Christmas gift confessions 2019

Americans expected to drop almost $15.2 billion on unwanted presents.

Updated Dec 4, 2019

Fact checked

The holidays are a time of joy and happiness. But according to latest finder.com data, more than half of us will face another feeling: disappointment. Specifically, the disappointment of receiving an unwanted gift.

Some 61% of Americans surveyed admit to getting at least one unwanted gift over the holidays, totaling roughly 154 million American adults. They say it’s the thought that counts. But if you wind up giving someone a present they don’t want, how much thought did you actually put into it?

What not to buy for someone in 2019

You know when it’s an unwanted present: Your loved one opens it, smiles, stares at you wide-eyed and gleefully says, “You shouldn’t have … ”

To avoid the awkwardness in 2019, consider steering clear of clothing and accessories. Of those surveyed, 43% said that clothing and accessories were gifts they least like to receive, followed by household items (20%) and cosmetics and fragrances (12%).

Gift type	Dislike %
Clothing and accessories	43%
Household items	20%
Cosmetic and Fragrances	12%
Literature	8%
Technology	5%
Music	4%
Food and/or drink	4%
Other	3%

Because our survey allowed participants to select more than one option, percentages do not equal 100. They are based on responses, not on unique participants.

Who gives the worst gifts?

Friends remain the biggest culprits of unwanted gifts. Approximately 23% of American adults state that their friends give them the worst presents. Coming in second place are mother and fathers-in-law, with 14% of adults stating their in-laws give the worst gifts.

Surprisingly our mothers and fathers aren’t the best at gifting, considering 10% of adults reported their parents give the worst gifts. Following parents are partners (7%) and sons and daughters (6%).

Women have taken the lead this year for most picky

When it comes to who’s getting those unwanted gifts, the sexes aren’t exactly split evenly this year: 54% of women say they receive at least one unwanted gift during the holidays while 46% of men do.

Gen X really doesn’t like your gifts

Gen X receives far and away more unwanted gifts than any other generation, with 44% saying they’ve received a gift they didn’t want. They’re followed by baby boomers (31%) and millennials (26%).

Gen X also has the most spent on them for unwanted gifts, averaging a whopping $121.90 each. That’s almost 2 times more than what’s spent on baby boomers ($66.98) but only $23.05 more than what’s spent on millennials($98.85).

What happens to all the unwanted gifts?

What are people doing with their unwanted gifts? Open the nearest closet or check under the bed, and you’re bound to find out.

According to our most recent survey, 31% of people just hold on to the unwanted item, followed by another 31% who plan to regift their sour-patch-present and another 20% who plan to exchange the unwanted item.

What people are doing with unwanted gifts	Dislike %
Keep them	31%
Give them to someone else	31%
Exchange them	20%
Sell them	7%
Give them back	4%
Throw them away	4%
Other	3%

Because our survey allowed participants to select more than one option, percentages do not equal 100. They are based on responses, not on unique participants.

We calculated these figures from a October 2019 survey of 2,279 American adults commissioned by finder.com and conducted by global research provider Pureprofile.
We assume the 2,279 participants in our survey represent the US population of 253.9 million Americans who are at least 18 years old according to the 2018 US Census Bureau estimate.
This assumption was made at the 95% confidence level with a 2% margin of error. The survey asked people each holiday, on average, how many presents do you get that you dislike, how much are these disliked presents each worth, what do you do with the presents that you dislike, what category do your unwanted presents typically fall into and who gives you the worst presents.
60.8% of Americans — 154,450,038, reported they do not like the presents they receive.
Mean calculations of unwanted gift amounts were based just on the participants who disliked and did not want the gifts they received in 2018.
We define generations by the age of participants at the time of the survey:
- Millennials — ages 18 to 34
- Generation X — ages 35 to 54
- Baby boomers — ages 55+

