One thing happens practically every holiday season, and it involves the same presents going into people’s carts. Sure, they look fun or thoughtful in the moment. But then January shows up, and the regrets come. Here are 8 common Christmas gifts that many people later wish they’d never bought, along with the reasons why.
Giant holiday-themed kitchen gadgets
Snowflake waffle presses and gingerbread-shaped pancake makers are all the rage during the festive period, so people buy them. They seem like good ideas. But once they’re home, most people notice the downside.
They’re heavy and hard to clean around the edges. They also only look good during one time of the year, and after one fun breakfast, the novelty of these gadgets disappears relatively quickly. Then the receiver usually shoves them in the back of the kitchen cabinet because nobody wants to rearrange it just to store a waffle mold shaped like a reindeer.
Hot chocolate towers with mugs and toppings
It’s hard to deny that tall, ribbon-wrapped cocoa stacks look quite impressive, and it’s easy to think they’re the perfect winter treat. But the reality’s quite different. The cocoa packets usually taste pretty similar, regardless of what the label claims, while the marshmallow jars clump up after a few days open.
Yes, the novelty mugs are cute, yet they’re rather unlikely to become anyone’s favorite. The majority of the towers take up a huge section of counter space until someone bothers to break them apart. Chances are, the syrup bottles will still be there by mid-January.
Oversized novelty plush throws
Huge plush blankets look ridiculously soft and almost irresistible in the store. So why wouldn’t you buy them? Well, when they get them home, you’ll realize that most of them will shed little fuzzies on shirts and couches. They’ll even leave their trails in the dryer lint trap.
Most of these throws don’t fit in a normal washer either, unless you wrestle them in like a sleeping bag, so they’re a lot more hassle than they’re worth. It doesn’t matter that they’re great for a short cold stretch because once the weather warms up, you’ll probably leave the blanket stuffed in a closet until winter.
Mini theater-style popcorn machines
No matter how many times you tell yourself you’re going to host weekly movie nights, it probably won’t happen. That’s why it’s a waste of money buying a mini theater-style popcorn machine. The popcorn never tastes good enough to justify the upkeep that you have to put into looking after the machine, especially since the kettle gets sticky quite quickly.
As for the glass sides, they collect oil spots that don’t wipe off easily, and they’re also rather bulky. Only buy them for someone who has the extra counter space and is definitely going to use it very often. Most people go back to using microwave popcorn pretty quickly.
Oversized bath and body hampers
You can guarantee that you’ll see the gift aisles stacked with giant bathroom hampers every December. Most people buy them because the packaging looks good, and they make good gifts because they’re impersonal enough that you can buy them for anyone. But the issues start appearing once everything is unwrapped.
The scents usually hit the same exact note, so the lotion and body wash smell exactly the same as the mist. Most hampers include extra products that nobody finishes, meaning that the receiver will have to deal with repeats sitting in the shower for months. It’s a waste of plastic, really.
Electric wine openers with accessory sets
So many gift givers love the idea of buying an electric wine opener with an accessory set because they look modern and seem practical. But the excitement disappears after a relatively short stretch. You have to charge the opener more often than you’d probably like, while the motor itself doesn’t usually last for that long.
Let’s not forget about the add-ons, like the foil cutter and the stopper, that usually end up in random kitchen drawers. Some models don’t do well with synthetic corks, and that only causes jams that take too much effort to fix. The gift receiver is probably going to stick to using a regular corkscrew since it’s far simpler.
Foot massagers with multiple modes
What could be a better gift for an older relative than a foot massager? After all, the box promises heat and pressure options, as well as a relaxing setup that seems perfect for the holidays. Unfortunately, the fit doesn’t always go with everyone’s foot size, and most households don’t leave space for something that bulky.
There’s also the fact that the massager often needs a specific spot on the floor near an outlet, while the constant buzzing sound is hardly relaxing. The other person will likely shift the massager around until it lands under a table or into storage. Then it rarely comes back out.
Family game night mega bundles
Many stores love selling giant all-in-one game boxes for families, and they seem convenient to the customers when they’re trying to finish holiday shopping. Then they open them. The contents feel random more often than not, and some games use flimsy cards that tear after a few uses.
Other games drag on forever or have unclear instructions that are bound to cause arguments among the family. The small plastic pieces from different games get muddled up rather quickly since nobody remembers which goes where. Within a few months, the whole thing stays untouched on a shelf somewhere.
9 Holiday Behaviors That Drive Everyone a Little Crazy
They’re not usually anything major, just small habits, but they’re enough to make everyone in the room feel exhausted by it all. Here are 9 holiday behaviors that drive almost everyone a little crazy, even when they’re laughing about it later.
9 Holiday Behaviors That Drive Everyone a Little Crazy