I LOVE getting vouchers for xmas!

I know it is often said that a voucher is the most unimaginative xmas gift you can give someone, and many are reluctant to send them 'cause you always know how much you've spent on it. But I know I'd rather be given a £10 or £15 voucher rather than £10 or £15's worth of stuff you don't want! Last year I received two bags neither I liked, so were later donated to a charity shop, a onesie that was too small - I'm only a size 10 but it made me feel and look like a badly stuffed sausage. I cut that up and used it for bedding for my pet rats! This year I got a hideous toiletries set from some rellies none of which I'll use, a diary (who uses them in this day and age?) Got some fab stuff as well. One of my star presents was a glass cocktail shaker and some cocktail dice and a few miniatures to get me started - Love that gift...And of course closest family bought more special gifts, things they know I'd want and love!

But do you know what? I had amazing fun looking around the sales with my M&S, John Lewis and High Street vouchers. Probably managed to get double the amount of stuff I would have got if I'd had stuff bought for me and gifted at xmas. Bring on the vouchers that's what I say!

I think if the recipient is someone who loves the sales then vouchers are the way to go as they will get so much more value.

What I really really want is a gift which is exactly what I would love. However failing that a voucher is a better if boring bet.

When the voucher is given because the person can't be bothered then that's not a good thing.

I so agree, merryone. And the next best thing is a present which comes with a M&S gift receipt.

The reasons I do not like GIVING vouchers are:

1. Although I have paid for them so the shop has my money, they are ---------------------

(A) Easily not noticed by the recipient eg left in the envelope, discarded with the wrapping paper, etc.

(B) The recipient loses them, or forgets where they put them.

(C) They expire before they are used

(D) The shop goes bankrupt before they are used. YES, THAT DID HAPPEN TO ME.

In all of the above cases, I've paid for them, the shop has had my money, but the recipient gets nothing, AND I DONT EVEN KNOW.

(E) It may be a shop they don't want anything from, or there isn't one anywhere near (my nearest JL is 50 miles away, for example).

So I would send a cheque because .............

(I) they can do whatever they like with it, or even save it for something big

(ii) they can spend it in ANY shop they choose

(iii) I know when they've used it

(iv) if they lose it, I will replace it and no one will lose anything.

PS you can tell I used to programme computers!

Fair point about them being lost but I suppose you can wrap the envelope up in gift wrap, ribbon and tag it. I did also once get a voucher remember Zavvi who went under before I got a chance to use it, that was a bit of a bummer to be fair, but I appreciated the thought far more than I would have appreciated cheap toiletries or yet another set of mugs to add to the collection!

When I was in my teens however, I was grateful for all the cheap toiletries, make up and stinky perfume, and junk jewellery as I had none of my own, use to borrow my mum's and wash hair and bathe in whatever my mum had bought in the supermarket that week (I don't mean flour and eggs lol!) Not having any money of my own to speak of and having a Saturday job that pretty much paid for my Saturday night out if I was lucky and maybe an extremely cheap item of clothing if I was extremely lucky (there was no Primark or Poundland in those days!) I'm now at an age where I know what I like, usually stick to specific brands and have enough money to stock up, so I hate to say a set of "paintstripper" bath products from Asda or a cheapo superdrug eyeshadow palette will be sent straight down the the nearest charity shop.....I know it sounds horribly mean, sorry!

Ooh I love to trawl through the sales with a voucher. I also convert my credit card loyalty points into Love2shop vouchers once or twice a year and spend them in Boots either in the 70% off final reductions or when I just fancy a treat. Add in a few Advantage points into the mix and it's like a Supermarket Sweep trolley dash!

Completely agree about unwanted presents. I know the thought is there but my brother and sister and I have a pact not to send presents for the sake of sending more stuff. Occasionally I'll see a book I know my brother will love and send it to him but I reckon that if you don't really "know" someone well enough to know just the sort of thing they like then it's time to just send a card instead.

Stratto, been there and bought the T shirt on all points.

I was just thinking today that maybe we would be better to just give to charity for all the "extra people " and for each close family member write a wish list of the same approximate agreed value and just do a secret Santa type system not necessarily restricted to 1 gift per person. That way everyone gets what they want, the cost is known in advance and hoards of unnecessary junk is avoided.

For christmas I always get money or vouchers and LOVE it.

This means I can hit the sales buy what I want at 30-50% off. Ha Ha! They never get the chance to get lost with me, Boxing Day I am out and hitting the sales. I walk into city centre as the buses don't stop until 11am. Now okay I only do cosmetics sometimes buy clothes(usually a coat), so I have no interest in Next etc.

Visited a mate yesterday to help her sort out some stuff 'cause she's downsizing due to her kids moving out, and she was literally "awash" with sets of body lotion, bath products and other toiletries that she told me I could help myself to if I wanted, I told her that I was in the same boat and offered to take the whole lot down to the nearest charity shop for her which she agreed to. She said "do you know what, a couple of vouchers would have been great, specially as I'm moving soon and I would be able to choose something nice for my new place!" This got me to thinking how many times a typical "Baylis and Harding" xmas gift set gets re-gifted, donated to a charity shop before it actually gets used by someone or thrown in the bin! Quite a few times I'd guess!

Just busy loading all my unwanted xmas pressies into a charity bag for Breast Cancer Care, they're collecting it tomorrow.
Don't wish to sound ungrateful, but I'm very 'low maintenance'; never use body lotion, hardly ever use hand cream, rarely wear makeup, have my own favourites when it comes to fragrance and hair care products, and don't wear slippers! I shower, rather than bathe, so have no use for Bath Bombs. I also hate random mugs with slogans on them. I received all the above for Xmas this year.
Fortunately, the slippers came with a M&S gift receipt, so I was able to return them and exchange for a credit note, which is basically a gift voucher to use within the next 12 months..

Pick-a-Lily said:

Just busy loading all my unwanted xmas pressies into a charity bag for Breast Cancer Care, they're collecting it tomorrow.
Don't wish to sound ungrateful, but I'm very 'low maintenance'; never use body lotion, hardly ever use hand cream, rarely wear makeup, have my own favourites when it comes to fragrance and hair care products, and don't wear slippers! I shower, rather than bathe, so have no use for Bath Bombs. I also hate random mugs with slogans on them. I received all the above for Xmas this year.
Fortunately, the slippers came with a M&S gift receipt, so I was able to return them and exchange for a credit note, which is basically a gift voucher to use within the next 12 months..

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Forgot to mention the mugs!!!! I got away with 2 this year which were in a set containing coffee and biscuits - I'd have been happy with just the coffee and the biscuits tbh as I've got so many mugs I've run out of space for them! Aforementioned friend got a couple, one with a daft slogan on it and the other was a hideous floral thing with an equally hideous "biscuit tray" to go with it! When it comes to slippers, I don't mind slipper socks as they're fairly useful as you can wear them inside the house and under boots in the winter, and even better than that they fit nicely in the drawer - Don't people think that those huge "minion" slippers or werewolf feet (as comical as they look) are uncomfortable and awkward to wear and take up a humungous amount of room in your house? I remember tripping down a couple of stairs wearing them a few years ago, soon got rid of them after that!!!!

I got quite a lot of vouchers this year and today I used £40 of shopping vouchers in Argos towards buying an Electric Blanket as it s bluddy freezing up North at the moment. I still have lots of M&S ones but I will keep them for some new spring/summer clothes. I think this year is the first one for a long time when I haven't had to take things back for exchange or refund. I loved all my gifts.