Here’s a quirky and unconventional way to buy Christmas gifts to make sure you get what you want for Christmas and make hubby happy too!
Buy Your Own Christmas Gifts!
I have a new way of gift giving for Mike and I this year. I’m going to buy my own gifts! Nope, I’m not kidding!
Every year poor Mike is always rushing around on the day before the occasion to get something. If it’s Mother’s Day, my birthday, our Anniversary or Christmas it’s always the same.
He has always gotten me things that I love. Yes, I do ask for a cordless drill instead of a diamond necklace but he’s never failed to get me just what I wanted.
Well, the last two holidays have just about put the poor guy over the edge. He took the 3 older kids with him to the mall to shop for me. They are old enough now that they want to get me something too. I thought for sure he was going to have a nervous breakdown the minute he walked in the door at home.
Now, you have to realize that my kids didn’t even go to the mall until they were 5, 9 and 10 and then they’ve only been there about 4 times since then. (They’re now 7, 11 and 13.)
It was like sending dad with all the kids to the North Pole! They had to go into every shop and of course wanted something from each one. I think they did finally get me a gift after Mike finally said, “We have 15 minutes to find mom and gift and if we don’t, we are leaving.”
So from now on, I’m buying my own gifts. This sounds crazy but I’m always seeing something that I would like at a yard sale, the thrift store or just on sale. By the time I get home and tell Mike about it and then he tries to go get it, it’s usually gone and we’ve wasted gas and another hour or two.
I have decided I’m just going to pick it up, and put in a box and then he can just pick out a couple of things to get me for each occasion! I thought that was pretty brilliant of me!
We’ve done this on a smaller level for years. If I see something at the thrift store and I’m with Mom I’ll say, “If you need a gift for me, this would be great,” and she usually says, “OK,” and buys it. Sometimes she says, “I bought myself a Christmas present today,” and I saym “OK, how much did I spend?” Of course, having CFS, I forget that I even told her about my gift so I’m always surprised by the perfect gift! hehehe
It’s funny because now my daughter is getting in on it. The other day we were at the thrift store and she saw a stuffed animal she just “loved and had to have.” I said, “No buying anything– It’s almost Christmas!” She said, “OK, so will you buy it for me?” LOL– They learn early. The stuffed animal is now hidden until Christmas!
Tawra
I think that is a brilliant idea. I get kind of sick of seeing how many people are at the return lines after Christmas giving back the gifts they don’t want. What a waste for everyone involved.
Tawra and I started doing this when she was on bed rest with her first baby. We only got into town once a month and I had to take her shopping in a wheel chair so it was hard for her to surprise me so I just bought my presents. It really worked out good. To be honest we really do forget what we bought especially when it is a month or more before the holiday.
Tawra asked me this week what I wanted and I said “I have already bought several and given you do you need more?” but for the life of me I can’t remember what they were now.It is different from the norm but we have fun and a good laugh with it in it’s way.
I think even if you remember the gifts, if you put them away until Christmas, or give them to the person who is “buying” them for you to hide or wrap, the anticipation is still there, and the fun. It’s more fun getting something you want, versus something you don’t. I’ve bought myself books for my birthday and Christmas, and just the thought of not being able to read them until “the day” is fun in itself. You know what’s coming and that’s exciting.
buying for my husband is really hard. He sees something he likes and I figure I will get it for him for Christmas what does he do but come home with it the next week.
One year there were two of something he wanted in town. I went to the store and bought the one I told the owner to not sell the other to Don so he said when he saw Don come in he would take it off the shelf.
Nice of him and nice that he could do it since we are a very small town.
I finally told him if he bought something in the month of Dec. to remember it was a gift for Christmas.
If I find a new house coat I like I will buy it and then wear it the first time Christmas eve.
We don’t exchange gifts except very small things since we are buying things for each other all year.
I will cook his favourite meal for Christmas dinner and we sit and talk most of the day.
Christmas does not have a lot of happy memories for either of us except the ones we had with our boys so it is more just relaxing and enjoying each other since the children do not make it home.
One year my son needed a wallet as his was falling apart. He was with me so I asked him to pick a really good wallet for his dad. He said how much and I told him whatever he felt would be the best quality. He picked out a really good one and said he wished he could get one for himself. There was only the one in the colour he liked.
Well Christmas morning he unwrapped it and quietly said to me “mom I think you messed up.” His dad and I started laughing and told him it was for him.
He thought it was great that he got the wallet he wanted plus having the fun of unwrapping it plus he kept a secret from his dad.
If you can do it sneakily it is a lot of fun watching faces Christmas morning.
