The holidays are long gone and the gifts I received are either being used or have been returned. I’ll be the first to admit I feel no shame in returning gifts I just won’t use. Yet with that being said, there are some things that I’d never buy for myself, but I greatly appreciate.
- Scarves. I never knew how much I appreciated scarves until a friend purchased a couple for me a few years ago. Living in Southern California, our short, mild winters never last long enough for me to feel the need to go out and buy winter-wear. However, scarves really do come in handy and keep me much warmer than just a light weight jacket. Whenever I received them as a gift, I’m truly greatful.
- Slippers. A couple of holidays ago, my sister-in-law bought me some fuzzy, bright-orange slippers with hard, plastic soles. They looked really hideous, but were they great! I never knew how much I liked slippers; they kept my feet warm in the mornings and allowed me to run outside if I needed to without having to actually put on shoes. They have sadly been ruined by one of my cats.
- PJ’s. Is it weird I won’t buy myself PJ’s? Well, maybe. But I really don’t care what I sleep in as long as it keeps me warm or cool depending on the temperature. And, almost every Christmas I’ve been given PJ’s so that sort of fits the gap in my wardrobe. 🙂
- Balance Ball. My in-laws know that I’m fairly active, so they often buy me “work out” gifts. A few years ago, they purchased a balance ball for me. At first, I was hesitant to use it and thought hard about returning it. But once I blew that sucker up, I found that it was great for stretching.
- Hand weights. Again, thanks to my in-laws, I can work out my upper arms. I really wouldn’t think to buy myself weights, but I do use them to tone and firm.
I’m sure I can think of many other things that I’d never buy for myself, but I’d really like to have or would find useful. These are just a few that came to mind.
What gift have you received that you wouldn’t buy yourself but use?
10 Comments
I hav a hard time buying PJs for myself also, I don’t know why.
I once got a really nice leather clutch in a seafoam green – totally not a color I would have picked out, but now that I have it I use very frequently.
@Well Heeled Blog – It’s funny that sometimes we end up with things in colors we would never choose ourselves, but realize we like them! I have two scarves in a pale orange and pale green that I would never have picked out myself, but definitely use. Thanks for sharing!
I once got a really nice leather clutch in a seafoam green – totally not a color I would have picked out, but now that I have it I use very frequently.
You’re right… it doesn’t make sense to shop for pjs. If you see a (inexpensive) pair while walking around, thats ok. But who really goes out with the intent of purchasing pjs?
Actually, there isn’t anything that I really want right now. Usually I do have a list of things that I want to get, but surprisingly I am content right now.
My mother in law purchased this table runner for me. I really like it but would have never purchased it for myself.
https://superfrugalette.com/2011/07/essential-summer-table-runner-from-anthropologie/
@SuperFrugalette – Sometimes gifts we receive are small surprises; but I still wouldn’t buy certain things for myself! (and I think a table runner would be one of them. 😉 )
@Charlotte – Thanks for the compliment. You have a great point; PJs are easy to buy when it comes to size, same as slippers. They do make great gifts!
I think we can get a little wild with our pj’s and slippers. We live back to back with my husbands sister and her husband. So for new years eve, the four of us just hang out together in our pj’s. I have a pair with tweety bird all over them and a pair of tweety bird slippers. My sister n law has Eore. The guys don’t get to have as much fun because their jammies are lame. So, the next time you’re looking for a gift for a close family memeber, think about crazy pj’s.