re: Its that time again: Do you exchange gifts with entire family?

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This has been our recommendation for years. MIL will have none of it.

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Just buy for the kids then and forget the adults. Alternately, buy a case of two buck chuck and hand a bottle to each adult.

Older women get off on Christmas but are cheap menopausal bitches.

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My wife is a gourmet cook. I don't know why anyone would not marry a Louisiana girl like I did. She prefers really nice cookware, and has pieced together a nice set over the years. She was wanting a particular piece that retailed for $190, but during Xmas could probably be bought for $150 or so.

So I sent her links. Questions abound. Why does she need a $200 piece of cookware? I can get a whole set for that, etc. I explain to her that this is her preference and that she has a lot of matching pieces already.

What does she do? She goes to Sams and buys a $200 cookware set (which is a cheap set). Then gets mad when my wife returns it. It literally was worthless to her.

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We must have the same MIL because this is exactly what she does as well

She will ask my wife what I want, my wife will send her a link to exactly what I like, then the MIL will buy some cheap crappy version of it and tack on about 6 other crap gifts to "make up the difference"

We have straight up told her that all of her presents just get donated or go straight to the attic but she doesn't care. It isn't about giving gifts that someone would use. It's all about seeing a lot of gifts under her tree. It's all about her pride. And she isn't a wealthy person, so that makes it all the worse. She puts herself in debt every year doing this. It's frustrating as hell.

But apparently to some this all makes me a miserable person for just not graciously accepting these "gifts".

Big issue these days. The older adults do not want to give up present giving, but the younger ones do.

So I end up not trading presents with my sister, but everyone else gets a present.

I would prefer no presents be exchanged, except for the kids. But the grandparents just can't let it go. frankly I don't want the gifts they give me either. I like they want to give me something but its usually something I return, or give away.

what is really annoying is my father DEMANDS a $100+ present. If you don't give him one, he gets all pissy. Its been easier to just get him a nice present than deal with the repercussions but am debating about changing it.

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I have too many family members for that.

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This.

It's not that I hate giving gifts. I just don't have enough imagination to individualize every gift for a lot of people.

I see some people draw names. That would make the whole thing a lot easier for me.

Each niece and nephew gets a nice gift, or now that they're getting to be teenagers, a $100 gift card to someplace like Dick's, REI, Macy's, Best Buy etc.(that's 5 kids total).
Parents get a giftcard to a nice restaurant and usually a good bottle of wine.

Don't really get the siblings anything anymore unless it's a great gag gift or just something unique I see that I know would of them would love.

As far as aunts, uncles, cousins etc. Nope, no presents.

PIIYMILB

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Older women get off on Christmas but are cheap menopausal bitches.

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My MIL, while way past menopause, has always made a donation to a charity in the name's of each of her two children's families. My SIL swears they don't actually make any donation. I have never gotten a thank-you from any group but a card from her saying a donation was made ala George Costanza. On the flipside, each year my FIL sends a list to my husband and his sister of what their mother wants for Christmas. Last year there was nothing on the list less than $500. They got her one gift between them. I can't wait to see this year's list (wish I could insert laughing crying emoji)