Past Christmas Confessions

The holidays are a time of joy and happiness. But according to latest finder.com data, more than half of us will face another feeling: disappointment. Specifically, the disappointment of receiving an unwanted gift.
Some 56% of Americans surveyed admit to getting at least one unwanted gift over the holidays, totaling roughly 142 million American adults. They say it’s the thought that counts. But if you wind up giving someone a present they don’t want, how much thought did you actually put into it?
What not to buy for someone in 2018
You know when it’s an unwanted present: Your loved one opens it, smiles, stares at you wide-eyed and gleefully says, “You shouldn’t have … ”
To avoid the awkwardness in 2018, consider steering clear of clothing and accessories. Of those surveyed, 34% said that clothing and accessories were gifts they least like to receive, followed by household items (18%) and cosmetics and fragrances (14%).
Gift type Dislike %
Clothing and accessories 34%
Household items 18%
Cosmetic and Fragrances 14%
Food and/or drink 9%
Technology 9%
Music 8%
Literature 7%
Other 2%
Because our survey allowed participants to select more than one option, percentages do not equal 100. They are based on responses, not on unique participants.
Who gives the worst gifts?
Friends are the biggest culprits of unwanted gifts. More than 1 in 4 adults (27%) state that their friends give them the worst presents. Coming in second place are the ones who should know us best, with 16% of adults stating their parents give the worst gifts.
Surprisingly our better halves aren’t the best at gifting, considering 11% of adults reported their partners give the worst gifts. Following partners are mother or father-in-law (10%), son and daughters (6%) and bosses (5%).
Maybe stop giving your old man socks — unless he asks for them
When it comes to who’s getting those unwanted gifts, the sexes are split evenly: 56% of both men and women say they receive at least one unwanted gift during the holidays.
However, men receive 67% more unwanted gifts on average than women each holiday season. So maybe rethink that tie or value pair of socks.
Gen Y really doesn’t like your gifts
Gen Y receives far and away more unwanted gifts than any other generation, with 68% saying they’ve received a gift they didn’t want. They’re followed by Gen X (58%) and baby boomers (41%).
Gen Y also has the most spent on them for unwanted gifts, averaging a whopping $124.30 each. That’s about 1.5 times more than what’s spent on Gen Xers ($82.40) and roughly 3 times more than what’s spent on boomers ($39.20).
Would you give a bad gift on purpose?
Interestingly, we found that 15% of Americans — roughly 38 million people — have deliberately bought a present knowing their recipient wouldn’t like it. Men are about four times more likely than women to intentionally gift a bad present, with 25% of men surveyed saying they’d done it in the past, versus about 6% of women.
Of the generations, Gen Xers are most likely to knowingly give bad gifts, with 22% admitting they’ve done so. That’s only slightly higher than the rate for Gen Y (18%) but 11 times higher than the rate for boomers (2%).
Those with money to burn — people earning $100,000 to $150,000 — are most likely to buy spiteful presents, with 28% saying they’d done so. That’s almost three times higher than those earning between $50,000 and $75,000 (11%) and almost five times higher than those earning between $25,000 and $50,000 (6%).
What happens to all the unwanted gifts?
What are people doing with their unwanted gifts? Open the nearest closet or check under the bed, and you’re bound to find out.
According to our survey, 29% of people just hold on to the unwanted item, followed by 22% who exchange the gift and another 22% who plan to regift it.
What people are doing with unwanted gifts Dislike %
Keep them 29%
Give them to someone else 22%
Exchange them 22%
Sell them 10%
Give them back 8%
Throw them away 6%
Other 2%
Because our survey allowed participants to select more than one option, percentages do not equal 100. They are based on responses, not on unique participants.
Buying the boss a present is an issue
When asked who you’d least like to buy a present for, a whopping 30% say it’s their boss, followed by mothers-in-law (12%) and moms (10%).
Who would you like to avoid presents for? %
Boss 30%
Mother-in-law 12%
Mom 10%
Friend 9%
Partner 9%
Other 7%
Dad 5%
Son 5%
Father-in-law 5%
Daughter 4%
Grandparent 2%
What do you enjoy most about the holidays?
It’s heartwarming to hear that more than half of Americans (52%) say spending time with family is their favorite part of the holidays. Time with family is followed by a festive atmosphere (13%) and getting time off work (12%).
What do you enjoy most about the holidays? %
Spending time with family 52%
Festive atmosphere 13%
Time off work 12%
Food 11%
Presents 5%
There is nothing I like about the holidays 5%
Other 2%
Getting drunk 1%
Methodology:
We calculated these figures from a November 2018 survey of 2,089 American adults commissioned by finder.com and conducted by global research provider Pureprofile. Spending per pet is based on American households not individuals.

