I don't get disappointed. The best gift you can get me for my birthday is remove the obligation for me to get you one on yours. Saves so much mental energy and time.

Same, even though I've been bit by it.

After rationally agreeing not to get anything (because we were about to move overseas on a couple of luggages and didn't want extra stuff) my SO got me 3 (3!! usually it was one per event) gifts and I was empty handed.

And I had to resell / returns some of the items as we were moving anyway and we could just buy better quality stuff later on, without having to pay for the move.

I always liked the associated page for Gift Economy -- reading it is when I first realized there are multiple credit systems in play at any given moment, beyond raw currency.

I try to tell people I don't have a birthday anymore. Because if I tell people not to get me anything, sometimes they hear please get me something. Ugh.

I normally just tell them "it was a few weeks back". This gives a full year for them to forget about it and has a sufficiently vague period of time that they can't nail you next year should they remember.

> I try to tell people I don't have a birthday anymore.

Never thought of that. I'd imagine the ensuing conversation is even more problematic though? "What do you mean you don't have a birthday? That makes no sense!"

No, just respond with "I stopped caring".

Maybe could also tack on that you count winters to tell your age.

I mean it usually goes "No really? When's your birthday" "I don't have one, thanks" and usually dies off from there.

I mean, if I have to put it on a form, that's one thing, but like office people don't need to know when it is.

Um, no, I've never gotten disappointed. I've been married for a decade and the hubby and I don't do material gifts, ever.

I'd be much more disappointed in some useless trinket I don't need and would feel obligated to keep.

Nope. I dont want or need more shit.