Cheap Ass Presents.

[Alex]

So what is the cheapest christmas present you have ever received or given?

Back in the 90s, the UK went through a big thing of collecting points from purchasing stuff, normally petrol or cigarettes. Anyway, my older brother gave me a CD for christmas that I happened to already know was only available from cashing in some of these points. It might have been ok, but I didn't even like the music on it (it was stuff like Soundgarden, Manic Street Preachers and I can't remember what else).

The cheapest I've ever given was to an uncle who every year, would give me a box of some aftershave. I very rarely use that stuff, and when I do, it is normally Old Spice I use, not some stuff made in China that looks like it might give you chemical burns if you were to try putting it on. Anyway, thinking of teaching him a lesson, I bought him a box of this stuff instead of the mid-range whisky I'd normally get him.

The next christmas, I got the same box back, 

[Paquita]

When I was a teenager, my great Aunt Maude gave me a gift bag with a bar of soap and a stick of Mitchum deodorant with the lid taped on and a smudge of dirt on it for Christmas.   I don't know if she was trying to tell me something, or just picked up some stuff she found laying around her house.  I was a kind of stinky kid, but she smoked so much I don't think she could tell.

I try to give thoughtful gifts whenever I can.  I am not above doing crafts or making cookies and wrapping them up to give out if we are trying to be frugal.  My go-to gifts when I don't know what to give are food gifts, like fruit baskets or chocolate.  I may be single-handedly keeping The Swiss Colony in business.  I am also that person that will give those butter cookie tins out as gifts that people end up using for sewing materials.  Those are actually really good and I think it's kind of a treat to open one and actually see cookies in them!

[Trevor]

  Those are actually really good and I think it's kind of a treat to open one and actually see cookies in them.

I have a rather large blue friend at home who would appreciate one or two of those cookies 

[pacman000]

When I was a kid (first, second, third grade,) my mom would take us to buy Christmas presents for the rest of our extended family. We went to the dollar store; those were probably the cheapest presents I've ever given.

[claws]

Cheapest I got was probably a 3-pair pack of socks? but I can never get enough of socks so I had no issues with that.

Cheapest I gave as a christmas present was two bars of chocolate in wrapping paper, with a ribbon tied around it. The person didn't want anything for christmas but I felt the need to give her a little something anyway.

[Allhallowsday]

I'm still waiting for the gift "in the mail" from my older sister.  I expect it to turn up some day.  It's only been 25 years.   

[RCMerchant]

My friend Larry (rip) gave me a card that said- "Times are tough, money's hard- here's your f**king Christmas card."
I loved it. 

[Trevor]

My friend Larry (rip) gave me a card that said- "Times are tough, money's hard- here's your f**king Christmas card."
I loved it. 

 

I bought my younger brother a DVD of the movie SWAT (2003) and was expecting to hear good things. What I got was a phone call that went something like this:

Nic: "Yo, bro. Where'd you buy this thing from?"
Me: "A seller in Johannesburg, why?"
Nic: "How much did you pay?"
Me: "ZAR100" [about $10]
Nic: "You got screwed: someone filmed this in a theatre and put it on DVD: I can see the dude's head in front of the screen and the guy next to the cameraperson farting in the seat next to him."

 

[The Burgomaster]

About 15 years ago, I got a small tin of caramel popcorn at a work Christmas party. I can't remember how much we were supposed to spend (probably $20), but that gift clearly cost a lot less.

[RCMerchant]

I gave my friend Larry an empty Whiskey bottle with a Dead Kennedys sticker on one side, and a Sex Pistols sticker on the other side.

[Allhallowsday]

My beloved Sister-in-law was notorious for her... "wonderfully thoughtful" presents like the year she gave me a made-in-China reproduction painted iron toy which had wheels and with one gentle turn scratched the floor... the same year she gave my mother the made-in-China jewelry box...that was broken.     God I love you good girl!