My aunt gave me a Christmas list full of stuff that costs a bunch of money. I can afford to buy her ONE tube of mascara. That's it.
My grandma isn't any better, she never wants anything, or if you buy her something cool for the kitchen she never uses it (even if she asks for it - one year I searched EVERYWHERE for the perfect crock pot because she asked for a new one and was VERY specific about what she wanted. Finally found one that was everything she wanted. PERFECT. BOUGHT. She still uses her old one with the cord hanging out causing a fire hazard while the new one I searched everywhere for sits in the pantry in the basement in the box.) Finally she asked for some makeup stuff that she uses, but it's all Estee Lauder and stuff so all $$.
I can't afford this stuff. And both of them are so picky and have such expensive tastes. My aunt wants a few different things but all of them have to be REAL leather and I know if they're not SUPER nice she'll say "oh" in that derogatory way she does. She wants a towel wrap and I'm having a serious problem over here buying a TOWEL WRAP because I'm like "whatever I buy won't be good enough because it will be cheap." And this is so stupid because this isn't even the point of Christmas. It's supposed to be fun. I always put fun and cheap stuff on my list so nobody feels like they have to spend a lot of money on me because I don't want anybody else to be sitting in this dilemma.
My other aunt and uncle, I've finally given up and started buying them Amazon gift cards because they usually want some more expensive stuff too... but I know they are quite happy to get them, and they use them. As much as I think gift cards are boring, I've made my peace with that. But this aunt and my grandma, they won't use gift cards to Amazon. And if I bought, like, a Target gift card, they'd be OFFENDED by it. Because that's not THOUGHTFUL.
I'm so upset and I don't know what to do. Last year I had the same dilemma, and I cheated and gave both of them some cheap funny thing I found at TJ Maxx or whatever, as well as a nice framed photo of me and the dogs. I don't think I can get away with giving the gift of a photo again. I think I'm going to make some hand-made sugar scrubs and things and put together a little spa basket or something. And I can just hear my aunt now. "Oh." But I don't know what else to do. At least that will seem like I put some thought and effort into it...