25+ Gifts that rubbed people the wrong way: 'My mother-in-law bought me a dust broom and she deducted the cost of it'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 28, 2024 3:00 PM EST

Some gift-givers are so notoriously bad at it that it creates family legends. It seems like every family has at least one of these people. They're the person who gives toddler gifts to the 7-year-old who wanted Robux, or the person who gives a long, boring book to the person who hasn't cracked open a book in a decade. For whatever reason, this person just cannot give someone a proper gift that they'll actually use, and after a few years of this, family members start to take notice. 

As you can read down below, quite a few people have gotten gifts lately that they really didn't care for. Clearly, some have petty in-laws who just can't help but give them catty gifts. There are a surprising amount of moms who say that their husbands didn't get them anything to open on Christmas day, to which I say: Divorce him! And some husbands did get presents, but they were so bad that their wives wish they'd just gotten nothing at all. You can read a bunch of hilarious and wild anecdotes below from the fed-up gift recipients of the internet. 

After that, read about one parent who decided to take their daughter to a Parisian bachelorette party instead of her father's house… without telling her father about their new plans. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10447791360
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova For Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Suckiest gift you got this וויו go first. My husband told me he had his mind made up on what he wanted to get me! He was excited.
    via u/Appelpie-
  • 03
    He bought me perfume. The same perfume I got last year. That I have only halfway finished. And sits next to an almost same bottle from the same brand he got me 3 years ago. I hardly use perfume. Make me feel better. What was your suckiest gift?
    via u/Appelpie-
  • 04
    HRHLMS My brother got his girlfriend a decibel reader because he said she talks too loud and wants to prove it
    via u/HRHLMS
  • 05
    RabbitInAFoxM... My mum bought me the same book that she bought me last year, and that two other people also bought me last year, so I'm up to four copies.
    via u/RabbitInAFoxMask
  • 06
    r….. When my husband and I first started dating, my MIL expressed how much she loves giraffes. I made the comment that I thought they were cute. Well, she has taken that and RAN with it. I've gotten endless amount of giraffe items for Christmas in the 10 years my husband I have been together. Earrings, home decor, etc.
    via u/rsvp_as_pending629
  • 07
    Last year, my SIL opened a travel coffee mug with a picture of her and my BIL's dog on it. It came my turn to open a similarly shaped gift. I was excited since I assumed I'd be getting a coffee mug with our dog on it. Before I opened it, my MIL said to me, "yours is a little different." I opened it and
    via u/rsvp_as_pending629
  • 08
    see this bright pink mug with a giraffe wearing a flower crown. One side it says, "just a girl who loves. giraffes" and the other side it says "stand tall and be proud." Needless to say, it was a hit this year at MY extended family's White elephant exchange.
    via u/rsvp_as_pending629
  • 09
    NaughtyLittleD... After buying and wrapping. 50+ thoughtful gifts for everyone in my family I got.... ....nothing. Merry Christmas, forgotten moms everywhere!
    via u/NaughtyLittleDogs
  • 10
    New-Bird-8705 My ex took a free generic ciga tte brand umbrella that liquor store was giving away on Xmas eve and wrapped it from him and my young son. I said " u just bought whatever u could at the liquor store last minute?"
    via u/New-Bird-8705
  • 11
    He said no, he didn't buy it. They were giving them away. I thought he'd take our son to buy mommy a Xmas gift. At least make it meaningful for son. Nope.
    via u/New-Bird-8705
  • 12
    Tipsy_elephant... A weekend away. That he didn't actually book, but is thinking about booking. To a location he knows I don't like. That he eventually admitted was a trip for him. Lucky duck aren't I?
    via u/Tipsy_elephant_1224
  • 13
    scoles75 Unfortunately, it was a gift that I picked out myself and put on my Christmas list. Sometimes, things are totally different than the Amazon listing!
    via u/scoles75
  • 14

    Sometimes you can really tell when a gift was a last-minute airport purchase

    miniandboss Oh! Finally something I can contribute to. My parents in law got my daughter a shot glass. She's 2.
    via u/miniandboss
  • 15
    Girl77879 This year not too bad. But one of the worst ones was a gift to get my hair dyed & cut at a salon. Sounds great. Except, I get my hair cut maybe once a year & the stupid hair coloring part. Not because I don't like my hair color, but because my husband was upset that I wouldn't dye or hide the
    via u/Girl77879
  • 16
    grays I was getting. (Late 40s now, this was maybe 5 years ago). So this was not something I would enjoy at all. I ended up getting purple dye. It worked, he's never asked me to or got me a hair dying gift again.
    via u/Girl77879
  • 17
    InternationalTa... A shovel. Small and portable so I don't have to keep the big useful one in my car..
    via u/InternationalTap6715
  • 18

    These mother and father-in-laws are diabolical!

