These "I'm a grown adult so I don't get presents" comments are really sad. You don't have any family or a girlfriend or anyone that would get you a present?
We do, but most of us just go out and buy whatever we want. I mean, I'd love to get a new car, but I'm sure as hell not going to ask my family for it.
That's sort of why I told people not to get me anything years ago. It essentially creates an awkward situation where I'm being punished more than rewarded in any meaningful way.
When I want something, I buy it. So someone getting me a gift either has to get me something I don't actually want (which means I won't enjoy the gift, and will likely wind up getting rid of it somehow), or they have to get me something I DO want, but then tell me they got it so I go go out and buy it myself, at which point all they're really "giving" me is a forced waiting period before I can have the thing I want.
This is the point where people usually say things like "But sentimental gifts!" or "It's supposed to be the thought that counts!", but I've never really felt like you need tangible gifts to show sentimentality anyway, and I actually dislike the idea that birthdays or Christmas are the only time you can show affect to a person, so I'd rather give useful gifts to friends and family just whenever if I see something specific I know they'll want, and not feel compelled to buy them things solely because pop culture says I have to.
(It also doesn't help that I don't celebrate Christmas at all, so I have zero interest in gifts related to it.)
Sometime around when I was 20 or so my stance basically became "My gift to you is the money you save by not buying me a gift, and your gift to me is the same in reverse. As adults saving time, money, and stress is actually the best possible gift any of us can give to one another."
I still occasionally get presents for my friends' kids because they're still young and Christmas is still an important thing to them, but I tend to think that birthdays and Christmas should mostly be for kids and adults should grow out of it as a "WAAAH, I WANT PRESENTS!" sort of holiday.
Exactly. Word for word. I feel weird getting adult family presents as Ive been sort of gearing to practical gifts. Need a newer water bottle for work thats compliant with work drink policies? I got you fam. Youre getting a yeti water bottle. If you dont want something in particular, amazon gift cards. Get whatever you want since idhafc.
My nieces and nephews are awesome and uncle josh knows youre awesome, so hell spoil you with toys.