Gift type	Dislike %
Clothing and accessories	34%
Household items	18%
Cosmetic and Fragrances	14%
Food and/or drink	9%
Technology	9%
Music	8%
Literature	7%
Other	2%

What people are doing with unwanted gifts	Dislike %
Keep them	29%
Give them to someone else	22%
Exchange them	22%
Sell them	10%
Give them back	8%
Throw them away	6%
Other	2%

Who would you like to avoid presents for?	%
Boss	30%
Mother-in-law	12%
Mom	10%
Friend	9%
Partner	9%
Other	7%
Dad	5%
Son	5%
Father-in-law	5%
Daughter	4%
Grandparent	2%

What do you enjoy most about the holidays?	%
Spending time with family	52%
Festive atmosphere	13%
Time off work	12%
Food	11%
Presents	5%
There is nothing I like about the holidays	5%
Other	2%
Getting drunk	1%

More than half of American adults receive gifts they dislike — worth some $16 billion combined
If you’re part of the 7% of Americans who knowingly gift unlikeable presents, listen up!
Christmas is just around the corner, and many of us plan to splurge on gifts for our loved ones. But what if we told you that according to our survey of 2,000 Americans, an estimated 130 million Americans (53.10%) typically receive at least one unwanted gift each holiday?
Of those who’ve received these undesired gifts, they received an average three such gifts.
Last year, Americans wasted an average $31 on each unwanted gift unwrapped for the holidays. For 2017, that average is expected to increase to $49.45. This means we could potentially waste $16 billion on unwanted gifts this year, compared with $9.5 billion last year.
What do Americans do with their unwanted gifts?
We’re maybe able to excuse gift givers who thought they really did buy you the perfect present: 37.35% of those who disliked their gifts report they politely kept them, while only 2.56% had the audacity to give them back.
About one in four (22.89%) chose to pass along their present by regifting it to someone else. Still, another 31.48% determined to turn their lemons into lemonade by selling or exchanging their gifts.
Only 3.69% admitted they’re wasteful enough to throw those gifts away, while 2.03% reported other plans for their disliked gifts such as donating them or packing them away.
What types of gifts do people dislike receiving?
With more than half of us likely to receive an unwanted gift, perhaps knowing the forms these presents take can help avoid the awkwardness. Almost half (45.35%) of our gift receivers report their unwanted present as some form of clothing or accessories, while 18.19% said it was a household item.
Cosmetics and fragrances come in third at 13.61% of unwanted gifts received. Music appears to be the safest option, with only 2.75% of disliked gifts falling into this category. This is followed by technology at 5.15%, food or drinks at 5.99% and literature at 6.06%. Within the “other” category are decorations, gift cards and junk in general, accounting for 2.89% of all undesired presents.
Who gives the worst gifts?
Friends. If you’re thinking of gifting your friends with something this holiday season, perhaps you should give it a bit more thought. Our survey finds that nearly a quarter (23.53%) of our unwanted gift receivers say it’s friends who gave them the worst ones, followed by their parents at 16.42% and parents-in-law at 12.73%.
More than 1 in 10 people (11.06%) report their partner as the horrible-gifting culprit, followed by grandparents at 7.79%, their own children at 7.29% and their boss at 5.53%. Other categories include coworkers and such relatives as aunts, brother and sister-in-laws and siblings, with 15.66% calling them out as bad gifters.
But who do we want to avoid gifting the most?
Of those in the spirit of gifting, 13.80% say they’d most like to avoid buying gifts for their boss. This is followed by 6.65% for their mothers-in-law and 4.45% for their friends.
What do people look forward to during the holidays?
More than half (53.25%) of all respondents say they most look forward to spending time with their family during the holiday season, while 5.95% claim they’ve nothing to look forward to.
Food (12.10%) is the second thing people most look forward to during the holidays, followed by the festive atmosphere (11.80%), time off from work (9.60%) and gifts (3.25%).
