# How far 'removed' relatives will you be buying presents for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105 "2003-11-30T20:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/1 "2003-11-30T20:31:47Z")
I will be buying presents for my parents, my step-parents, my brothers, and my nieces. I have stopped at brother’s partners, grandparents, uncles, cousins etc. This is so that I can spend more money on the people that matter to me. Where do _you_ draw the line? ---
**Author:** ![SJSB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@SJSB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SJSB)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/2 "2003-11-30T22:04:44Z")
I will buy my eldest brothers’ girlfriend a present, out of guilt. I don’t like her, but I’ll do it for my brother. Other than that, just my immediate family - although I will be sending cards to close friends, family, and my mothers brothers and parents. All this, despite the fact that I loathe the festive season. How good a person am I? ---
**Author:** ![AfterAugust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AfterAugust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AfterAugust)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/3 "2003-11-30T22:07:53Z")
The following people are getting more than just a card: My parents My brothers and sisters My boyfriend Boyfriend’s parents Nieces My best friend The person at work I am Secret Santa to ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/4 "2003-11-30T22:26:51Z")
I’ll be buying gifts for my mother, nieces and nephews, plus all my siblings and their spouses did a gift drawing and I’ll be buying a gift for the person whose name I picked. I’ll also be buying gifts for my roommate, and possibly for my sister’s fiance and my one brother and his wife who did not join in the gift drawing (because they’ll be out of state for Christmas). ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/5 "2003-11-30T22:59:48Z")
Mother Father maybe brother (we get along fine, we just are always so late with sending gifts that it’s gotten to the point of being pointless!) That’s it. No cards for anybody. I hate greeting cards. They never say the right thing. I’ve taken up buying the occasional blank card, though, so maybe I’ll do that. I can write much better stuff on my own in about 5 minutes, compared to looking in the store for an hour. No gifts for cousins, uncles/aunts, etc. Of course the fact that I have seen them about 3 times in the past 19 years may have something to do with it. Oh, and my girlfriend, but the OP said “relatives”. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/6 "2003-12-01T03:52:54Z")
My list so far (and unlikely to change) : Mom, Dad, brother, sister, SO, sister’s boyfriend, SO’s dad, aunt (like a second mom to me), cousin and her SO (usually a small thing to share), my 3 closest friends, the cat (just a cna of soft food), grandmother. I plan on baking little packages for my SO’s dad’s SO and her two kids, as well as for a couple of family friends. I have other aunts and uncles and cousins, but I am not close enough to them all to get something for them, nor could I afford to if I was! ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/7 "2003-12-01T04:09:05Z")
We draw names on each side of the family, so we’ll be giving gifts to five out of the many of my siblings, their spouses, and their children. And five of my hubby’s family, including parents. (Actually, we’ll only be doing four on each side, since my son will be taking care of the one drawn for him.) When my mom was still alive we gave her something every year, because she didn’t get into the drawing. She always said that if the time came that she couldn’t get something for everybody, she’d just quit doing any for anybody. And this year we’ll probably be doing something for my daughter’s boyfriend and my son’s girlfriend, since they will be at the party, and I’ve been inculcated with Mom’s idea that everybody needs a package if they are there. And the new grandson, and then we’ll probably do at least something small for his mother. Wow, this is getting more complicated than I thought. And of course, hubby and I do for each other, and we give presents to the kids. I guess I’d better get organized. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/8 "2003-12-01T14:04:35Z")
My sibs and I quit exchanging years ago. I’m hoping my husband can convince his brothers to do the same. 3 of my sibs and I will all kick in for a gift for Mom. I’ll get something for my niece and nephews. Hubby and I aren’t gifting each other, but we’ve gotten some stuff for our daughter. We’ll also get something for his folks. And I’ll send off my Secret Santa gift. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/9 "2003-12-01T14:46:23Z")
I keep lobbying for a name-draw among the adults in my family, but for now, we buy presents for my sister-and-BIL, my brother-and-SIL, and my parents. Usually we send them “couple presents”, which is why I put their names together like that. We also give our nieces and nephews presents, as well as my parents-in-law, and of course our two boys. Fella bilong missus flodnak and I sometimes agree to buy a present in common, if we’re both coveting a big ticket item; other years we give one another presents. Fbmf is one of five kids, and they decided years ago to stop exchanging gifts. We have fourteen nieces and nephews - next year it will be fifteen - so that’s a lot of presents right there! ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/10 "2003-12-01T15:27:39Z")
My own direct family, my parents, my brothers and their kids, my boyfriend, my nephew has a son…that’s about it…That’s enough!! ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/11 "2003-12-01T15:42:25Z")
Every year I buy something for a second cousin I don’t even like, just because she always gets me something and I’m not strong enough to be the one to call a halt. I’m also having to buy for my cousin’s boyfriend and my uncle’s current floozie, which I resent. I want to initiate some sort of family rule for this ie: You must be with someone for at least a year, and/or have made some sort of major commitment to them before we have to buy them presents. After all, I’m don’t expect them to buy presents for everyone I’m sleeping with… ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/12 "2003-12-01T16:33:55Z")
The immediate family: mom, dad, brothers & 1 SIL. And one brother/his wife may be getting gift cards this year - they’ll be at her parents’ house this year, and shipping gets inconvenient. But if I happen to see something that I think he or she would like, I’ll get it. Otherwise, it’s a BN card for him and a Body Shop one for her. Beyond that, one secret santa gift. I’ll send Christmas cards to the relatives I’ll see Christmas eve, but no more than that. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/13 "2003-12-02T08:29:07Z")
Let’s see, **Dr.J** , our parents, our grandparents, our siblings and my SIL, my mother’s siblings and their spouses, and one cousin. Well, actually, he’ll be doing the shopping for his parents and probably his sister and grandma. I’ll be doing all of my family, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sassafras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/14 "2003-12-02T17:56:46Z")
This year I am only buying for the kids: nieces, nephews, and one very special 7 year who is the daughter of my best friend of 25 years. So my list is: 1 two month old 2 three yr olds 1 four year old 1 five year old 1 seven year old 1 eight year old 1 thirteen year old and one eighteen year old. (my 3 brothers are very fertile) I am actually looking forward to shopping this year- it’s much more fun to just shop for toys! ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sassafras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-removed-relatives-will-you-be-buying-presents-for/216105/15 "2003-12-02T18:05:12Z")
I forgot to add the dogs to the list 1 peke-a-poo 1 chocolate lab 🙂