    Commercial-Ca... One year, my mil bought me a dust broom and she deducted the cost of it from the check she gave my husband and I.
    via u/Commercial-Car-2095
  • 19
    Every_Criticism... At least your husband got you a present I told mine that I want a new bottle of my favourite perfume as it's expensive and I always hesitate to buy expensive stuff for myself. The old bottle almost empty bottle. stands in the bathroom, all he would have had to do is take a picture and go to a perfumery or any store that has Guerlain and buy it. I
    via u/Every_Criticism2012
  • 20
    would have been so happy. But no, there's no present under the tree for me. Because I didn't send him a link with exactly the perfume I wanted. And the funny part is that I asked for this perfume already last year. But on Christmas he told me he didn't know what to get for me. And then he wonders why I'm always sad in Christmas
    via u/Every_Criticism2012
  • 21
    Sulleys_monkey So we haven't opened gifts. yet this year. In the past: My sister got puke green towels from our grandmother to use when we were at her house every weekend for visitation with at edad (who lived there). I got royal purple towels the same year. There was the year that my dad's family was gathered all the gifts were opened, I looked through them,
    via u/Sulleys_monkey
  • 22
    counted them and counted my cousins and realized our grandmother didn't gift us anything. They claimed they "forgot" to give it to us. They had gotten "us" a ping pong table(? Might have been foosball). Which ultimately was used by the entire extended family way more than us. We got in trouble for using it on several occasions. This wasn't the only year they "forgot" to give us our gifts
    via u/Sulleys_monkey
  • 23
    at the family gathering, but it was the most memorable. Now my mom's side, they're nuts, and I love them and have great memories. One year, my aunt gave my sister and I both a ballon jar of pickles with a gift card attached. Another year she
    via u/Sulleys_monkey
  • 24
    used bras as bows on our presents. A different year they used hair bows as bows. There was the time my aunt gifted me a 3-4 ft tall sock monkey dressed in underwear.
    via u/Sulleys_monkey
  • 25
    frytanya For work secret Santa I put I love Star Trek. I got a bunch of Star Wars stuff.
    via u/frytanya
  • 26
    big-mf-deal My MIL got me a set of wine glasses. I've been sober for 5 years.
    via u/big-mf-deal
  • 27
    scholargeek13 My MIL got us a wooden spatula and a mattress. vacuum to "vacuum up de d skin cells." Because nothing is more festive than de d skin cells.
    via u/scholargeek13
  • 28
    whereistheidiot... My daughter was so hurt last year. She had gotten her husband some really nice, and very cool, gifts. Computer monitors, etc. He got her nothing. She was so hurt. I hadn't noticed because I always gifted her a lot of things, but of course she noticed. So I decided that this year I would be very forceful in
    via u/scholargeek13
  • 29
    telling him he had to come up with something (I did. make a fuss at him about Mother's Day - that he needed to make sure the kids gave her something). But she did, suddenly, - unexpectedly in May. So today was sad. Knowing her last Christmas was sad and could never be fixed.
    via u/scholargeek13
  • 30
    EnvieAndFleur My ex husband bought me the book 'The Lord of the Rings'. Cool, I love a good fantasy read...except he also told me I wasn't allowed to read it until he finished it. Emphasis on the EX husband.
    via u/EnvieAndFleur
  • 31
    Almost Southern Nothing. The adults in my family agreed not to exchange large gifts this year (we kept presents focused on the kids), but agreed we'd get eachother stocking stuffers. A week before Christmas my husband asked if he should get me any stocking stuffers. I said "yes, I would
    via u/Almost Southern
  • 32
    appreciate that" and he replied "actually, I bet your mom will have some stuff for your stocking; I'll let her handle it." This feels like a "if he wanted to, he would" situation and I'm bummed.
    via u/Almost Southern
  • 33
    nashatherenoq... My husband got me 2 ginormous boxes of bath bombs. I still have a ginormous box from last year that is missing maybe 3 that I used. I rarely take a bath because I shower.
    via u/nashatherenoqueen
  • 34
    When I do take a bath, I don't really like using bath bombs because they leave a residue. He also got me a 4 box perfume set that he got me 2 of last year that I've barely used because they're not scents I particularly like. Fun.
    via u/nashatherenoqueen
  • 35
    StompyBear I got a single tea light from my mother. To make matters worse, she put it inside the box of an expensive perfume bottle that I actually use and like. I almost didn't open the box right away, but only did because it felt light.
    via u/StompyBear
  • 36

