What is the 'meanest' present you ever received

Oh don't get me started on tips. My DD works in a small pub as a waitress. Ther are only 4 staff plus the landlady and landlord who own the pub. All tips are put in box until Christmas when they are divided by six

My sister who lives up here has a lot more money than me. She wanted to move away this year, and knew her lovely house would sell quickly.

At Christmas she has never spent more than £10 on me, and bought something small and daft as an after-supper 'tee' gift. I usually spend twice as much on her, simply because that's what I spend on everyone else, and around £5 on her tree gift.

But last Christmas she arrived with a large carrier bag full of beautifully wrapped gifts for me. I was really touched. I hastily shoved a box of chocolates inside her carrier bag as well.

When I opened my gifts, they were all the tree gifts I had bought her for the past seven years! It's a good job I bought her things I liked, but I did feel rather hurt at the time.

Some of these are really funny. A pork pie with the pastry eaten off

I remember another time: we had been invited by my son's then new girlfriend's family to eat out at a restaurant that they suggested, both families with our children. A lovely evening was had by all as we got better acquainted. Came the time to pay the bill, our host suggested we split it. Fine. As we put our half of the amount due on the table, so he pulled out of his pocket a discount voucher - to be deducted from his half of the bill!

Luckily the relationship didn't last.

My MIL was famous for her presents.One Christmas she gave me a three bar packet of soap, with one of the bars removed and the torn wrapper still in place. Just before my second baby was born she announced she had got me a lovely nightdress to wear in the hospital. It was bright orange frilly nylon with a rip up the side, she had got it from a jumble sale. Her excuse was it was a jumble sale from an affluent area so must have come from someone who was ''posh''.I did not use it.
To be fair on her though, she had been brought up in extreme poverty and resented spending money on things she did not think were essential.Presents of any kind belonged to that category.

I've just remembered an ex boyfriend who said that, as my 21st birthday was coming up on January 5th, he had only bought me a small Christmas present. It was a very small box of Cadbury's Dairy Milk. For my birthday he bought me a big box of CDM! He didn't last!

It was my birthday and lets just say someone I know rummaged into their make up bag and gave me two bottles of used nail varnish--oh well it is the thought that counts and I was actually grateful that she had made the effort but it did make me laugh

My ex MIL gave me a cardigan for Christmas which was obviously second hand. It was two sizes too small and grubby.

My friend had a mean one too. She received a Grazebox coupon her friend had received free.

When I was married, every year my MIL gave me something for the house, usually the kitchen so I ended up with eg 3 breadboards because I lived on my own for a while before I got married and I inherited all of my parent's goods etc when they died.

Growing up I got used to my brother always receiving a bigger and better present than I did for Christmas. When I was about 13 my brother received a brand new bike (he already had one but he wanted a better one), I opened my box to find a home perm kit!

I sympathise Sunseeker. I suffered in the same way. Usually I got something from the nearest shop and totally unsuitable because DM had spent all day searching for the exact, perfect present that my brother had asked for!

It taught me to be very thoughtful about every present that I give other people. So something positive came out of it! X

A tin-opener. Not an eletronic, fancy, state-of-the-art tin-opener, but a bog-standard, ordinary one. From my husband (ex), for our first wedding anniversary.

I don't think I've ever had a mean present but for our 25th anniversary a lovely neighbour gave us frilly pillowcases to which she had added silver ribbon with our initials. The had put a lot into them but we are so definitely not frilly people. She is. Mr N had just been made redundant so we were not going out to celebrate and they had invited us to dinner but as we had colds (we felt OK) she brought the dinner round on trays.

My parents forgot my 14th birthday and when I reminded them in the evening they went out and bought me a little box of Milk Tray. At 14 that really hurt. Perhaps that is why I make a big fuss of family birthdays.

A friend and I used to compete to see who could give the oddest and most inappropriate gifts, I think she won the year she gave me a baby's bottle..............filled with vodka!

Your friend sounds like my sort of person sunseeker

Not really a mean present but a very disappointing one was a toasty maker given to me by my parents for my 21st birthday.

My parents gave me a bible for my 21st birthday I found it strange as I am not a religious person then or now really. It was given with the remark that as your sister wanted one for her birthday you got one as well. Before we were married my husband to be bought me a set of double pink nylon sheets.! After we had been married a while he bought me a Margaritte Patten cook book. We are still married 44 years later however I now list any presents I would like him to buy me.

My alcoholic ex husband gave me bottles of sherry, port and martini one birthday. I don't drink so he drank them for me so that they didn't go to waste

From a notoriously mean great aunt - now deceased god bless her - 2 left hand different sized grey gloves. But in her favour she was a splendid cook and once when staying with her as a teenager when coming in of an evening she used to leave me delicious warm meat patties and coffee.

Blimey !! I am now thinking that my secondhand ancient talcum powder was positively generous ! At least I could use it to get my gardening gloves on easier. Some of you have been seriously short changed !!

It's hard to believe that some people can be so mean!tightfisted/thoughtless/downright insulting as well.A small but well thought out gift is hardly difficult is it?
I had an e-card sent as a 'gift' which I thought was pretty awful, from someone I know very well. You have all had worse though!

I got my own back on my friend who gave me her free BA Club Class amenity kit (start of thread). Last time I went to USA there was a special offer in a supermarket we popped into - buy two recycle bags for 50cents get one free The name of the supermarket was emblazoned on the side. I gave the 'free' bag to my friend for her birthday telling her, tongue in cheek, she was unlikely to come across anyone with the same shopping bag!

out of date chocs, out of date bath balls, mother often gives me cleaning stuff a friend gave me a rubber door mat with a horrible smell and I wondered what was burning for days until I smelt the horrid mat.
Am glad ive read these posts as I used to think I was the only one who got naff presents, glad im not alone.
BTW can anyone tell me why my elderly mother buys me huge big knickers like she would wear. The kind with pin holes in them and come up past my waist. Im not slim but a set that fit and are a bit lacy would be appreciated, ive told her lots of times but still get the horrors.

My dear brother once gave me a roll of black bin bags for Xmas. I had been involved in a lengthy fight against the proposed siting of a landfill so this was his idea of a joke. He'd even gift wrapped them.

I have received poundshop chocolates when I paid for good presents for a whole family. I've been given praline chocolates when I have a nut allergy. The giver had known this for years.

My mother, one Christmas when I was about 39, bought us all cheap talking Shrek toys. We had an hilarious chatting session with those. Another year she bought us all cheap Slankets which scrunched when used. They hit the bin.

But we did give my DD a ketchup container one Christmas because she covered everything in the stuff. And another Christmas I bought her a Cilla Black record. That got thrown across the room!

Karma!

This thread has really made me think, DM always had to give very practical presents, underpants being the gift of choice. For my 30th birthday she sent me 2 pairs of the big white knickers, for her next birthday i went to Anne Summers and got the skimpiest i could find and put a wee note in the envelope saying,' as you seem to want me to wear your knickers thought you might like to try a pair of mine.
Not a word was said, and I got the money from then on, we have never got on.