A friend and I each year, give each other a little parcel of a small inexpensive gifts, eg a scarf, maybe a book or a little kit to make craft items, and sometimes the odd find from a charity shop. What I'm trying to say is, it's not about giving and receiving expensive gifts, just trying to give small thoughtful gifts.
This year one of the gifts from this friend was a box of tea, with a use-by date of 2003! Yes that's right folks, 18 years past the use-by date. I could have laughed that off as probably a charity shop buy done without the benefit of her specs at the time, albeit I did feel a bit hurt by it but trying to be positive maybe I can find a use for the box itself for something else.
However, what has been the real Christmas cracker is that she has messaged me to say one of the other gifts was not for me, and can she have it back.
Of course I shall return it, but just wondering how to approach this and what the collective wisdom on here would advise? I don't want to spoil the friendship over it, but I do feel pretty hurt by it.
And, so as not to make this a whingeing thread, how about other Gransnetters posting about humorus presents they've given or received, or ones that have had people scratching their heads? Come on, give us all a giggle!
My friend was given what looked like a lovely basket of bath toiletries. So she took it to the bathroom thinking she would have a luxurious soak. When she tried to take the items out of the basket they crumbled to dust. Who knows how old they were, might of come out of King Tut's tomb.
My son went to Aberystwyth University. Although we are English and don’t speak Welsh he decided it would be nice to buy me a Welsh language card for Mothers Day. When he showed it to a Welsh speaking friend he discovered it actually said Happy Birthday Auntie on the front! He sent it anyway and I still have it!
One Christmas, a close friend sent me a gift parcel which contained two books. One was a crossword book with most of the puzzles half done. The second had been given away free by a daily newspaper, as proclaimed on the cover, and this cover had coffee cup rings all over it. Another year my present was a cut glass decanter stopper. No decanter, just the stopper.
GrowingOldDisgracefu
Hmmmmm, despite the fact you are left in a quandary over your friends gift, the thought struck me on just where on earth she acquired tea bags that were 18 years out of date ( or anything 18 years out of date)
Do you think she knew ( although i cant imagine where the dickens she got them from, unless it was her own pantry !) And THAT was the joke !!
Its really funny.
1 of my friends and myself scan the charity shops and exchange our presents with the full knowledge of where they came from. But i can't say anything has been 18 years old haaaa, but there again !
I’m reminded of John Betjeman’s poem, “ Christmas, “ in which he compares our Christmas presents with the gift of Christ in the Eucharist.
“ ……..those tissue’s fripperies, the sweet and silly Christmas things, bath salts and inexpensive scent and hideous tie so kindly meant……..”
The Christmas after we married my MIL's gift to me was a white Broderie Anglaise nightie, full length, high frilled neck, long frilled sleeves, very Victorian in style and size 18 - I was size 10! The gift tag said "Happy Christmas. You're a respectable married woman now so you should cover up" How did she even know I slept 'au naturalle'! I smiled sweetly and said the fabric was lovely and I was sure I would find a use for it. She wasn't amused. I dressed a moses basket with it for our first baby, it looked lovely but I remember her peering at it and giving a loud disapproving sniff!
When my MIL & FIL holidayed abroad they brought gifts back. On one occasion my husband's was a very expensive watch and mine was a cheap top and shorts set with the resort name emblazoned across the front. It was enormous and had obviously been worn as there was a wine stain on the top and it smelt of deodorant. It went on the bonfire.
I very rarely regift presents I receive. But I keep a list of what I give everyone each year and what (if anything) I receive from them, mainly so that I don't give them the same type of gift two years running. My DM regifted things a lot and was often caught out.
"BridgetPark* If you love the gift then it sounds as though she did think carefully about what she should buy you and that she made a good choice. I don't think the cost is important. Perhaps that's all she could afford, or perhaps when she bought it , it cost a lot more when she bought it. Prices often fall steeply after Christmas.
My MIL used to buy all her Christmas presents in advance throughout the year. All came from those “bargain bins” filled with oddments marked down for clearance. Various Christmas presents I received from her were: A little packet of cellophane discs complete with tiny elastic bands, (presumably for jam-making?); A plastic disc egg separator; and a plastic spatula, all still with their slightly grubby bright yellow “reduced” price stickers on.
