RE: The Gift: WTF, I Didn't Want This.
Cash or reloadable cards, that's my usual trick. The kids like the cards because they're in the online world sometimes more than the real one. As for everyone else, leave it up to me to buy the alcohol. I like giving everyone hangovers I guess. I used to be a real heavy drinker and many still think that's the case. They'll assume I'll arrive fully stocked and I did not disappoint. I'm actually quite lucky. My kids took after me. The big shiny trinkets are not important to us. I never forced this on them but they probably did pick up on a few of my comments over the years. I was "rich" once upon a time. I think they associate those days with the times I was never around, always working. We all keep things simple. Christmas is quite easy around here and the good times always feel genuine.
I usually give cash to the older kids but this year they got vouchers - book tokens for the one starting uni this year, to help with his textbooks, clothing vouchers for the girls. My 6 year old great nephew got funny books cos his mum says he needs to read more.
I read your other story too and I feel your pain! In my story about my grandmother a few months ago I talk about how her example has made me hate waste. It's not quite as bad in NZ. Most shops put food about to expire on special. Anything with damaged packaging goes on sale too. I got a weights bench much cheaper cos it was the display model and that was all they had left. We got a water blaster cheap cos there was no packaging.
In Wellington there is an organisation called Kaibosh that collects unused foods from places like restaurants and distributes it to social service organisations. https://www.kaibosh.org.nz/