what do you choose to have on your birthday a material or non-material gifts?

Practically I want material gifts on my birthday. I want a new microwave oven. I hope I can buy myself a new microwave oven. My other half told me it's not practical to buy a new one when our old oven is working fine. I just want a new one to be more comfortable in cooking and baking.

I try to get through to friends of mine that I would be happy with just a card or even just a cup of tea or coffee for my birthday. I am trying to get the amount of "stuff" in my house down a lot. I hate getting gifts that just take up space that I really have no use for...and they eventually end up being donated to a thrift shop that is about 90 miles away from my home. Fortunately they have a donation site in my town! (I learned the hard way that I don't donate the stuff to thrift shops in my home town as I end up getting the stuff back! No joke...it has happened a LOT! ) I have learned about having your life simple, and the material things just aren't as important now as they were years ago. If the people know me well they know I love to receive magazine subscriptions, Starbucks coffee and donations to my favorite humane society as gifts.

I'm with you. I can appreciate a gift of any sort, but the only gift I would ask someone for would be themselves. I appreciate the people in my life and their company would be the world to me.

I really don't like getting gifts. I have always felt they were unnecessary. I would like a nice gesture. On my birthday my good friend came over and did my dishes for me and that was the best gift I have ever received. Another friend offered to watch my two kids so I could go for a walk... i think a gift does not have to be material to be the best gift.

Actually, since you brought this topic up, I'm glad to talk about my experience with birthdays. In my family we never really throw birthday parties because we think of them as a waste of time, but we sometimes buy gifts for one another, my mom gives me a card every year, and as I grow up, she writes different words discribing my groth and if I were a good daughter or not. To me, this is happiness, being rememberd for something you did over a year will help me become a good adult, it will allow me to understand people's thoughts about me and how much they care about me as a person. Expensive materialistic gifts on the other hand make me sad all the time, because I can sense the effort that was paid in order to get that gift & I seriously take good care of it in a safe plase to keep the memory of it's sender.

i like both gifts,for me, a call or a message is the the same important to me as a material gifts, i am appreciate to the friends who remember my birthday and send me gifts. the life is so busy for most of poeple, it is very diffcult to remember friends'birthdays,at least for me, i have to alarm on cellphone to remember the birthdays of my family members or friends.

yesterday was my birthday actually and i spent the day going out with my mom. she took me out to lunch and to a few other stores but even though i didnt spend much, it was still quite nice. i hope to spend a day with my kids and hubby on the weekend for my birthday.

I think that material gifts are very nice! It's nice to slowly open up the wrapping and prolong the whole experience for as long as possible. Some people do prefer acknowledgement only and online greeting cards! I send these cards myself and I think that they are a great idea. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with buying an actual physical present. If money is an issue then there's always the option to buy something cheap, I think that it's the thought that counts in these matters. My birthday isn't until early next year anyhow so I'm not too bothered about presents right now. Andrew

Can I have both instead??? heehee For material I'd like a brand new flip-flop. For non-material, I would like my niece's and god kids hugs and kisses.

Hello Amyson, This is a great discussion for me as it is my birthday today ! I just received 2 Angpao from my parents this money. Angpao is something we call red packets in English. We put money cash inside the packet and give others as a gifts. I feel so happy my parents remember my birthday! LOL. Then I log in to Facebook and I see many friends send me wishes and my sister even use one of the application in facebook to create a birthday card for me! It is so nice with all the pictures of my family! Some of the friends I know even send me gift via Facebook application, ! For me, any gifts, wishes , non material or material gifts all are appreciate!

Well, I am still conservative but I would not demand a materialistic gift. What they could offer are token gifts. For example, if they have door gifts that they are not using, they can gift-wrapped it as my present. Sending email and SMS is getting a bit cheapo,don;t you think? In fact, I would give friends gifts of such nature. I have no doubt they can recycle it if they want to.

I like material gifts from people but it must be from their heart. If it's not from heart it means nothing for me. Non-material gifts are not from heart sometimes so I prefer money or things more than calls, messages, etc.

Hi Amyson, I have to admit that when I think about birthdays I tend to associate them with material gifts. But on my last birthday I couldn't think of anything I wanted as a gift, and so I asked for money which meant that the day didn't feel all that much like a birthday. That was until I went online and saw messages from my two best friends, for some reason having them around on my birthday made the day really special. A few of the websites I am on sent me birthday messages too, and my MP4 player wished me a happy birthday when I turned it on to have a mini rave. Those things beat any amount of gifts I could ever have got because they gave me the best of all: acceptance and love! I don't know if I could get used to that each birthday, but that feeling was amazing and since I tend to buy material things myself, I could totally get used to it lol! All the best, Dranz

With me its just the thought and maybe even a card . I really can't stress enough that friendship is no joke. You don't need to prove to me that your willing to get me a gift.Just being there or a simple !!happy birthday!! will suffice.. Friends don't have to buy friends.. There words are meaning enough for joy :)

I like material gifts. As much as a card from somebody I did not expect to make an effort would touch my heart, from loved ones, I usually have a birthday list ready purly because that is the norm. I don't like to take from my parents any other time of the year so birthday and Christmas celebrations differ. My gift list usually consists of items that I have wanted throughout the year but either did not have the money spare to buy them for myself or never got around to it as they were not as importance as other essentials. For their birthdays, in turn will receive gifts from me, so in a way, it is only fair.

I have come to that stage in my life where birthdays have become meaningless. I really do not celebrate my birthdays and so do not expect anything from others. However my friends and a few close relatives call up and wish me which makes me feel happy and i do not wish for anything more from them. Material gifts have long ceased to attract me or bring any joy in my life, they had some value when i was a child but not now. For me my birthday is like any other day and i do not grudge anyone if they forget to wish me or visit me or bring any gift for me.

I like both, if the giver have the money and he could comes the better and especially if it is heartily given. lately, it is the thoughts that matter in most relationship to succeed.

Hello amy, i like gifts and i prefer gifts what i coud use. When my friends make me gifts i try to let them know if theres something special i need. For example we have new home and if some1 making gift for me i woud like something whats useful in home or flower or something..but other hand if they give me simple card its okey too hehee

i like both gifts,for me, a call and a message is the same important as a materialistic gift, i am appreciate to the friends who remember my birthday, for the life is so busy for most of people, at least for me, i must alarm on cellphone to remember birthdays of my family members and friends.

When I was a kid, I would love to get material things for my birthday, but what child wouldn't? As I grow older, I don't expect anything for my birthday. A card in the mail is always nice, but I never expect anything. Even a "Happy Birthday" to let me know that they are thinking of me is always nice. I feel as if giving huge gifts has become overrated to some extent. However, I love giving gifts to my family and friends on their birthday's if I have the money to buy them one. Overall, I do try to at least call them up on the phone and tell them "Happy Birthday."