Gifts are a way of expressing affection. For the most part, you don’t need to spend too much on them, as long as they’re practical and/or meaningful.
On the flip side, gifts are also a way of realizing how much someone doesn’t know you enough, if at all. These women of Reddit would know, and they are sharing their experiences involving their romantic partners in a recent thread.
Most of these stories are worthy of a facepalm. However, others were so bad that you’d understand why the relationship ended (yes, it went that far).
If you consider yourself a terrible gifter, scroll through and perhaps take notes on what you shouldn’t do.
#1
This isn’t the gift that made me realize, but it should have been. Our first Christmas together, I got him a custom-made, 3D printed action figure of himself. I designed matching packaging, and paid extra for the version you could record a message on, and recorded what he once told me would be his “entrance music”.
He got me groceries. Literally groceries. And they sat unrefrigerated under the tree for two days before I opened them in front of my family, who knew all about the cool action figure I spend weeks on. Humiliating.
Took longer than it should have, but we are no longer together lol.
He got me groceries. Literally groceries. And they sat unrefrigerated under the tree for two days before I opened them in front of my family, who knew all about the cool action figure I spend weeks on. Humiliating.
Took longer than it should have, but we are no longer together lol.
101points
#2
My ex bought a bunch of p**n DVDs. Yes, this was in the age of the internet. Because I assume the p***o DVD market is grateful for any and all purchases, they included a free mini bottle of massage oil. I got that bottle of massage oil as my birthday present. So that I could give him a massage.
Fun bonus: when I kicked him out and his mom came to collect his things, I put the DVDs right at the top of the box.
Fun bonus: when I kicked him out and his mom came to collect his things, I put the DVDs right at the top of the box.
93points
#3
My (ex) wife got me one of those candy bar bouquets for my birthday. You know the ones...different candy bars glued to sticks, then arranged in a "bouquet". Popular at Walmart and gas stations.
One.....it was 2 weeks *after* my birthday
Two.....I'm diabetic
That was one of the last straws before I left.
One.....it was 2 weeks *after* my birthday
Two.....I'm diabetic
That was one of the last straws before I left.
90points
#4
He took me to the mall the day of my birthday to pick out my own gift, then bought himself something instead.
Edit: we divorced three months later.
Edit: we divorced three months later.
81points
#5
Okay, get ready:
Ex boyfriend comes to pick me up to go to his apartment for a “special evening”. During the car ride (almost an hour) he goes on and on and ON about that special evening that he has planned out and how he has a surprise for me that I will never forget.
Well, both the special evening and the unforgettable surprise was that he had shaven his balls. He was hoping for it to be this whole thing.
The worst part? I like my men hairy.
Ex boyfriend comes to pick me up to go to his apartment for a “special evening”. During the car ride (almost an hour) he goes on and on and ON about that special evening that he has planned out and how he has a surprise for me that I will never forget.
Well, both the special evening and the unforgettable surprise was that he had shaven his balls. He was hoping for it to be this whole thing.
The worst part? I like my men hairy.
73points
#6
A kitten for my birthday. I’m allergic to cats….
69points
#7
When we first met, Pokémon was a thing so he got me a size small jigglypuff shirt and said it would motivate me to lose weight.
65points
#8
Omg finally a chance to tell my tale of woe. I had a partner who would give me random gifts. Now I know what you are thinking, 'that's so sweet'. No. No. All of the gifts were completely random or objectively FB ad garbage. This story comes from more than a year into our relationship.
One day, I opened my door to find a massive box from Nuts.com. Now I have nothing against Nuts.com, they make a good product, but the items I received from them couldn't have been more face-palm.
1. Almonds (I have a fairly severe allergy)
2. Dried Mango (I loath mango)
3. Dried Pineapple (also allergic)
4: 1lb of Chocolate (I am a type 1 diabetic)
I gave almost all of the gift away. The next gift he gave me was a pound of bacon from my local supermarket. He left it on my porch in the dead of summer. I wasn't home. I came home to stinking, completely melted, and rotting bacon on my porch.
One day, I opened my door to find a massive box from Nuts.com. Now I have nothing against Nuts.com, they make a good product, but the items I received from them couldn't have been more face-palm.
