Christmas SO gifts poll

[LCHIEN]

So this past Christmas, did you surprise the SO with a significant gift and vice versa or did you do like many long-time married couples and give each other token gifts and each half got themselves the significant gift, if any?

I usually wish for technically complex stuff (tools, computer, sports or camera stuff) and the wife doesn't know what to get or where to get the best price even if I told her exactly what make and model I desire. Similarly she is hard to fit for clothes and is very particular about jewelry and accessories and doesn't want a any household appliances - vacuum cleaner or cooking stuff - for Christmas.
So We have reached the understanding that I will buy what I want and she will buy what she wants. I get her a calendar and maybe take her to a Pro Basketball game. We're married 36 years.

[Pappy]

I checked the first option as the closest although I don't expect a significant gift in return.

[atgcpaul]

Been married 12 years.

I am horrible at buying gifts for people--especially my wife. I tried the big surprise gift at the beginning but it's never worked out. Turns out she's really just into little token gifts (and lots of them). She is awesome at getting me little things I would never get for myself. She has said she wanted to buy me tools but she knows I'm particular about that so she won't touch it--which is fine with me. I am just too practical of a person to buy things they really don't need.

So now at Christmas time she holds out hope for little gifts which never come but she knows, too, she can have practically anything she asks for.

[LCHIEN]

yeah, I wish I'd worded that differently, more like, " and maybe get one in return"...

But you can't edit the questions once posted.

[leehljp]

I don't expect one as I am hard to please unless I have input on the gift! LOML knows me well.

HOWEVER! I got the biggest surprise this Christmas that I ever got! Two tickets to the Cowboys game. It was fantastic, even if they did lose! And two tickets to a Spurs-Grizzly game in a week.

[TB Roye]

I bought LOML two Gifts. As I was sure exactly what to give I bought both and told he she could return one or both and get something she want equal to the amount of the returned gift. She did return one and is having a little shopping spree. I am going on 72 and she will hit 68 next summer we both have pretty much all we want and buy through out the year so birthdays and Christmas there is no need to go crazy with a lot of gifts. You ask us what we want and we say is surprise us or give to one of our favorite charities. LOML gave me a Dewalt 717 Sliding Dual Bevel Compound Miter saw and the Dewalt Portable stand to go with it. This will replace a Superior Sliding compound Miter saw that the late Mike "Silver Fox" recommended many years ago Think it was $149 shipped from Canada served me well the blade is still good but it does have it's draw backs for Crown Molding and tall base board and no positive stop for the Bevel. Will probable give it to one of my Son's

Tom

[lrr]

I checked the first option as the closest although I don't expect a significant gift in return.

That is kind of my feeling, too. And when I think "significant", it does not necessarily mean expensive. It means something from the heart, something meaningful, and often something not on a wish list, or something she would not buy for herself.

We tend to buy LOTS of stuff for ourselves throughout the year, so it is a little tricky at Christmas for me. This year we decided to not do too much for each other, so I found 2 things on my wife's Amazon Wish List, and got those. Then I went to REI and got her a really nice coat that you'd not expect from REI. It was not your typical outdoor type of coat, like a Columbia or North Face. It was pretty feminine, dark purple/lavender in color, unbelievably soft, and she loves it.

In May we celebrate 40 years of marriage. After that much time, buying gifts get really tough. We kind of feel like we have everything we need. Well, not counting cars and tools, at least for me!

Since I've been buying tools this year like I'd won the lottery, I asked for her to go "cheap and practical". She got me some books, and it some pajama pants and long sleeve top. At this point in my life, that was perfect -- lounging clothes!

Last year we had said we were not going to do much, and I could not figure out what to get her. Two days before Christmas I bought her the new, at the time, iPad. I was not sure she would like it that much, and it has been a huge hit. She uses it all the time. In fact, she liked it so much we upgraded our old phones to the iPhone 5 in April. As a testament to how easy Apple products are to use, she hardly ever asks me how to do anything on them, She even has the two devices synched on iCloud, without a bit of help from me.

