Is Christmas a surprise to people?

[frugalkitty]

..I wait because I am a grinch. I buy gifts for a verrrry small circle of adult people that I know and care about so I have an idea of what I will get them.

Gift giving is very nice and brings a lot of people joy, but sometimes I'm concerned with the kind of junky items that people give to each other just to give something..Personally I really don't need another cheeseboard, bear sculpture, serving tray or knicknack to crowd up my house.

As time goes on I find myself focussing more on whose birthday it is.

[nwf1946]

We haved pruned our gift giving to those that really want to give a gift not to those who feel obligated. We also tend to give very broad hints of things we like so that there is very little returns. A few years ago we got tired of gifts for gift sake . Now most of us are happier and using a lower budget. Only one person really insisted on giving gifts to surprise!!!! us so now when it is something we do not want we ask "her" to return the gift for something we want, avoiding the returns counter for most of us. I know it is very nice to give a surprise gift but for adults, especially after getting dozens of surprises that we never used it makes better use of time and money when you know several things that the person wants. For those who buy gifts for kids in the first half of the year as a xmas gift, you need to be a mind reader to know what they want 9-12 months later. I personally have banned socks being given to me for the next 5 years.