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"A gift is a burden" - I feel the same way about it. I'm almost 40 years old and have barely bought any items of clothing in a decade -- my parents keep giftin
by yboris 3y ago
"A gift is a burden" - I feel the same way about it.
I'm almost 40 years old and have barely bought any items of clothing in a decade -- my parents keep gifting me things (some I've finally started giving to Goodwill), but much of my clothes I care for well so it takes many years before they are bad enough to throw out. It's an unpleasant feeling - I feel pain buying more when I have so much, so I haven't been able to buy things I like (or clothing that I feel expresses my style) in years.
- fredley 3y agoThis articulates a feeling that I've had for a long time. I struggle to buy gifts, which probably does me no favours socially, for this reason. I can't help but feel the burden I'm giving to someone else. Christmas is hell.
- colecut 3y agoI agree with this sentiment. It feels so nice when I think of something that I know someone needs or will use. That's very difficult to do for everyone I know closely all on the same date.
- ghaff 3y agoThe right consumables make a lot more sense past a certain point. For me, if I want/need something, I'll just buy it. Other things can be nice especially if I've talked about them but have been procrastinating about taking the plunge--though then that probably means they're a lot for a casual gift. I could probably get rid of half the stuff in my house and not miss it.
- antod 3y agoI also hate Christmas for similar reasons. Choosing gifts that don't feel like giving unnecessary junk/clutter is very hard and stressful. It has got a bit easier as I get older and the circle shrinks a bit, plus usually we only give food/drink gifts now, often homemade which helps.
- xamuel 3y agoYou might be short-changing yourself more than you realize. I was similar for most my life, but this year I decided to learn about fashion and actually dress nice. Not only do I look a million times better, but---surprisingly---it actually physically feels better when your clothes fit just right. It's like they're hugging you throughout your day as you wear them. Can't believe I went so many years without ever realizing this. Probably a lot here on HN who grew up poor and became "new money" through software dev are short-changing themselves like this.
- escapedmoose 3y agoI was recently in the same position. Did a full wardrobe replacement (majority secondhand, so not as insane as it sounds). It’s amazing how much better I feel! I’ve never been one to care much about clothes/fashion, but now I feel like I’ve spent decades missing out on something good.