Getting drunk appears to be the top holiday priority for 1.85% of people, while 2.20% say they have “other” things to look forward to — including overtime at work and donating to those in need.
Gender
Women appear to be the pickier of the sexes, with 54.90% saying they’ve received an unwanted gift, compared with 51.22% of men. The average expected value of these unwanted gifts is $50.56 each for women and $48.21 for men.
Women (26.07%) appear more likely to give their unwanted gifts to someone else, compared with 19.07% of men. When it comes to pointing out their partner’s flaws, 11.85% of women and 10.21% of men say their partners gave them the worst gifts.
Men (7.96%) are more likely to be guilty of buying gifts they know a recipient won’t like, compared with 6.08% of women.
When it comes to spending time with family over the holidays, a higher proportion of women (58.73%) than than men (47.55%) look forward to it. On the flip side, a higher proportion of men (2.65%) than women (1.08%) look forward to getting drunk during the holidays. They also anticipate taking time off work more than women: 13.06% of men compared with 6.27% of women.
Generation
Sorry, millennials: It appears that you might be the most ungrateful of the generations — or, maybe, just the hardest to buy for. More than three in five millennials (61.91%) say they’ve received gifts they don’t want. They’re followed by Gen Xers at 55.80% and baby boomers at 44.61%.
The average number of unwanted gifts reported by baby boomers is two, compared to three for both Gen Xers and millennials. And the average estimated cost of these unwanted gifts are $43.29 for baby boomers, $47.88 for Gen Xers and $58.43 for millennials.
But Gen Xers and millennials might be the more practical generations, with millennials (14.08%) most likely to sell their unwanted gifts, compared with 7.18% for Gen Xers and 2.33% for boomers.
Gen Xers are also the generation most likely to exchange their unwanted gifts (26.02%), compared with 25.32% of baby boomers and 18.78% of millennials. Whereas at 42.12%, boomers are the generation most likely to graciously keep their gifts, compared with 34.37% for Gen Xers and 36.62% for millennials.
Perhaps millennials are due for some self-reflection when it comes to holiday gifting. More than two in five say they’ve received a gift they dislike, and yet they’re also the worst for knowingly gifting someone an unlikeable present (9.57%). Baby boomers appear to put the most thought into their gifts, with only 3.86% of them buying a gift that won’t be liked, followed by Gen Xers at 8.44%. It makes sense, as 66.31% of baby boomers also report isn’t anyone out there they’d avoid buying a gift for. In contrast, only 53.96% of Gen Xers and 38.90% of millennials said the same.
Baby boomers appear to be the grinchiest of the generations, with 8.52% reporting there’s nothing they like about the holidays, compared with 5.01% of Gen Xers and 3.46% of millennials who say the same.
Household income
Those with lower household incomes of up to $25,000 appear to most appreciate their gifts, with 42.98% saying they’ve received unwanted gifts. Compare this proportion with 68.85% of those in households whose incomes fall within $100,000 to $150,000. All the more interesting when these higher-income earners report an average spend of $52.94 per unwanted gift, compared with $32.99 spent on lower-income earners. Guess the saying is true: money really doesn’t buy you happiness!
What does this mean for 2017?
With over half of us looking forward to spending time with the family, more even than receiving gifts (only 3.25% of us), it’s clear where our priorities lie. Perhaps instead of mindlessly gifting things that over 1 in 2 of us don’t even appreciate, we should instead devote that time to our family and friends. If you’re set on gifting your loved ones, a wishlist is a great place to start. After all, honesty is the best policy!
Methodology
We calculated these figures from a survey of 2,000 American adults commissioned by finder.com and conducted by global research provider Pureprofile in October 2017.

