What to give them?

Individual donations to charities? Small bowls of spring bulbs to look forward to?

I've bought my grandsons a cow, a cockeral, and my best one was a toilet.
All donated so that families can set themselves up with farming basics, and begin to earn their way out of poverty.
I used the send-a-cow foundation, but there are lots similar.

Give them yourself because you are obviously worth knowing. I say this every birthday ( I like Christmas presents!) but my sister ignores me and it is very annoying.

These charity ideas instead sound a good idea.

Lottery cards?

I like GB's ideas.

Flowers , bottle of fizz or a plant for the garden, or your company, just as they have asked for.

When I was a child many years ago, people were glad to receive anything as a gift, Christmas was such a special time and in our family the only time you really got presents except for your birthday
Now everybody has too much “stuff” and to have to wrack your brains to think what you can to get for your 12-year-old grandson who has everything I’d sooner give it to the Salvation Army
I will donate to the Salvation Army, but I will end up getting my grandson some sort of voucher 🤷‍♀️

Magazine subscriptions?
But perhaps listen to what they're saying, (please don’t buy us anything)? Could it be that by buying something for them you are making them feel obliged to think of something to buy for you?
An agreement to NOT buy presents for each other does lessen the considerable pressure of Christmas.
(and in my case it would mean fewer bars of soap and pairs of slippers cluttering up my wardrobe until I can get to a charity shop.)

kittylester

I like GB's ideas.

Yes, me too!
Looking at this from the other side.....theres nothing I need but I do like my garden so a pre-planted pot of spring bulbs would be delightful.

Last year I named an orphan baby vervet monkey, her mum, had been shot while the baby was climging onto her.

She is currently being got ready for a Foster mother monkey to take her on, but I get to follow her progress,and witness her being scooped up and loved as she gets taken into a troop.

I named her after my daughter.

Thankyou we have agreed to no presents on the whole but I hate to turn up empty handed on the day. I think the bowl of bulbs is a great idea. Thanks for all the suggestions.

If they have simply requested your company just sigh in relief!! Failing that a garden centre voucher . Enjoy the Christmas period.

We always give our ACs and GDs money now, as we really have no idea what they want or need. A request for ideas is usually met with ‘ we shall be pleased with anything’. So we buy those lovely Indian gift envelopes and make a false money note, rather like a more decorated Monopoly one. They seem to enjoy getting them anyway

The joy of buying for family members has gone. They are comfortably off. Gc have everything any young person could want. Dh and I dont exchange gifts. We will donate cash to local charities and put bits into the local food banks.

I'm giving gift cards related to what they enjoy. Also some small parcels to unwrap.

I like to give plants but a Christmas scratch card could be fun if one of them won.

What about an outing of some sort for everyone? A meal if it's just the adults who are hard to buy for, or a trip to the zoo or something age-appropriate if it includes children. Everyone can chip in, so the present problem is removed across the board.

Or a Secret Santa where you set a budget and get a named person to buy for, so everyone gets to buy and receive one gift? Again, children can be included or excluded depending on age and inclination.

We’re finding it more difficult every year to find presents for our dgd’s. We already have little bits for them but wondering about giving them some money this year. They are 8.5 and 11. What is a reasonable amount? (We are doing secret Santa between us adults which has proved a godsend! - but, of course, not for the young ones.)

For the past few years I’ve told dh not to bother buying me a 🎄present (except for the obligatory big box of Maltesers!)

I go and do a fairly big shop just for the food bank - that’s his present to me. (Yes, he could do it, but TBH he really wouldn’t know what was best to get.)

I do buy him something, usually sheepskin slippers if the old ones are getting worn, or yet another lambswool jumper - he never buys such things for himself. He always wears it to death for the next 12 months!

Among all other adults in the family we just do nice little edibles, preferably the sort of things we maybe wouldn’t buy for ourselves.

I’m housebound at present, so I’m going to buy vouchers for different workshops according to interests, so a fermentation workshop, an advanced sourdough workshop etc. I’ve had these gifted to me and enjoyed pottery and candle making, also a spa day. I’ll also buy books to give children from charity shops. Plus a couple of small items, unlikely this year! My friends and I always set a £10 limit and buy presents for each other from charity shops, it’s good fun.
Sorry, I’m new on here and don’t know all the jargon!

Never know what to buy our son for his birthday (I know the thread is about Christmas) he’s a high earner so doesn’t really need anything. My suggestion and we did this one Christmas, is give to a small local charity rather than one of the big ones who get a lot of support.

As well as sponsoring animals at Hillside sanctuary, you can also buy carrots!
shop.hillside.org.uk/hillside-carrot-appeal/

Oh yes, that was the other thing. One year I was away, so I just bought them all posh jerseys! Or you could get cashmere wrist warmers or neck warmers….

Another charity I buy from is
lendwithcare.org/

Adults have quite enjoyed this!