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my christmas presents this year
ClubNinja:
On the other side of the coin, I would much rather receive this kind of gift than an actual gift for me. In general, I enjoy the Christmas season, but really really hate gift giving AND getting. Other than getting goodies for the kids, I just don't see the point of adult gift-giving. If I want something, I'll buy it. If you want something, buy it yourself.
My wife's family has this Christmas drawing that happens at each Thanksgiving. The four siblings and their spouses (7 of us total) draw a name from the basket and that's the one person we buy for. Her brother and his wife (and their three kids under 5) are struggling. Her other brother is single and has few expenses. Her sister is pretty much loaded. And we're in the middle. Personally, I get physically ill when I (or wifey, since I'm the only income) draws one of the "well off" people. They really don't need a gift from us. I also feel ill when one of the struggling couple draws me. I would much rather they feed their kids than buy me something that I can just get myself if I really really need it.
Sort of back on topic, the well-off sister got me last year. She called and asked around to find out what I'd want. The guideline she put down is that she didn't want to shop for something. How holiday-spirit of her! So finally it was agreed that I'd get an EB Games gift card. Fine. Christmas rolls around and I get a gift card for a department store. Um. Yay? I would've LOVED getting a card that said "starving kids thank you for your donation" instead.
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: jbox on December 06, 2006, 06:56:04 am ---Oxfam has a lot of 'donation gifts' where you get an actual card to give people as proof. :applaud:
--- End quote ---
I didn't use Oxfam, but that's what I did. Pretty much any real (tax exempt) charity can give you a nice little card with the name of the person on it. Or at the least they give you a receipt as required by tax exemption laws that you can stick in your own card. The reason I gave out the receipts wasn't to prove I made the donation but to give the tax deduction to the recipient. Making a donation in someone's name allows them to deduct the donation on their taxes (if they itemize that year). That is the point of making the donation in their name rather than your own.
Sadly, out of the 15 or so people I gave the receipts to, I don't think more than one of them understood the tax issue and how it works. And that person was overheard saying "oh joy, $5 off my tax bill, that's a great gift".
So I leave 90% of the gift shopping to my wife now. Rather than get the donation, she gets them stuff like the gift pack of Turkey and Gravy soda she got for one of them. :laugh2:
ClubNinja:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on December 06, 2006, 09:26:26 am ---gift pack of Turkey and Gravy soda
--- End quote ---
The stuffing soda in those packages isn't that bad. The others caused much vomit.
ChadTower:
The pea soda makes me laugh.
I tried their egg nog... it was cream soda. The sugar plum had no flavor.
boykster:
--- Quote from: ClubNinja on December 06, 2006, 09:15:38 am ---On the other side of the coin, I would much rather receive this kind of gift than an actual gift for me. In general, I enjoy the Christmas season, but really really hate gift giving AND getting. Other than getting goodies for the kids, I just don't see the point of adult gift-giving. If I want something, I'll buy it. If you want something, buy it yourself.
My wife's family has this Christmas drawing that happens at each Thanksgiving. The four siblings and their spouses (7 of us total) draw a name from the basket and that's the one person we buy for. Her brother and his wife (and their three kids under 5) are struggling. Her other brother is single and has few expenses. Her sister is pretty much loaded. And we're in the middle. Personally, I get physically ill when I (or wifey, since I'm the only income) draws one of the "well off" people. They really don't need a gift from us. I also feel ill when one of the struggling couple draws me. I would much rather they feed their kids than buy me something that I can just get myself if I really really need it.
Sort of back on topic, the well-off sister got me last year. She called and asked around to find out what I'd want. The guideline she put down is that she didn't want to shop for something. How holiday-spirit of her! So finally it was agreed that I'd get an EB Games gift card. Fine. Christmas rolls around and I get a gift card for a department store. Um. Yay? I would've LOVED getting a card that said "starving kids thank you for your donation" instead.
--- End quote ---
I agree 100%. I would rather receive a gift like this just as much as I like giving them. Pretty much everyone in my family is fine financially (with the exception of my brother) and they have plenty of money to buy nice gifts for their children and for themselves. I DO break my rule and send my brother's family token gifts for his kids in addition (not as a replacement for) the donation because i want them to have a nice holiday no matter what their fathers finances are that year. I also want them to learn the value of charity to others, so we make it a point that the gift to others is their "real" gift, and the toy or other such is just an added bonus. Oddly enough, thats the family that understands and appreciates the charity gifts WAY more than any of the other families.
:dunno
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