My parents hate the gifts I give them, always have. They tell me this every time I give them one. I am currently not talking to them after years of their controlling behavior. I told them that I needed a break. That was about a month ago. However, I still want to acknowledge mothers day, fathers day, birthdays and christmas as I will still see them then at family functions.
I don't have a lot of money, I am a college student. I'm trying to save up for a couple different things, one being a trip to China next year to volunteer in a special needs foster home.
I have always searched year round for good deals as gifts. I don't like giving gift cards because I think they're impersonal and because the most I spend/can afford to spend on gifts is $10, and I feel funny giving a $10 gift card when I could give a personal gift that actually cost much more than that but that I got for a good deal, does that make sense?
Anyway, years ago, when I was a high school JUNIOR, I was a bagger at a grocery store. After gas and car insurance, I was broke. For mothers day I wanted to get my mom something more than just a card. She was trying to lose weight and eating a lot of fruit, so I got her a mango and a nice, expensive card. I told her why I bought her the mango, and she seemed to like it. To this day, I STILL hear about what a crappy gift that was. I couldn't afford anything else! For Christmas this year - My dad loves Home Depot. It's his favorite store. A couple years ago I got him a Home Depot apron on Ebay and he actually loved it. This year at Home Depot they had a Christmas village that was a Home Depot store. I got it for him. I was really excited about it. A week after Christmas he told me how much he didn't like it.
I got my mom organic body wash and then made a gift bag of a bunch of trial sized bottles of high end shampoos/conditioners/body washes. She told my whole family that I gave her perfume samples. Totally not true!
I just don't know what to do. Nobody else complains about my gifts, and they've gotten weirder ones! I got my sister a bag full of condiments for her birthday last year because they were having money problems and she told me how she likes to give her kids a bunch of different options with their food. They were unable to buy groceries, so that's what I bought her. She loved it, it helped her out a lot. It made me feel like my gift was a little more "personal" because it's something she had just told me about and thought it was better than just gifting her a bunch of produce lol. My dad told me that my gifts aren't "practical". He says practical is candles and lotions. I can't afford to pay much more than I am now for gifts, and I really don't want to do gift cards. I can't afford $25 gift cards, but I know that they will complain if I only give $10 too. Or if won't be to the right place, etc. My mom actually told me that she wanted a $100 gc to Circuit City for Mothers Day last year and that I could put in $50 and my brother could put in $50! Umm....no?
I don't have a lot of money, I am a college student. I'm trying to save up for a couple different things, one being a trip to China next year to volunteer in a special needs foster home.
I have always searched year round for good deals as gifts. I don't like giving gift cards because I think they're impersonal and because the most I spend/can afford to spend on gifts is $10, and I feel funny giving a $10 gift card when I could give a personal gift that actually cost much more than that but that I got for a good deal, does that make sense?
Anyway, years ago, when I was a high school JUNIOR, I was a bagger at a grocery store. After gas and car insurance, I was broke. For mothers day I wanted to get my mom something more than just a card. She was trying to lose weight and eating a lot of fruit, so I got her a mango and a nice, expensive card. I told her why I bought her the mango, and she seemed to like it. To this day, I STILL hear about what a crappy gift that was. I couldn't afford anything else! For Christmas this year - My dad loves Home Depot. It's his favorite store. A couple years ago I got him a Home Depot apron on Ebay and he actually loved it. This year at Home Depot they had a Christmas village that was a Home Depot store. I got it for him. I was really excited about it. A week after Christmas he told me how much he didn't like it.
I got my mom organic body wash and then made a gift bag of a bunch of trial sized bottles of high end shampoos/conditioners/body washes. She told my whole family that I gave her perfume samples. Totally not true!I just don't know what to do. Nobody else complains about my gifts, and they've gotten weirder ones! I got my sister a bag full of condiments for her birthday last year because they were having money problems and she told me how she likes to give her kids a bunch of different options with their food. They were unable to buy groceries, so that's what I bought her. She loved it, it helped her out a lot. It made me feel like my gift was a little more "personal" because it's something she had just told me about and thought it was better than just gifting her a bunch of produce lol. My dad told me that my gifts aren't "practical". He says practical is candles and lotions. I can't afford to pay much more than I am now for gifts, and I really don't want to do gift cards. I can't afford $25 gift cards, but I know that they will complain if I only give $10 too. Or if won't be to the right place, etc. My mom actually told me that she wanted a $100 gc to Circuit City for Mothers Day last year and that I could put in $50 and my brother could put in $50! Umm....no?
I think that is great advice. If YOU want to acknowledge an occassion, a card is enough. I think that would be more appropriate anyway since you officially told them you need a break. And, part of taking that break would be not dealing with stuff like the stress of choosing presents.
I myself would love a collection of little shampoos and conditioners, or a box of condiments (money being a tad tight right now), or... hey, I wouldn't even say no to a mango. And since when are candles 'practical'? Mine just sit around in drawers for years waiting to be used. It sounds like you've given wonderfully thoughtful gifts over the years--for which, kudos, but I see no real reason to continue when you've been shown so rudely that your efforts aren't appreciated. 
