When you get presents (birthday/ Xmas whatever) do you like to be surprised or do you like to know what you’re getting? Do you ask for specific things?
I don’t completely get this whole tell people what you want concept. We weren’t allowed to say what we wanted. It always was a surprise. If you said what you wanted then you didn’t get it for sure. We were told that it’s ungrateful to ask for a specific gift.
Now that I’m older I kinda like letting Yak know what I want for presents. LOL
We're engineers, so we're a bit weird. Our family has a spreadsheet with tabs for each person where we list anything we might like to give the family ideas. My son has listed everything from Nerf darts to clothing suggestions to a $500 drone.
I have a very paired down wish list this year. though I'm getting a specific gift from my parents because I asked and it is a life essential gift (a bright light alarm for those dark winter mornings) they got it for my birthday (a month early).
I've come to the age where I find my parents don't understand my gift preferences other than the gift card so it is better to tell them what exactly they should get me rather than me taking it back
FREEarmStar🌟🎉
: it depends. the whole asking for something specific thing can be good for bigger ticket items that you need, within the family, for budget planning and all that
asking for a specific thing also gets sort of more important as you get older, both for the needs of more expensive items often, and also from the whole "well, ok, this is just another thing that's going to take up space"
Qwis
: Engineers are people I always knew I would be romantically incompatible with, but LOVED having as patient caregivers. Charts, graphs, spreadsheets...
In my family you would ask the person directly if there was no other person to ask for gift ideas. It was always considered suggestions and you were expected to be polite and enthusiastic no matter what you got. Old fashioned. Grandparents typically put a $5 bill in a card for grandkids (a time before gift cards).
My mother would have been beside herself if someone had advised her what she would be purchasing their child. I think crass bad manners of that level would have dropped her in her tracks. She struggled enough with the neighbor kid who came over and asked how much everything in the house cost so she could go report back to her mother.
Foggy
: I’m if you. It’s one thing to ask what someone likes to get an idea. That’s different than saying...I want X thing in red with Y thing on top. LOL
I've gotten into the habit of holiday shopping throughout the year. Some people are so hard to buy for that I need the time to find things I know they like. This means I usually have things picked out very early and has made December a lot less stressful.
I love getting surprised by a gift. And I love surprising someone with a gift. Something that they want or mentioned that they won’t get for themselves.
I like it to be a surprise, though my son always wants to know ahead of time what kind of things I'm interested in receiving. We always make something for each other, too. He pretty much just gets whatever he wants me to have anyway and I do the same for him. Currently he's the only person I shop for, and it might be only homemade this year.
Also, I prefer to give (receive) consumable goods. A bottle of wine, spices, special soaps, etc. If you don't like them you can give them away, if you like them you use them. They will not clutter up your home.
I will give away consumables I cannot use myself, but on the other hand, how difficult is it to inquire after someone's habits. As a person who doesn't drink, it does make me feel uncomfortable to repeatedly be given wine by the same people. I'll just say thank you of course, because I appreciate the gesture, but at the same time I don't want them to find
Oh yes. But usually not right when they give me a bottle, I don't want to seem ungrateful. I'll casually drop it in conversation with them at a later point.
the first Mrs.
Gingo!
and her family had a bizarre habit of buying themselves gifts, then letting one another know how much they were to be reimbursed. That marriage was doomed when it began
Wow, that's nuts. My husband and I will somewhat often just buy a thing we've been eying and be like, yo I ordered this thing. Because, why not. But buying something and having someone pay you back for it?! Just give those Visa giftcards or whatever at that point! Geez.
Now that I’m older I kinda like letting Yak know what I want for presents. LOL
for the most parteverything's ready well before it's needed.