Skip to main content

How gifts go wrong

Image
By
I'm not the first person to suggest that we shouldn't give gifts to adults (they just result in stress and waste) but I can give you an example of why.

The mid-way birth-day

Midway between my wife's birthday and mine, my sister gives us a combined gift. That's a good idea - to cut present stress by half.

So what was it?

As gifts go it was a reasonable thought. My wife and I enjoy board games and the TV series Doctor Who, so the Doctor Who version of Monopoly seemed like a good gift idea. Except that another friend had the exact same idea. Now we have two of the same game.


What to do with the extra gift?

A gift is meant to be an enjoyable experience for the receiver, but here's what happened:

  • We thought of re-gifting it, but can't think of anyone who's a big fan of both Doctor Who and Monopoly.
  • We decided to sell it online. At least that way my sister won't have completely wasted her money.
  • So far three people have contacted us but none have followed through.
  • So the saga continues...
[Update: We have now sold the game for a fraction of its retail price]

It's not meant to be like this

This is not what my sister had in mind. It's not like she set out to find a burdensome gift that would never be played and take months to sell - but that's a risk with store-bought gifts. Even a reasonable idea can result in disappointment (I had to explain why we weren't ripping open the plastic wrap and getting into the game).

The personal touch

My sister is also a pretty good cook. If she'd baked us up a couple of batches of her Anzac biscuits - or a chocolate slice - that would have been a great gift.

It would be appreciated. It would be unique as each person cooks them in their own way. It would be special because she makes it herself.

And if someone else gets me the exact same thing - that's no problem at all :)

Let's not be tricked by all the advertising telling us we have to spend a lot of time and money at the shops to give a great gift.

Let's give them something they really want - even if it's something we make ourselves.

PS. The SoKind Registry is a great help in making sure you get and give presents that are appreciated.

Other reading

On gift giving between adults, see Baby steps to reducing adult gift giving at Christmas and Holiday gift-giving between adults is a needless, consumerist chore. Both have interesting perspectives.
Read more about:

Comments

  1. Laura18 December 2017 at 01:51

    One of my favourite gifts is the gift of someone's time. When they make (or bake!) you something, or invite you to spend time with them. I feel that in today's world there is an unlimited supply of 'things', but time is always in limited supply.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monopoly, money and you

By
One of the most well-known board games can also be a great way to learn about money and investing - according to this book. Perhaps one way to teach kids (and maybe ourselves) about finance is to play a board game. In so many ways, the game parallels our own financial life - and we can practice financial decision-making without losing any real money. Is monopoly like life? Yes and no. We manage our cash, negotiate, make deals, make choices, go through tough times, make investments, pay tax and reap rewards. To do well we have to make investments. It's very hard to win just by collecting $200 each time you pass go. There are rules, and wise moves. The better we know them, the better we do. However, in real life, you can win without forcing others into bankruptcy. Principles that work in the game and life Diversify. You might have hotels on the two most expensive properties on the board, but if no-one lands on them, you still might lose. Investments have a price and a value. They are...
Post a Comment
Read more

Four Thousand Weeks - Time and How to Use It

By
First question. Why 4000 weeks? That's the average human lifespan. If you're reading this you've probably used up 1000 already. If you're a bit older you may have only 2000 left. Maybe just 1000. That can be a startling thought - given how quickly each week goes by. There's so much wisdom in this book, it's hard to summarise it briefly. But I'll give it a go.... Face the Finitude If time was infinite, we could work for 40 years and not miss out on anything. We could spend frivolously as we could always earn more money later. But in the real world there are time limits. Even if we have enough money to escape the nine-to-five, our time (though more plentiful) is finite. Just like money, we will run out if we fritter it away on low-value options. "Face the Finitude" has become one of my internal phrases now. It's my reminder that I don't have infinite time to waste. It may be helpful to think of it like money. eg. I might like something, but d...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to never worry about the share market

By
The Ulysses Contract doesn't sound like a book about investing. The subtitle "How to never worry about the share market again" is what grabbed my attention. The book is mostly about the mindset and strategy of investing in shares. The obscure title refers to Greek mythology, the temptation of the siren songs, and the measures Ulysses took to keep his ship and crew safe - including being tied to the mast of the ship, to hold himself to his own plan. In the book, Michael Kemp outlines the temptations (siren songs) in the share market, gives some solid guiding principles (the mast) that investors can secure themselves to, and outlines his idea of a Ulysses contract for investing. The temptations include spending too much on consumer items (it's hard to invest if we spend all our income) doing what everyone else is doing (when the crowd is selling, it might be the best time to buy) expert predictions (not worth that much, and can be wrong as much as right) market-timing, ...
Post a Comment
Read more