What's on Your Holiday Gift List?? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

hogsheartrvs · RV-Dreams Community Member

What's on Your Holiday Gift List??

Judy L · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gift cards are always good. Could be for Amazon, a restaurant, Camping World, Home Depot, etc. Or you could create a wish list on Amazon or some other site where you shop. Just thoughts.

The Restless Youngs · RV-Dreams Family Member

Totally understand....here's some ideas as well as items that have been on our list as we transitioned to our new life: Passport America, Harvest Host memberships? Gift Cards (list above is great, I would add Container Store, Walmart, Target!!)? Non-breakable wine glasses? Wine? Hobby related stuff (photography, kindle, etc), camping lights/lanterns, picnic table cloth/clamps, museum putty, collapsable bowls.....

Gpndavid · RV-Dreams Family Member

State Parks offer gift cards. Nothing says I love you like a gift card to a State Park 2,000 miles from their home.

Ed and Beth · RV-Dreams Community Member

We created a wish list on Amazon with some of these: laminated RV Road Atlas, Next Exit book, lightweight Correlle RV size oven pans and dishes, Rapid Jack, Viair portable compressor, solar lights, trekking poles, bear spray, grill mat, and asst guides. Hope that helps! When I read about something that makes sense and others say they must have, I add it to my list.

Beth

-- Edited by Ed and Beth on Sunday 8th of November 2015 10:40:41 AM

-- Edited by Ed and Beth on Sunday 8th of November 2015 05:55:54 PM

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

Nothing: just grateful to be alive! Having most of my health back is the Greatest Gift of All!

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

PIEERE wrote:
Nothing: just grateful to be alive! Having most of my health back is the Greatest Gift of All!

That's about the best GIFT!

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

A fuel card to fill the diesel......

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gift cards to places that are nationwide work, but many people don't understand what "nationwide" means and others hate giving gift cards. The big problem is what people want and need is so individual and those who do not RV have little clue about what is reasonable. For some a nice Leatherman will be great, others will wonder "why?" Small electronic items, like external battery packs, might be useful to some and not to others. We have received gifts that were too large to put away, we had no use for, or we had a couple already and did not need another. Those with hobbies might get inferior gifts without specifying brands and even then since those without those hobbies can't tell a bad camera accessory from a good one, etc. Luckily there is little risk that cousin Susie will realize you got rid of that huge and hideous floor lamp, since she does not go in your RV.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 8th of November 2015 11:43:21 AM

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Had BIL who offered to fill our tank - until I said, it is 100 gallons and it is diesel. At that time diesel was $4.25/gal in the Seattle area. He quickly decided a bottle of wine was a better gift for us! biggrin

Barb

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

Years ago we got away from the gift giving to each other and family & friends. The best gift that created was doing away with the stress involved in exchanging gifts.

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

I told people ITunes gift cards I could use for music or Ebooks. But with family we have gone to a now adult gift policy. I still buy for the kids, nieces, and nephews but with the grownups we are exchanging money at this point and I have less money and less need for stuff so why. I do get something for my parents on Mothers Day and Fathers Day however since that is a respect thing. Oh and Lee and I aren't really giving each other anything except for the lifestyle. We will treat ourselves to a dinner our or an excursion as a present but that's about it.

Trace

-- Edited by Lee and Trace on Sunday 8th of November 2015 04:24:38 PM

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

A funny thing happened to us about "Gift Cards" one time. When down in Florida to pick up our coach, I stopped at a Walmart along the way home (one in Valdosta or Atlanta, Georgia) and bought my wife a $100.00 gift card. Once back home in Canada she tried to use it and it wouldn't work. I said to the girl this is the first time using it since we bought it at a Walmart in the U.S. She said "Oh, a U.S. one won't work in Canada. That was great...............thought Wally World was Wally World no matter where you are. So she finally used it on another shopping trip down to N.D.
So have to make sure can redeem the cards across the Country.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We quit giving gifts to adults several years ago, electing to give to charity instead. It was conscious decision on the part of both sides of our extended families as none of us felt like we needed more "stuff", this was pre-FT RVing for us. Now, that doesn't mean it's not still fun, we frequently use the World Vision Gift catalog to benefit people in third world countries, Dale had a LOT of fun buying a goat in his brother's name one year to donate to a family in Africa biggrin biggrin Some joke about buying a goat for the "old goat" of the family!!

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

after years of exchanging gift cards with family members, we all now give money to a family member who is a social worker. she takes the time to find a family or two who could use a great Christmas, and goes out and buys whatever they want for Christmas. Last year it happened to be her co-worker who was battling stage 4 breast cancer. we bought a great Christmas for her kids and sadly, she died 3 weeks later.
still, it feels good to help someone else, instead of getting something you din't even want.

Sue

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Like others here, we've quit giving gifts to adults except to buy a gift for the whole family. In the past, that has included annual memberships for the family to the zoo in Oklahoma City, appliances and other. Right now, though, Jo is making quilts and that involves both sewing and embroidery work. She's already done one for your youngest son and two for the grandsons are done. That leaves the two granddaughters and the oldest son and his wife.

As for gift cards, we've run across an issue with some of those. Some of the Visa or Mastercard cards have had an issue with redeeming them. It seems that if one has a $50 gift card for instance, if the purchases are over the $50, the card can't be used with another payment type on the balance above $50. I don't know if that is an issue with the issuing company or the retailer that is redeeming them. I just know that we've heard from more than one person having that problem.

We've actually told family to not buy us anything, because they have no idea whether or where we could store said gift in the RV. We'd rather enjoy their company than get gifts.

Terry

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We go with the "buy only for the kids". In our family, that means if the "kids" are still in school or college, everyone buys for them and does not expect them to buy for us. Once they are on their own and working, they are "adults". When we get together with my wife's family for Christmas, which is happening this year, there is a gift exchange for a $40+ gift to the adult you are assigned and you are free to buy any under $20 you want for other adults. Plus what goes in stockings that you hand to Santa when he comes.

Julie and Ray · RV-Dreams Family Member

This will be our first Christmas as full-time wannabe's and we were thinking about this very thing. Thanks so much hogsheartrvs for asking! The suggestions you all listed here are a HUGE help! We don't exchange with anyone except the parents and have added several of the above suggestions to our list. Thank you all!!!