    Oh that's just wrong

    Interesting Win... I was once given a beautiful robe, but it had used tissues in the pocket.
    via u/Interesting_Wing_461
  • 37
    SimplySuzie3881 Last year hubby gave me wrinkle cream. I'm in my late 40's. It was expensive but no thanks. Didn't ask for it, refuse to use it. He commented this year about his wrinkles popping up. I told him to use the cream because I was never going to. I had asked for a wood chipper - we bought
    via u/SimplySuzie3881
  • 38
    wooded land and plan to build. He gave me a set of 3 chisels. Thought he was so funny. I didn't. I told him not to buy anything for me this year. I already bought my own things. I got a new pair of Hoka's and a cool puzzle board I wanted.
    via u/SimplySuzie3881
  • 39
    ocassionalcritic... I've stopped exchanging gifts with my husband. He's one of the worse gift buyers I've ever met, which is strange since he got me a gorgeous engagement ring he picked out himself. He doesn't retain what I say when I say I like something and says I'm hard to buy for. He also doesn't write things down when I say I like
    via u/ocassionalcritic24
  • 40
    something. I'm one of the easiest people to buy for b/c I have plenty of hobbies and likes. So I said no gifts between me and him, so I'm not disappointed or upset and we either take a trip somewhere or go out for a nice dinner between Xmas and New Years. Overall he's a good person, husband and dad but his listening skills stink (sometimes I suspect
    via u/ocassionalcritic24
  • 41
    hearing issues). I also blame his dad because I don't think his dad bought presents for his mom for holidays and I'm the reason she gets a gift now. But she thinks the sun shines on him no matter what.
    via u/ocassionalcritic24
  • 42
    JustNKayce I told my in laws not to get me anything. I was serious. I can buy that I want and need. She got me a gift certificate for her local farm store. Three hours from me. I'll use it eventually but seriously?? Just keep your $50!
    via u/JustNKayce
  • 43
    EstablishmentF... My ex husband couldn't be bothered to fill my stocking. Instead, he filled it with things around the house. I brushed it off but at the end of the day, it's stupid simple to swing by a grocery store, drugstore, or gas station to fill up a stocking...or know my favorite candy. We were an affluent family so it wasn't lack of means.
    via u/EstablishmentFun289
  • 44
    mexirican_21 I didn't get anything. I spent around $1k on my nieces. and nephews this year but didn't get one single gift. I never do I should be used to it by now.
    via u/mexirican_21
  • 45
    Toots_Magooters After years of disappointment, I told hubby that we're not doing gifts this year. I'm one of the empty stocking wives. He apologizes every year, doesn't change, repeat. I'm not getting anything anyway so I took myself off the hook. My husband s ks.
    via u/Toots_Magooters
  • 46
    Successful_Ext... One year my grandma gave me an opened tea bag. One single tea bag in a card. One year my daughter who was 17 at the time was dating a young man. Of note she eventually married him and they are very happy. But her soon to be MIL gave her 3 -
    via u/Successful_Extreme58
  • 47
    1 pound packages of great value cheese. She came home hopping mad. I thought maybe she got a fancy cheese tray when she described it. But no it was just 3 blocks of cheese.
    via u/Successful_Extreme58
  • 48
    c.. My husband doesn't get me anything. I bought myself soap, shampoo, a pair of rain boots, socks, and a sweater. Then, I wrapped them and put them under the tree Edit to clarify: I'm a SAHM, so technically, he bought my gifts
    via u/CatStorm5000
  • 49
    Jcamp9000 My ex-husband used to make donations to PBS. They would send him a gift. He would make two donations during the year and those were the gifts you gave to our sons. The man is a millionaire and he could not get some decent gift ever.
    via u/Jcamp9000
  • 50
    Vagabond Camp From my brother/sister in law I got a regifted, 99% sure, $15 pioneer woman holiday bowl set from Walmart. It's not available anywhere online but eBay so I'm sure it's several years old.,.
    via u/Vagabond Camp
  • 51
    Dense-Knee4092 "The housewife cookbook" from my mil lol
    via u/Dense-Knee4092

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

presents funny stories birthday friends gift family funny holidays
Scroll Down For The Next Article