The Cheapest Gift You Have Ever Received

[Uabassoon]

I come from a large family and we all get together every Christmas. There are tons of cousins to buy gifts for so I realize that my aunts don't have a lot of money to spend due to their being so many of us. Now I don't mind the aunts that buy me things like a single pair of socks, because I at least do wear socks on a daily basis. Every single year I have two aunts that insist on buying me horrible costume jewlery. Anyone who has ever met me or even seen a picture of me would know that I would never ever wear girly costume jewlery! Every year I would rather that they didn't spend the $3 on the tacky bracelet for me. I think what's more annoying than anything is how thoughtless the gift is. In the past years I never had much money but I would always put some thought into buying gifts for all of my aunts.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I remember one....

My mother in law had bought my husband a really nice leather coat, and brought it on a visit months before Christmas, just so they would not have to get me anything. Right in front of me.....

I told my husband, after Christmas passed with NO present, card or phone call that I was upset. He told her....

About a month later, I got a package that contained two shirts from my mother in law. BOTH way too big, complete with chub rolls of the "person" previous wearing them, and deodorant stains in the pits Hows that for thoughtfulness???

A few weeks later, she called hubby to make sure they arrived, and I said yes, but the deodorant stains would not come out

Ever since that Christmas, she has gotten me nice gifts. A cat purse, gift cards, and this Christmas, cash

Usually when you point out that you arent happy, they will try harder next year. But it still makes it feel like the presents are only to shut you up.

Point: If you MUST regift, make sure that you WASH the item first

[gini]

One year I received a sterling silver spoon that had clearly gone down the disposal. It was so mangled that you couldn't use it.

But my friend kept saying "it is your pattern"...............yes, she was right - it did match my Grandmother's sterling..........but, what was I to do with it?

I still have it and laugh everytime I see it.

But this particular family has a tradition passed down by their mother of giving used gifts - and they even carefully fold the wrapping paper to use again. So their presents always have folds in the wrapping paper that you can tell wrapped something else before it was given to you along with scotch tape markings from the earlier wrapping.

What about the people that return every gift they receive to the store - after using it for several months?

[jazzcat]

I have a sister in law who buys us bad gifts. Over the years I've recieved a fitted sheet - not a set of sheets, just the bottom fitted one and used none the less, an old worn out diet book, a child's cowboy hat when I was about 16 years old, a set of three disposable razors, a broken Rotato (one of those cheap plastic potato peelers), and for my birthday one year she sent me a box of cake mix and a package of McDonald's paper cups.

She gave my Dad an empty plastic jug of BBQ sauce that hadn't been washed, she gave my mother several used articles of clothing in size 3X (my mother was by no means that large) and she gave my husband a child's small t-shirt one year.

These are just some of the things I can think of off hand that she's given over the past 30 years and the sad part is she and my brother are very wealthy. I think my brother finally realized what tacky stuff she was giving and he started buying his own gifts to us which are always very nice and thoughtful.

[Medusa]

When my son graduated from college, one of my "friends" gave him 4 pencils as a graduation gift. He still talks about that. This woman had been invited to every event at my house, holidays, birthdays, barbeques, you name it. That one offended me. I can usually shrug off things but that got to me.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm having a lot of fun reading these funny stories. I just can't imagine getting some of these things as gifts.

I guess the worst gifts that I've ever received were from my Christmas party at work. We used to draw names so we at least knew who we were buying for but now we just draw numbers and then we play a game. You're able to steal a gift from others if you want to and if it's stolen again from you then you can maybe steal it back again. If you have it after 3 times of stealing it then it's yours to keep.

Any way, one year I ended up with a garden shovel and weed digger and I don't even have a yard. I did end up regifting these to my parents and they did like them. I did however let them know that it was a regift.

Another year, I ended up with a plastic pencil,eraser holder,school supplies case thing that kids put in their notebooks. It also came with a package of Macadamia Nut Cookies. Another year I ended up with a picture of fruit. Another year I ended up with a helicopter which I gave to my parents so they could later give it to my nephew. I always try to buy something like a gift certificate or something that I know that most people would like or could use.

[Barbara]

I can't believe it! An empty bottle of BBQ sauce, jams that have been tasted, shirts with stains.
I am glad I never made this experience in my life.
Company gifts are a different thing however. I got this year a gift that is a very big book (like 20 inches high) of fairytales together with a CD. It is designed in a cheap-oldfashioned way (artificial plastic leather in red and gold) but I can tell it must have been expensive. It's just simply not my style and I don't know anybody whom I wanted to give it as they would think it was my style. I'll try to sell it on ebay- but I have a bad conscience because of course it was meant to impress me very much.
My company this year had pretty big pieces of very good chocolate, wrapped in company style paper. I am sure that gift will not be re-gifted very often

[Daisy and Delilah]

Last year at Christmas I got a calendar from my Mother. It was really cute with puppy pictures in it. When I was ready to hang it in my sewing room, I noticed January was filled with my Mother's appointments for the month. Thanks Mom for the used calendar

I figured she must have accidentally given me her calendar and kept the new one. I later found out that she had missed two appointments in the early part of the month. I was about two weeks into January when I found time to hang it. Ooooooops