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my christmas presents this year
sphetr2:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on December 05, 2006, 10:58:49 am ---
I did that one year. I made donations to various charities in the names of anyone I would have normally given an Xmas gift. I actually spent more money doing that then I would have on their gifts. It didn't take long before I became aware that most of the people were calling me a cheap bastard and questioning the authenticity of the receipts I gave them. I think it was about 9pm on the 25th.
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Maybe they've seen that Seinfeld episode too many times...
'The Human Fund' -George
:laugh2:
boykster:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on December 05, 2006, 10:58:49 am ---
I did that one year. I made donations to various charities in the names of anyone I would have normally given an Xmas gift. I actually spent more money doing that then I would have on their gifts. It didn't take long before I became aware that most of the people were calling me a cheap bastard and questioning the authenticity of the receipts I gave them. I think it was about 9pm on the 25th.
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That's what my wife and I did last year, and we're going to do it again this year. Last year we donated $200 per family to the Katrina Relief fund managed by the red cross. Not sure what charity we're going to contribute to this year.....
If ppl are so self-focused that they would doubt the validity or generousity of this type of gift, then so be it...
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: boykster on December 05, 2006, 06:58:23 pm ---If ppl are so self-focused that they would doubt the validity or generousity of this type of gift, then so be it...
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That's my opinion too. My solution was to say "eff them all" and not buy anyone anything and still donate the cash I would have spent. Sadly my wife thinks more of their opinions than I do (which is to say at all). I'm still not entirely sure if they didn't like the concept or if they just believed I was lying to get out of paying for gifts.
AlanS17:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on December 05, 2006, 10:17:43 pm ---My solution was to say "eff them all" and not buy anyone anything and still donate the cash I would have spent.
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Maybe that's the key. People think you were just going to donate money anyways, and then conveniently decided that you spent too much money on donations so there wasn't any left for them.
I don't consider myself greedy or self-centered, but I'd rather get the gift than find out a donation was made in my name. If I'm going to make a donation, I can ALWAYS do it myself. I don't need anyone to do it for me.
And don't go taking that the wrong way. I like giving gifts (almost) as much as I like to receive them. I've donated gifts to orphans for the past two Christmases.
boykster:
--- Quote from: AlanS17 on December 05, 2006, 11:30:23 pm ---I don't consider myself greedy or self-centered, but I'd rather get the gift than find out a donation was made in my name. If I'm going to make a donation, I can ALWAYS do it myself. I don't need anyone to do it for me.
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Sure you/they can ALWAYS do it yourself/themselves, but most people don't. Rather than sending my already "spoiled with toys" neices and nephews one more toy that they will lose interest in my the new year, or my sister another token gift from Pier 1, why not send that money to better the life of someone in need?
:dunno