Keeping spare presents ready just in case?

[veryfluffy]

A post on another thread just reminded me that this might be the place to ask. Is it a good idea to keep some spare, generic gifts on hand, just in case someone unexpectedly gives us one? DH and I tend not to exchange gifts with anyone but close family, but we do have lots of friends come by and visit. DH thinks we should get some boxes of chocolates or nice gift foods and have them wrapped and ready, in case anyone brings us a gift. I said it would be obvious that this wasn't really a personal present, and it would be more embarassing to give them that than just to say, "Oh thank-you! we weren't expecting anything!" He thinks he would be more embarrassed at not having a present for someone who gave us one.

[goblue2539]

I think I'm with you in that situation, although my mom does keep a stash of presents on hand.  But, that's not so much for the surprise gift as it is for the "Oh crap, I forgot cousin was bringing his new girlfriend to Christmas dinner and the whole family is going to have a small gift for her!"  Don't know if that's different or not. 

[Clara Bow]

I don't have a problem with keeping spare gifts around, as long as it's not obvious that that's what they are. I'd be careful about foods though, they can go past their date and get ucky. I like to have a few little trinket things around to use as gifts, but I haven't been able to in a long time due to time and money constraints (ah the life of a full time student/mom/wife/domestic goddess/defender of the realm)

[MsEva]

I am all for the spare gift or two. I always buy a couple of boxes of chocolate and wrap them. I also have a few gifts ready just in case some of my female friends decide to get me a gift (you know, the ones who you figured were never quite close enough to exchange with, but apparently they have other ideas). I can usually cover most tastes with two or three little things. If we don't use them then the chocolates go to DHs office or to one of my club meetings and the other gifts go back in the closet.

Don't forget that you aren't under any obligation to reciprocate a gift. Just be accepting and thankful.

[housewife2k]

My MIL keeps spare gifts around. Some are of the "Oh Look, you just gave us an unexpected gift, I must now reciprocate" variety, some are the "Oops! I dodn't know you were bringing your girlfriend/boyfriend/college roommate" variety, and some are the "I know I'm forgetting someone" variety.  She keeps an assortment ranging from gourmet chocolates and nuts, inexpensive, yet nice looking jewelry, various and sundry tools, and childrens gifts. She then has them wrapped according to what they are -Snowman paper is food stuffs(separate ribbons for the ones with peanuts/treenuts), gift bags for the jewelry with a bow to indicate stone colors and metal type, so on and so forth. It sound complicated but works really well, she can almost always give someone something that seems personal, as opposed to last minute/unexpected, and everyone raves at how organized she is (if only the new the full extent)

[Slartibartfast]

When my siblings and I were children, we had a big box in the basement of various prospective gifts - mostly because children are notorious for saying "Oh, mom?  Can I go to Sally's birthday party this afternoon?" with absolutely no warning.  I think we had some stationery sets, stuffed animals, fake-but-tasteful jewelry, etc.  When we got duplicate gifts from relatives, the extras went in the box too, to be re-gifted to someone who didn't know my relatives    It worked well as incentive for us, too - if we wanted to get our friends the perfect present, we had to be responsible enough to tell mom ahead of time and make time to go to the store.  If we didn't, we had to give them something out of the box, which wasn't really as personal.

Now that I'm not a little kid anymore :-) I keep a few things around the house for the same situations.  A candle, a necklace, a pair of movie passes . . . all things that could vary in cost from $5 to $30 depending on exact quality and where I got them, so nobody knows I buy them on extra super clearance sale, and they can't compare the $$ they spent on me to the $$ I spent on them.  For a while, I actually wrapped the necklace and kept it in my car, because I wasn't sure whether one sorta-friend would have gotten me a gift or not, and I could always say "Oh, I got you one too; it's in my car" and pull it out if she surprised me.  (She didn't, so it's back in the general gift box.)

IMHO, it's not as personal, but there is nothing wrong with keeping a few generic gifts on hand.  Often it's more polite to just reciprocate a gift than it is to leave the other person wondering if they should have gotten you something or not.

[Tabris]

I keep a couple of holiday chocolate things on hand during Christmas time. Not during the rest of the year. They're already earmarked for places I like to bring holiday chocolates (like my favorite copy shop in the world, the mailman, the paper guy) but if a need comes up sooner, I feel free to give one of those chocolates away and buy a new one for one of the above.

[Sterling]

I tend to find items at yearly sales and stock up on.  I have lots of bath stuff and candles from a huge sales I found.  Very nice $30 candles marked down to $5.  Also nice mugs, stationary, or other items found.  I keep them in a box and if something pops up i am covered. 

Worked great when my BF forgot his sister's B-day last month.

[Xanthia, Maker of fine Tin-foil hats since 2007]

I make homemade candy for the holidays and put them into tins or baskets, I make a list of people who are getting tins, and then make a few extra "just in case" tins.

This year I am making 2 types of turtles, 3 types of brittle, coconut bon-bons (some in milk and some in white chocolate), pralines and 1 more thing I have not decided yet.

I am always afraid I will forget someone.  Also, if I do not use the tins, I have plenty of friends who are more than happy to take any extras off my hands!

[mumma to KMC]

"He thinks he would be more embarrassed at not having a present for someone who gave us one."

Here is  my 2 cents on receiving gifts. (At least coming from my perspective on why I give gifts...) I give gifts to give not to receive. If I get someone something, I don't expect something back. So if I show up with a gift for you, for example, I don't expect you to give me something back in return.

[Lunadiana75]

My mum always had a drawer full of spare gifts for something unexpected.  be it a forgotten person, a surprise gift from someone, what have you.  I don't recall anyone being "put out" by thinking "oh, she just gave me some cr@p she had lying around" because, although they were generic gifts, they were nice ones.  Fancy bath products, boxes of chocolate, a fancy liquor etc...

[LissaR1]

If I was your guest and brought you a gift and we didn't normally exchange, I would not be at all offended you did not have anything for me.  That's what a gift is, after all  

However, if you presented me with a box of Lindor truffles or other good candy, I would not remotely care one bit that it was "impersonal", because who in their right mind (without the food restrictions) would turn down Lindor truffles?

[Lissa]

If I was your guest and brought you a gift and we didn't normally exchange, I would not be at all offended you did not have anything for me.  That's what a gift is, after all  

However, if you presented me with a box of Lindor truffles or other good candy, I would not remotely care one bit that it was "impersonal", because who in their right mind (without the food restrictions) would turn down Lindor truffles?

Heh, no one I know.

My grandfather keeps spare gifts as well, and you know, every year we've had to use at least a few. Smart man. I don't simply because I don't have the spare cash and everyone knows that, and well most of my friends don't either, so it's never been an issue.

[veryfluffy]

I make homemade candy for the holidays and put them into tins or baskets, I make a list of people who are getting tins, and then make a few extra "just in case" tins.

This year I am making 2 types of turtles, 3 types of brittle, coconut bon-bons (some in milk and some in white chocolate), pralines and 1 more thing I have not decided yet.

I am always afraid I will forget someone.  Also, if I do not use the tins, I have plenty of friends who are more than happy to take any extras off my hands!

You win. I'm dropping over unexpectedly, as soon as I rewrap those candles someone gave me last year.

[Alida]

Having gifts on hand has saved me a couple times when DD has forgotten about a birthday party.  I have a few extra Christmas gifts, too, but they're primarily geared for girls her age (13 - 15 year olds) since she's the one who, I'm sure, will end up forgetting at least one or two people!