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Worst gift...EVER! - 12/23/2011 7:29:21 PM

hausboy

Posts: 2360
Joined: 9/5/2010
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Okay... sort of a rant...I have to preface this first: I give gifts to people all year round as a way to say thanks. Since it's customary to do it at the holidays, I give my staff gifts as well as my boss. All good. Personally, I don't like receiving gifts. Most things I just give away.

My family didn't really do gifts growing up. Once we were old enough to understand that gifts cost money...and money doesn't grow on trees...we stopped with the whole gift thing. If I needed new shoes.....voila! there's my birthday present that year. It always worked out fine. These days, we just don't do gifts--we're a very loving family, and that's all we really want from one another.

Then I entered into a family (my ex wife's) where Christ wasn't king...but Christmas was! Tons and tons of useless crap that told me that they loved to shop...loved to blow money...but never really bothered to get to know me as a person to find out what I might actually like. I think I got the right size clothing once in 14 years together.

So....wife gone. wife's family no longer mine. (bonus!) I figure, I'm off the hook. Except my brother's wife and his family are gift nuts. So each year, they "mandate" gift giving, so I try to get them something that I know they'll like--a gift card at their favorite shops, foodie stuff, wine etc. I end up spending about $40-50 on the couple, plus $20 on each teenager. My mom makes the same effort.

They are a rather wealthy family....but I've noticed over the years that the gifts they give my Mom and I tend to average about $5 a piece, usually from the bargain no-returns bin at local discount stores. One year, it was a broken item that we learned was bought broken at the $1 table (we tried to return it). We still get a good laugh from that one.

Usually they won't spend a dollar on me...they give me re-gifts. Occasionally, the original card/paper is still stuck to it. So now that I'm becoming a minimalist, I explained to them last year my new spiritual path, and respectfully asked that even though I would be happy to give them gifts, there was no need to reciprocate. They gave me a 44" belt. I have a size 28-30" waist. They say it's the thought that counts, and that's actually what bothers me--they put no thought into it at all. Like all the other gifts...donated to good will.

So here we are this year. I brought them special treats that I picked out for them in Greece, arranged them in a nice basket. Gift cards for the kids. Wine for the husband. Here's what they gave me..... Are you ready? This is AWESOME....

They are having a party Sunday which they talked about at dinner. My brother is invited....I'm not...nor are my parents. From what I can deduce... she was putting lots of food into her freezer and ran out of space. So she took out all of the old frozen food and expired food that she didn't want....but what should she do with it? YUP! Guess what I got as a present? Frozen, expired food from her freezer.

this is the BEST WORST GIFT EVER! I'm going to enter it into a contest this year. fantastic!

So let's hear it.... what was your worst gift ever?

< Message edited by hausboy -- 12/23/2011 7:46:29 PM >