1. Almonds (I have a fairly severe allergy)
2. Dried Mango (I loath mango)
3. Dried Pineapple (also allergic)
4: 1lb of Chocolate (I am a type 1 diabetic)
I gave almost all of the gift away. The next gift he gave me was a pound of bacon from my local supermarket. He left it on my porch in the dead of summer. I wasn't home. I came home to stinking, completely melted, and rotting bacon on my porch.
63points
#9
For my birthday one year, in August mind you, my husband went to the local GROCERY STORE and got me a gift basket that said “Happy Father’s Day” (you know, the holiday in June… for fathers… I’m a child free woman in my 30’s).
63points
#10
A State Farm mug (his mom was a state farm agent,) and it was full of little chocolate bars. I am SEVERELY allergic to chocolate and he knew this. He didn’t even buy the chocolate or the mug. It was a part of a bunch of free gifts his mom’s job were giving away to customers and he swiped one.
63points
#11
When he said s*x was a gift 💝 then complained when I didn’t accept his idea because he said that I wanted it and so he was finally going to give it to me only because I wanted it.
59points
#12
My husband of quite a few years bought me a meat slicer for Christmas one year. I have never in my whole entire life either needed or wanted to slice meat with a meat slicer.
I was so upset and embarrassed so I hid it from my parents who were there with us. I returned it of course and bought myself a Kindle instead.
I was so upset and embarrassed so I hid it from my parents who were there with us. I returned it of course and bought myself a Kindle instead.
55points
#13
My bf gave me a bath bomb and a pink yeti wine cup for Christmas… I staunchly never take baths, I’ve never owned anything pink in my adult life, and I’d never had wine at that point. When I finally said “hey wth none of these reflect anything about me” he admitted it was a regift from his mother 🙃 no shame either! He thought it was better than nothing! It wasn’t!
52points
#14
One Christmas, my ex husband got me a Home Alone Pop Doll and a handful of those little brain-teaser puzzles you get in the toy section at Barnes and Noble. We hadn't ever watched that movie together, I have no affinity for it, and i dont even collect those dolls. And I famously hate those little metal puzzles. I was devastated and exploded into tears. I had spent a lot of money and thought on a beautiful watch to replace his that had broken. He doubled down and insisted he had put a lot of thought into the gifts and was furious with me for being "ungrateful".
This was just one of many red flags and i am happy to say I wised up and we divorced in 2020 and I am now engaged to someone whose gifts make me tear up because they know me so well.
This was just one of many red flags and i am happy to say I wised up and we divorced in 2020 and I am now engaged to someone whose gifts make me tear up because they know me so well.
52points
#15
A Nintendo DS. With only games that he wanted to play. When we broke up, he took it with him.
52points
#16
As a teen, my then-bf gave us a date to Buffalo Wild Wings.... I was a vegetarian 😭😂.
52points
#17
My ex of maaaaaany years ago gave me cooking lessons. I was 20 and he was 30…I had ZERO interest in cooking at that time (trust me, my mama tried) and was LIVID. His mom was a SAHM to 6 kids and I always felt like that’s what he wanted. My 20 year old feminist self was NOT amused. We broke up 1 month later.
49points
#18
A haircut. HIS haircut, specifically. We were long distance and he had me cut his dreads off on my birthday weekend when I came to visit (I am not a hair stylist or even close). When asked why he didn’t even get me a card, that’s when he called the haircut my gift. Never once did I say that I didn’t like his hair or suggest a haircut so it really made zero sense to me.
49points
#19
I once had a ex give me peanut butter chocolate from sees candy for Christmas… I’m deathly allergic to peanuts.
47points
#20
An argument.
they told me i was too vague (even tho i made a list w visual aids, just in case since they were a visual person) with pricepoints all over the board, and gift ideas that were free (e.g. massage, read me a story, etc.).
they also then said it was my fault for being too picky, despite being open to different ideas. then they said it was because we were tight on money (and then proceeded to come home w a new motorcycle days later).
this was all within the same week of the same year. they were surprised when i left.
they told me i was too vague (even tho i made a list w visual aids, just in case since they were a visual person) with pricepoints all over the board, and gift ideas that were free (e.g. massage, read me a story, etc.).
they also then said it was my fault for being too picky, despite being open to different ideas. then they said it was because we were tight on money (and then proceeded to come home w a new motorcycle days later).
this was all within the same week of the same year. they were surprised when i left.
46points