires as my fingers are ugly/birthmark and it would draw too much attention). We split and it turns out he paid for it on MY credit card that he had the secondary card to but at the time he managed all the finances. He earned more than me and I couldn’t make the payments alone. Declared bankruptcy at 23.
I have no idea why anyone would gift someone s****y stuff if you cannot even try... just do not give. or max give money..
Thinking it was a good idea, I got Mrs Ruffensor a heating pad for Xmas. This was at least 30 years ago, and I still hear about it on a regular basis.
Granted some of these weren't very well thought out but a lot of times people just don't have the money for gifts. It's also not a contest to see who gets the better gift.
Some people cant afford to give gifts. Regardless of what kind of gift I have ever been given, I always say thank you and appreciate that the person thought enough of me to give me anything at all. It would never occur to me to complain about what it was. That seems so much tackier to me than any gift I've ever been given. It reeks of entitlement.
Back in the 90s, a clueless aunt gave my excruciatingly white teenaged brother one of those t-shirts with a pic of Africa. She also gave me a beaded necklace that was FIVE FEET LONG and needed to be wrapped around several times. I think I was 19.
Bro I never received anything on either Christmas or my birthday. I didn’t complain tho 🤷♀️
A DVD I had bought for a friend's Christmas present and I was wondering around the house looking for it to wrap.
Tell me you're high strung without telling me you're high strung 🙄🤦🏽♀️
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