[capncarl]

The younger guys that I work with were taking bets on how beat up I was going to be when I gave my wife a power brush for my pressure washer that she did not even know she needed! She loved it! and my gift from her was the metal paper towel holder from Rockler! After 40 years we both agree that there is no sense throwing away $$$ for someone that already has everything they want.
capncarl

[woodturner]

I chose the last one, because we stopped exchanging gifts some years ago. It was just causing too much stress and frustration and distracted from the meaning of Christmas.

Honestly, I wish our culture had not tried to commercialize and secularize Christmas and Easter.

I was surprised to find Christmas decorations in stores at Halloween this year, and Valentines stuff before Christmas. I wonder if they really do sell more by trying to get us started earlier and earlier each year.

[dbhost]

I voted other because I am not sure how this all sort of fell. LOML and I more or less picked out gifts out of necessity. I have gotten to know her taste, but it changes so fast in certain areas, and the areas we went with this year are just those. My gifts were more I had to pick them to insure we got the right items...

And honestly, this year Christmas was scaled back due to certain financial realities, not the least of which was our vacation we just did in November...

Not to say we are being scroogy or anything, but we ARE trying to dump off debt as fast as we can. Home Depot and Discover are almost done, after that, her student loan, and mortgage...

But I digress. I did get her some nice stuff. A Coach purse wallet and key fob (she is a HUGE Coach fan) that we picked out together. I also got her the Prada Candy Perfume / Lotion and purse spray set. And no it wasn't as expensive as it sounds. There is a REALLY good newer outlet center not that far from my house...

My Christmas gifts were a Harbor Freight 4x24 belt sander because I am working on knocking high spots down on concrete patch / leveler, and a cold air intake tube for the truck. I had a store credit with an online retailer after UPS Freight completely bungled delivery of my winch mount a few months ago. It was a big need to use this NOW kind of thing, and a good excuse.

The big HF belt sander so far is actually shockingly good. I don't have a ton of respect for their handheld power tools, but compared to other low end (Ryobi, Skil, B&D etc...) belt sanders, this thing for the most part fit, finish, and function wise was WAY more in common with Porter Cable... I said for the most part. The dust bag on this, like every other HF tool that has a dust bag, is a complete waste of space. Good thing it is easy to hook up to the shop vac!

[big tim]

We both buy each other gifts and we both make up a wish list which is used by the kids and grandkids as well. LOML's list usually has clothes on it and to make sure I buy the right size, style, colour etc. I have been taking my daughters(5) and some of the older granddaughters and daughters in law out for dinner and then shopping to get the LOML Christmas presents. This has become a tradition for probably 25 years or more, don't remember when I started this. I tell you shopping with 8 to 11 (depending on who can make it) women in tow can be interesting. But at least I get the right stuff.
Cheers,

Tim

[JimD]

This was our first Christmas since getting married in March. While we both have so much "stuff" we're struggling to fit it into the new-to-us house we bought in October, we still "needed" things for Christmas. My wife does not really like surprises and wanted jewelry - nice stuff. So I invested a day shopping with her and bought her a nice diamond necklace. I also knew she wanted a massage so I got her a gift certificate on Group on. She did far better for me getting several small things and one big one - a GPS/fish finder for the boat (need to be sure I can find my way home).

While different, this isn't totally different from the pattern we set in almost 29 years married to my late wife. We'd tell each other what we wanted (my tool requests typically came with a link as did my boat GPS/fishfinder) but we didn't buy for ourselves. We also used to get one "family gift" - like a new TV or something.

Jim

[LinuxRandal]

I was surprised to find Christmas decorations in stores at Halloween this year, and Valentines stuff before Christmas. I wonder if they really do sell more by trying to get us started earlier and earlier each year.

Shopping for work (part of my job), I was at Sam's a couple days ago, and the snow shovels (in December) were right next to the hose reels (start of Spring stuff).

As this is a family forum, I better let Christmas alone (way too many bad memories).

[Carpenter96]

For the past couple of years we have given a donation of the amount we would have spent on gifts to the Christmas wish (They provide Christmas for families that can't afford to do Christmas). We just buy each other Stocking stuffers and have great day together. All of our nieces and nepthews are grown up so they understand and encourage us to do so.

Bob

[Condoman44]

Like Carpenter96 we give to charities and jointly donate something together. We do the same with our gift exchanging friends. We all have way too much stuff. For SO a simple gift is exchanged along with the donation acknowledgements.