7 Disappointing Holiday Gifts Gift-Givers Always Regret Buying

Sometimes the holidays can feel like a giant snowball rolling downhill, gaining momentum and speed as it gets closer. During the holiday season, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and buy gifts or decorations on the spot without much consideration.

Of course, sometimes a spontaneous purchase can turn out to be an enormous success. But in general, it’s smarter to put thought into a purchase before spending your hard-earned money. 

Here are seven common Christmas gifts that the giver is likely to regret — even if the receiver doesn’t say so.

1. Pricey Jewelry or Watches

It’s a common misconception that all women react with joy when given jewelry as a present. Unfortunately, jewelry is notoriously difficult to shop for because tastes vary greatly.

Some people love extravagant, flashy jewelry, while others have a more minimalist style. And while some love the classic style of yellow gold, others find it old-fashioned and prefer white gold or silver. What kind of necklaces, if any, do they prefer? Only purchase jewelry as a gift if you have a strong sense of their personal style preferences.

2. Personal-Care Gift Sets

Avoid pre-packaged gifts that contain toiletries like lotion, perfume, and deodorant. Like jewelry, everyone’s tastes are different. Maybe the giftee will love one of the products, but what are the chances they’ll use all three items?

Plus, these items usually share a similar scent. Even if the person you’re buying the gift for enjoys the smell of the products, it could be overpowering for them to use different products with the same scent.

3. Trendy Kitchen Appliances

Specialized appliances for the kitchen make it easy to prepare a very specific type of food or drink. We’re talking s’more kits, hot dog toasters, and cake pop makers — the kinds of appliances that get used once and then end up collecting dust in the back of your kitchen cabinets. 

4. Fragrance

Like jewelry, people’s taste in fragrance can vary a great deal from person to person. Many people prefer musky and heavy smells, others opt for fruity and sweet smells, and others only wear clean floral scents. And while people may wear a piece of jewelry they don’t like to be polite to the gift-giver, unpleasant smells are much harder to bear.

5. Home Exercise Equipment

Search Facebook Marketplace for your area. You’ll likely find post after post of people selling or even giving away exercise equipment like treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bicycles.

While the gifts were given with good intentions, maintaining an at-home exercise routine is more challenging than it may seem at first. Plus, exercise equipment tends to be large, taking up a lot of space in the home. 

6. Extravagant Toys

The toy industry is an expert at making parents feel like they need to give their kids the latest, greatest toys. From expensive video game consoles, giant interactive doll-houses, and elaborate 1,000-piece Lego sets it’s easy to spend hundreds of dollars on kids’ presents. At the end of the day, most kids aren’t too concerned about the cost of the gift! 

7. Pets

Animals are not toys; they need constant attention every day, especially when they’re babies. The image of a puppy bounding out of a Christmas present makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. But once the holiday magic is over, you may find yourself with a bigger commitment than you anticipated. Be sure to communicate with your family members before you bring a new pet into the home.

Conclusion 

When you’re shopping for holiday gifts, the top priority is usually finding a present that the recipient truly loves. With the rush to get everything done in time, presents aren’t always well thought out. Avoiding wasting money on these seven presents that have a very low likelihood of being a hit.