Scurramunga - 2:00 am on Dec 24, 2009 (gmt 0)

I routinely ask family and friends to give gifts in my name instead of giving me useless trinkets, ties and gadgets.

Kudos to you. The less resources we waste as a lack of artificial demand and the less landfill we discard the better.

I always tell my relatives not to worry about gifts and in the event they feel compelled to give me (or my wife and daughter) a gift, that the gift should a response to a genuine need and be as be simple, low cost and practical as possible.