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Sure, when someone gives you a gift that's a nice gesture. In a perfect world, we'd all be happy with anything we get no matter how cheap or ugly the item may be. However, that's not the case. This world and many of the people in it have a tendency to be shallow and hard to please. So, it's not socially acceptable to give certain gifts to people unless you want to be talked about for being the worst gift giver ever. Yeah, it's not a good label to have attached to you (trust me). Let's go over some terrible birthday presents you should never consider buying.
1) Weight Loss Book
dailymai
It's never a good sign to get one of these as a gift. The person giving it to you is basically saying, "You really need to lose weight." And if you weren't thinking about losing weight, now your mind will be on that. On the flip side, even if you were telling your friends and family that you were trying to get a few pounds off, receiving this book is basically implying that your weight loss plan isn't working.
2) Socks
commercialappeal
It should be illegal to give someone socks as a birthday gift. To me, these are in the same category as toothpaste and toilet paper--stuff you don't want to get but you have to because you need it. Sure, socks are comfortable and protect our feet but it's not a luxury item. No guy is going to say, "I'll be right back babe, I've been dying to try out these new socks I just got."
3) Cheap Perfume
overstock
This is like being slapped in the face. You not only get cheap perfume but in small, tiny bottles that won't even last a few months. Typically, cheap perfume--no matter the size--won't be famous brand names. You're usually stuck with ones you've never heard of and that only last a few minutes before smelling like nothing on your body. If you want your girlfriend to really be annoyed with you, this is the gift to get her.
4) Framed Picture of Yourself
officezilla
As attractive as we all think we look, there's no need to ever give a framed picture of yourself. Seriously. This isn't an item that even has one benefit, such as socks or a mop, unless you include an Ego boost. Even if you're LeBron James and decide to give an autographed photo of you on the basketball court to your little boy, he's going to look at you as if you're crazy.
5) Jewelry Box with No Jewelry Inside
likopacking
This is really annoying and something I've experienced multiple times. Why would you give someone an empty jewelry box, particularly a woman? What's implied is that there's a nice piece of jewelry inside. So, when there isn't any you're basically saying, "You aren't worth all of that." I would prefer having the jewelry wrapped in paper or plastic and skip the nice box all together. That way I could at least have the nice necklace or bracelet.
6) Used Clothes
abcloseouts
Sometimes we're on a budget and I get that. When your friend asks for expensive jeans for his or her birthday, you don't want to disappoint them. Some of us get creative and try to find those brand names in a thrift store to save money.
Dirty jeans + thrift store = nasty.
Giving someone old, used clothing is not okay. Just go ahead and buy the person a card and put $5 in it. At least it's cleaner.
7) Candle in the Shape of An Animal
hinodefarm
Candles in the shape of an animal are funny and should be the center of a joke. They can also be good weights for holding down papers, or even as a prop on the set of SNL. Giving these ugly candles as a gift isn't passable under any circumstance. Here's a general rule that people should live by: Anything that can melt and isn't food should not be given as a gift.
8) Office Supplies
funny-pictures
I was given school supplies before and I still haven't used them. Whomever came up with the idea of giving a stapler, tape, and paper clips as a birthday present needs to be arrested. Does it look like I enjoy writing papers and punching holes? Seriously, if you're an individual who would like this as a surprise please leave a comment below and explain why.
9) Coupon Book
blogspot
Coupons certainly save us all money. I'm not knocking on keeping more money in my pocket. Does that mean it's cool to give a book of $3 off coupons to KFC on my big day? The answer is no. What's equally jacked up is that there is usually an expiration date so you have to hurry up and get some chicken before the deal is over. Do everyone a favor and just buy a gift certificate to a grocery store for your friend as opposed to giving them a set of coupons.
10) Ugly Coffee Mug
deviantart
There's no excuse to give someone an ugly mug. You can go to a .99 cent store and find a decent one. This is the kind of thing that never looks good, not even on Halloween. There's no way a little kid would even want one of these. You know when you're given something that ends up in a corner of your basement for years? An ugly mug would certainly be found there.
11) Broom and A Mop
allwomenstalk
To most of us, cleaning is not a fun experience. Mopping can often leave you wet, sweaty, and exhausted. Using a broom is equally as bad as dust and dirt gets in the air causing your allergies to flare up (for some). Take the money you were going to use on those items and simply give your friend a maid for a day. You can find some cheap ones on Craigslist. Just make sure to hide any valuables in a safe.
12) Fruit Basket
taborafarmandorchard
Do I really need to explain?
13) Subscription to A Religious Magazine
ign
This isn't knocking on anyone's religion or belief in God. When I was a girl, my grandmother sent the same thing to me in the mail each year--an annual subscription to the Daily Word. It often inspired me as a small girl but I would have appreciated some money instead. We're talking birthday gifts--not something that's meant to pull someone out of a deep depression. If you're a grandparent or parent reading this, please take my advice. Kids wants money, candy, or a video game system.
14) Tweezers
blogspot
Pain. That's what tweezers symbolize to women. Sure, some of these can cost over $60 and they are critical to have but that doesn't mean you give it as a gift. Presents should make a person smile, not cringe. If you decide to go this route, at least put the receipt inside. Most of us ladies have several tweezers and wouldn't mind taking it back to get more makeup or perfume.
15) Monogrammed Bath Towels
missteensouthcentralontario
This is something that annoys everyone. If you go into your friend's crib and see monogrammed towels on a rack, don't you normally roll your eyes? I definitely do because I'm thinking out of all the ways to utilize your time, you decided to get your name imprinted on a towel. That's sort of embarrassing. Also, when I received a monogrammed towel as a birthday present it soon went in the trash because it was painful to use. Sometimes the type of fabric and material that is used to make the monogram isn't the most comfortable as it's being rubbed against your booty.
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