Who's on your gift list?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Past, present, future - who have you/do you buy for?

When I was a kid, it was siblings, parents, and grandparents, and if any money was left, maybe friends.

As we got older, siblings were dropped, spouses and some inlaws were added, and siblings’ kids replaced sibs. By then, grandparents were gone.

Current stage (for me at least):

  • my mom is the last of her generation and she demands that we not give her anything - tho we may give her a gift cert to a favorite restaurant
  • Spouse and I quit exchanging years ago
  • Daughter and SIL will get something for their house
  • Grandkids will be spoiled appropriately
  • Grand nephews will get a few bucks in their college funds and maybe a token something to unwrap
  • Oh yeah, and the Dope Secret Santa

Fa-la-la-la-laaaaaaa

2

My GF.

3

Very few people.

My wife.

My mother and father in law (we live in town, and it’s mostly my wife buying, but I get them a little something if I find something specific)

Our best friend.

And a partial for my young (12 and 15 currently) niece and nephew, who get at their current age, Amazon gift cards.

That’s about it.

My mom, dad, and step-mom are either comfortable or don’t care (and are much more happy per their own statements with the year-round tech support) and they’ll normally just send a small check or gift card to the wife and I to have a night out.

My M and F In-law again will buy quite a few presents for us, and we’ll spend Xmas day with them in a totally secular manner.

4

My two sons. One is an adult and the other nearly so. So for them gifts = cash. Maybe some Steam and Amazon gift cards as well.

My wife. She claims she’s easy to shop for but no, she isn’t. So far I’ve gotten her a sweater and a gift card and some WeatherTech mud flaps for her car (which I assure you is something she actually wants and has wanted for a while). Probably going to give her more gift cards.

One random family member; this year it’s my MIL. Each year we draw the name of a family member to gift a gift to rather than everyone spamming everyone else with gifts. I got her a jam & jelly advent calendar.

I bought like $100 worth of candy canes for my students. I think that counts.

That’s about it. My mom is gone and my dad doesn’t do Christmas.

Oh. I buy and cook most of the Xmas dinner for my wife’s ~25 person family. Probably $200 worth of food. I don’t know if that counts.

5

Wife and I exchange nothing typically.

Adult kids get money.

Grandchildren (4) get gifts.

Assorted relatives get a gift basket from Harry and David.

6

I buy gifts for my friends Patti and Shari. That’s it.

7

I just realized I left something out of the gift list: the furry feline overlords!

They get something special for the holidays ever year.

Heck, some years they get more stuff that I do!

(they’re on my list, my wife’s list, my mother and father in law’s list, and some friends/extended family member’s list)

8

Grandma, Mom, two daughters and one son, my dog… probably nieces and nephews and sisters, but only if I’m going to see them at Christmas.

9

I have a very short list but it’s still difficult to think of things to get for people:

  • 'im indoors
  • His mother
  • Some of his family (and generally just cash)
  • Two friends I see every week
  • Token gifts for my work team
  • Something for the catsitter

My parents are gone now, and I haven’t exchanged anything with my sibling for more years than I care to remember.

10

My children.
My sister’s children.
My brother’s children.
My mum.
My ex-wife, though technically that gift is given by my children, not me. I give guidance, and I pay, but they are involved in the choice. (They are 8 and 6)