I’ve been buying my own husband-gifts for about 15 years now, ever since I became a serious antiques collector. Sometimes I send a link to something and tell my husband to get that, and sometimes I just say “I’m bidding on something for my Christmas present.” Why not? We’re both happy this way. I get a guilt-free antiques indulgence and my husband gets to not do anything but wrap it.
So it’s 11 years later. Lost the husband but still buy myself gifts. I love gifts–my love language–so to ensure I enjoy Christmas and my birthday, I always pick myself out something nice. Makes me happy. (I usually buy it online and don’t look at it in person until the day, to make it more special.)
Yes Harriet that is a really good idea. Things in life change and you either feel sorry for yourself or make the best of it and start new traditions.
One weekend I was at a thrift store & called my mom & sister to asked them if they would like to go in together to buy me a maple table with chairs for my Christmas present. They did, so I got what I wanted and they didn’t have to go shopping!
I’ve been doing this for years. As a single Mom, it was tough on my oldest daughter to see presents under the tree but nothing for Mom unless she found a way to purchase it. Whenever I was out Christmas shopping I’d see things I’d like. I’d buy them and give them to my cohort, my pragmatic middle daughter Emily, who would cheerfully wrap it and put it under the tree. The oldest one would always be amazed at what thoughtful things Emily picked out for me! I had the fun of looking forward to getting exactly what I wanted.
I was married just shy of 18 years before the divorce was finalized, but I ALWAYS had to buy my own birthday, anny or Christmas presents. If I didn’t, I got nothing or a garbage can or tickets to the races, in another words whatever he wanted. So after our 1st year together, I did all the shopping for gifts which included mine. Now I don’t buy myself gifts, since I’m disabled and single raising 3 teenagers with health problems, so everything I get (Child support, SS/SSI) goes to keeping the house a float and the kids gifts, but my kids always get me a nice card, and I couldn’t ask for anything better than that!!
I totally agree with buying what you want and putting it back for Christmas!
One year I was at a store that was moving into another building and they were selling stuff that they did not want to move so I saw a rack that displayed clothes,it wasn’t very big but big enough so I bought it for about 5 dollars and I made the comment I sure would like to have a cart to put my clothes in to take to the clothes line (I have a ramp) anyway the store manager gave me one and said you have been a good customer for many years and you can have the cart. I was so happy! My husband picked these up for me and put them up untill Christmas. when I got them he had filled the cart up with all kinds of things like shampoo,conditoner a gift certificate for a massage things like that and he even put a big red bow on it!
My husband has a “liquid memory” so buying his gifts with him is easy. I can even give him gifts that he has had before, if he hasn’t used them yet. For instance he really wanted the opportunity to sit down with a simple hobby, so he picked out a paint-by-number kit when they where on sale at Easter time. I gave it to him for his May birthday to his great surprise and delight. He still hasn’t used it; so I will wrap it for Christmas. He will love it yet again.
I buy myself gifts, but often forget about wrapping them up to put under the tree. I HAVE been known to wrap the empty box to remind myself that an earlier purchase was a Christmas gift, just to keep it in mind. For instance this year I bought an inexpensive digital video camera “for Christmas” in anticipation of being able to record my little one’s birthday and other seasonal happenings for family far away. I’ll wrap the box.
Years back while going through a divorce I was in need of everything, so I shopped the best sales and carefully wrapped the items and put them away. Christmas morning I woke up with my brother & sister in law at their home. Boy were they surprised to see what Santa had given me.
My dad and I follow the notion of “Christmas is all year long.”
Instead of saving money to buy christmas/other holiday gifts when we have money we get something we want.
the benefits of this- no crazy last minute shopping, no returns, no can i afford it’s. Plus you get to enjoy the item now.
Although we don’t do the decorating or wrapping anymore that’s okay.
Later when I have a husband and kids then I’ll follow some of the traditions of a present on christmas.
But i will still do the “christmas is all year.” too.
Two things: My husband is never home for holidays and our kid hates surprises. SO: Holidays are celebrated whenever Dad gets home. Presents are never wrapped. I have always bought my own gifts, “What did I get you for your birthday?” he’s the surprised one. Also, whenever we see something we want and it’s on sale, we buy it with the thought that “Your birthday is coming,” or “this will be part of your Christmas gift.” We can have it right now or wait until the holiday to use it, it all depends on what it is. We aren’t deprived of anything, and everyone is happy. Although, to keep up appearances, and so other people don’t feel sorry for my kid, I have a stack of boxes from purchases past, all wrapped up and tied with bows (and tags!) that I put under and around the tree every year, just like the rest of the decorations!
Love your comment Jean-Ann. I say do what ever works for your family. Especially love the idea of putting the wrapped empty boxes under the tree. You are thinking out of the “box” and it works for you. I think that is great. Have a Merry Christmas (even if you don’t get to celebrate it later or earlier :) )