2016 Christmas confessions
Christmas is the favorite holiday of many Americans — the lights, the songs, the time spent with friends and family. But this joyous time of year can be overshadowed by the stress of choosing the perfect gift for our loved ones (and the ones we tolerate).
According to finder.com research, Americans in 2016 are expected to waste an average $71 in unwanted gifts, totaling $9.5 billion. That’s a number to make Santa never want to leave the North Pole again.
It turns out that despite our best efforts, the people around us may not enjoy those hard-earned treasures as much as we think they will. Of the Americans surveyed, 54% said they don’t like at least one gift they receive every year. It’s not just the candle set you gave — these people also report receiving 2.3 unwanted presents every year.
Think your in-laws are bad at gifting? They come in third in the questionable-taste Olympics. Friends are actually the worst gifters, followed by parents and then in-laws. Partners come in last place, with 8% of Americans saying their partners give their least favorite gifts. There’s more to show that lovers are resting on their laurels: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans think their partners are hopeless at buying presents for them.
How much are we wasting?
If you’re one unhappy recipient, $71 went into your total forced smiles and false gratitude, with some $31 spent on each gift. Even so, you’re likely to keep it anyway: 39% of people reported keeping unwanted gifts. The most likely culprits lying in that disappointing box are clothing and accessories, followed by household items (13%), cosmetics and fragrances (12%), literature (6%), technology (5%), food and drinks (4%) and music (3%).
Many of us are more willing to buy gifts we know others don’t want than show up empty-handed. More than 1 in 10 Americans (12%) admitted they have deliberately bought someone a present they knew that person wouldn’t like. Further, hinting about what you want to the men in your life is not working: 21% of men admit to intentionally gifting non-treasures, while only 8% of women cop to it.
What else do we enjoy celebrating aside from the presents we actually wanted?
Only 4% of Americans say that there is nothing to like about Christmas. Others say that they love everything about the holidays: decorating, Christmas lights and celebrating the birth of Jesus. Some report that their favorite part of Christmas is when it’s over. And 1% of people said that getting drunk is their favorite part. (Cheers!)
How to save money in this tough financial season
- Organize a Secret Santa. These gift exchanges at home and in your social groups allow you to come up with a few thoughtful gifts while spending less. Deciding on a maximum gift price lets you advocate for a reasonable amount without dipping into your savings.
- Make your own gifts. The popularity of crafting has spilled into the mainstream so strongly that some people are actually excited to receive something handmade. A plethora of blogs are dedicated to DIY crafts, such as Studio DIY that outlines how much time and money you should expect to pour into every endeavor. Check out these Christmas-specific gift ideas from Country Living.
- Regift cards. Those gift cards that have been burning a hole into your wallet since last year can be used to purchase items on pesky wish lists. It’s like regifting, but it won’t come back to haunt you at a white elephant party.
- Earn extra cash. Consider adding a short-term revenue stream to help with holiday costs. The ease of the Internet and mobile apps make it simple to pick up a few gigs without committing to more time than you have. In fact, finder.com is a champion of the side hustle.
Get smart about gift giving
Just ask people what they want.
It may not feel romantic to ask, but chances are that you’re more proud of the vacuum you bought your girlfriend than she is. Sites like Wishlistr let others tell you what they want. So you don’t have to guess. Then snag the requested gifts during Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales.
Gift in cards.
Gift cards allow your friends and family to use the money toward items they actually want. Not sure where they like to shop? Visa and American Express gift cards can be used anywhere.
Sell your unwanted wares.
Plenty of sites like eBay and Craigslist allow you to easily unload that spare toolset or ice cream maker, while you can unload those grandma sweaters to hipsters who’ll truly appreciate them using clothing sites like Poshmark.

Ask an Expert

Click here to cancel reply.

Display Name

Your Email (will not be published)

Your Question

I agree to Finder’s terms of use and privacy and cookie policy, and I opt in to receive email from Finder

Subscribe me to Finder’s free weekly newsletter for budgeting tools, timely news and savings essentials to take control of your finances

Finder.com provides guides and information on a range of products and services. Because our content is not financial advice, we suggest talking with a professional before you make any decision.

By submitting your comment or question, you agree to our Privacy and Cookies Policy and finder.com Terms of Use.

Questions and responses on finder.com are not provided, paid for or otherwise endorsed by any bank or brand. These banks and brands are not responsible for ensuring that comments are answered or accurate.

Christmas gift confessions 2019

Americans expected to drop almost $15.2 billion on unwanted presents.

What not to buy for someone in 2019

Who gives the worst gifts?

Women have taken the lead this year for most picky

Gen X really doesn’t like your gifts

What happens to all the unwanted gifts?

Methodology

Past Christmas Confessions

2018 Christmas confessions

2017 Christmas confessions

2016 Christmas confessions

You may also like

For media inquiries:

Chelsea Wells-Barrett

More guides on Finder

Ask an Expert

Advertiser Disclosure