Maybe she sniffed!Lol!
Nicky7of7 I hope you are ok? You win for the worst gift possible.
I have an older friend who, one birthday, gave me a horrible grey dress (grey gives me the six feet under look - not great) that had been gifted to her with the words ''it was too big for me so l thought it might fit you." She is bigger than me - l am around size 14 - and this dress, which was of a style that could never have been fashionable, was probably size 26-28. The local charity shop actually accepted it much to my amazement.
The words were directed to me.
I am 2 months younger than my cousin, and I always said she was the favourite, being an only child while was 1 of 4. On her 18th Gran and Grandpa gave her an 18 carat gold locket....I got an umbrella. On my 21st I got £10, she got a ticket for her gap year.
My SinL gifted me a single Scandinavian pillowcase (which doesn't fit UK pillows)...another year a half used water spray for setting makeup...which I don't wear
DH doesn't shop except by mail order and has little imagination . Last year it was mohair bedsocks a pair of ladies and a pair of men's. This year he bought a hot water bottle with a pure sheepskin cover. THe cat thinks it's her new bed! We live in a 24 hour centrally heated apartment and use a summer duvet all year . I dread the next ghastly surprise .
Not suggesting you drink it, but have you made a cup of tea with it.
Another good idea perhaps is have her over for a chat and make the tea with the one she gave you. Could be interessting. And it won't be poison.
My late (ex) MIL gave me the same Perfume, Musk, for virtually every year of my marriage (17) it was foul and I was surprised that all the local Tom cats didn’t follow me around. It was usually accompanied by a nylon polo neck jumper (always white) that was full of static and one year a pack of three enormous Bridget Jones knickers . I was a size ten and wore tiny bikini briefs. Would have been grateful for them now though!
A boyfriend of my DD's once gave me a beautifully wrapped package for Christmas. In it was a cardboard Typhoo tea box full of ........... dried up used teabags! He was taking the mickey as he had been fascinated to find that I would use the same tea bag all day.
I was ridiculously upset yesterday . A friend has an 18 year old daughter. I bought a small gift for my friend a d gave her girl 2 pairs of nice new socks and £10 .
I also paid for daughter and friend to go to cinema and took them there a d back .... to cheer her up cos she has had a disappointing Christmas with Covid.
My friend messaged me last night asking for the receipt for the socks ... they're too small . I know they don't do bigger so now I have sox back and am to give daughter the money instead!
I know they struggle for money but I felt quite upset and thought it a bit rude to be so mercenary.
I would have just said thank you for the socks and not mentioned they were too small , never mind asking for the receipt!
Am I being too sensitive?
I was both mystified and rather hurt one Christmas when my step-daughter gave her Dad a mobile phone (they were just becoming mainstream then), and presented me with the nicely wrapped accessories for said phone! 
Well don't lose any sleep over it after all isn't it the thought that counts.
I am 2 months younger than my cousin, and I always said she was the favourite, being an only child while was 1 of 4. On her 18th Gran and Grandpa gave her an 18 carat gold locket....I got an umbrella. On my 21st I got £10, she got a ticket for her gap year.
Treetops, that is so sad. My eldest grandsons were born 6 months apart, so I can imagine how hurtful it would be if we were so insensitive as to treat them differently for any reason. What on earth goes on in some people's minds?
Mirren
Are you heck being sensitive, i call that damn rude, on top of the socks saga, there is the matter of the money, the cinema, the lift ( petrol and time ) there and back and on top of all that, you are asked for the receipt for the socks !! If that were me it would rattle my cage, so in my personal opinion, NO you are not being sensitive....
Mirren
Just thought, were you thanked for all your generous gifts and did your friend actually know about the cinema and lifts there and back ?
My step daughter (aged 40) gave me a Christmas gift of a broken Wine Rack, with all the sale tickets on it, including the final mark down price of £0.99!
She hated me, so it wasn't a surprise!
My ex MIL gave me 2 pillow cases for my birthday in a revolting shade of beige, but she probably did it delibe3, she hated me, so divorcing her cold unfeeling son was a double win
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