How do you do presents?

[Wandering_Fox]

I've gotten into this discussion with people before, but I'm curious... How do you handle gifts for holidays/birthdays? Most kids ask for things because they can't really buy them themselves, but I've noticed once I began working at a job and I wanted something, I didn't even worry about gifts and just bought things myself, leaving everyone in a lurch around Christmas, because it was hard to think of things I wanted. So now I'm opening up this discussion. If you have a different way of doing things, what do you do?

 

[PureElegance]

I'll put "I do something else" since I make a list of things I want for myself only for my parents, which is usually not very long, and for other people I don't ask for anything. I also don't buy myself gifts or spend money on myself most of the time. I always end up getting a ton of things from my parents that I don't ask for, just things they'd think I'd like! So I'm always being surprised by my parents and friends.

I don't mind getting cash, but I'd rather someone actually get me something silly and nerdy than just give me money! :B I don't really think of any gift as a "mistake" and I've been this way since I was little, when even my friends in elementary school thought of some gifts I received as being lame and unworthy, but I didn't mind and I appreciated the thought! Even if I get a duplicate of something I already have, I love the thought (especially that they'd know me so well) and I even hide away the original one I have so I don't remember that I have it. ^^;

Whenever a gift-giving time comes around I never ask people what they want. For example, this Christmas I have a friend who I talked a lot about Pocahontas with, and how we hated Pocahontas 2. She LOVED John Smith and couldn't believe Pocahontas went with John Rolfe, and we'd quote John Smith so many times. So for Christmas I bought her a John Smith doll and SHE LOVED IT and it's now sitting in her Disney shrine.

Maybe it wasn't on her "list" or something she specifically asked for, but I think the fun and happiness in gift-giving is putting thought into the gift and making it special. I put a ton of thought into gifts and I love doing it!

 

[flowersofnight]

For "civilians" I make a long list and tell them to just pick a few things off of it. I had trouble coming up with enough things for it this year though.

 

[Berserk]

I usually do the long list (usually a book list) and let people pick off it. But people still buy things I never asked for sometimes, and I also sometimes request specific things (usually practical things. Like this year I needed socks and a shower mirror). I don't hand out my list to everyone though, so the people who don't get it usually just give me money/gift cards, which is always welcome.

 

[faith]

I don't do gifts, or try not to. But sometimes people get them for me anyway and then I feel bad. So I try to talk about wanting really small, inexpensive things a little before Christmas. For example, I might talk about how I need a cat collar or something.

I dunno. I don't like buying people stuff. I prefer to show them I care by doing things for them. Like I don't participate in Secret Santa, but I do bake Christmas coookies for my entire floor (like 40 people). Or I'll call my family.