How does one keep gifts a secret these days??

[Kev Williams]

I love shopping online, but what a pain if you're trying to surprise the wife! If you check out ANYthing on a website, then it, or another brand of it, now shows up on every other website you go to! I've tried the 'private' browser, sometimes it works, most times not.

This year the wife asked for something specific, it's big and not cheap. I've been doing my best to make her think I've totally forgot about it ;) Problem is, this thing and every competitor's model is showing up everywhere on the computers around here, and I keep seeing them on her iphone! Only reason I'm not too worried about that is, she used her phone to show me what she wanted, so hopefully she thinks she's the reason for all the ads for them.

So I orders up one, and I arrange with some inlaws to have it shipped to their place. Wasn't sure where to go from there exactly, but I decided the only way to get it out of their hair was to rent a storage unit nearby. It's too big for 2 people to lift into the back of my truck, so I decided to rent a trailer. Then one of my kids tells me he's looking to sell or give away his little trailer, which is low enough to load up easy.

So the other day I make some excuse to leave for awhile, I pick up the trailer, head to the inlaws, we got it loaded up and tied down, and off to the storage unit I go.

Now I'm really happy, everything is working perfectly, shipping worked out, a trailer to haul it with and not have to give it back couldn't have worked out better, and it's under wrap only 1/4 mile away till Xmas morning. No "if you see a big truck honey, don't look!" stuff to spoil the surprise.

So I get home all pleased with myself, and the wife waves an envelope in my face and says, "so why did you rent a storage unit?"
http://www.engraver1.com/gifs/banghead.gif

--if the internet won't spoil the surprise, Murphy's Law will always find a way...

[Jim Koepke]

I love shopping online, but what a pain if you're trying to surprise the wife! If you check out ANYthing on a website, then it, or another brand of it, now shows up on every other website you go to! I've tried the 'private' browser, sometimes it works, most times not.

Isn't it fun for a while after the wife goes shopping for lingerie?


So I get home all pleased with myself, and the wife waves an envelope in my face and says, "so why did you rent a storage unit?"

The best answer to that is, "to better serve you my dear."

If that doesn't work, "all will be revealed in due time."

Be sure to smile lovingly when you say either of these.

jtk

[Brian Henderson]

You don't share computers. Your preferences will only show up on your computers, not hers. The rest... well, gifts aren't about surprises, they are about the thought.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I try to follow the age old out dated idea of making gifts. It is sometimes hard and yes I have to buy somethings. I have all the parts of a music box made, except for the interior works, which I purchased. It is ready to paint and glue together, so now I am practicing my painting skills for the little figures that go on top. The tune is white Christmas and I have a group of carolers, a snow man and a Christmas Tree for the scene on top. Everything is turned from Bass even the music box body. I wish my painting skills were better.

As for internet access, in our house, we have 4 computers, 4 smart phones. a tablet and 4 smart TV's that can each search the internet without a computer link. If there is nothing on cable I like, I stream a movie, video or show from one of several free alternatives. If I search the net over the TV, Mrs. will never know because she only uses her desk top, or the tablet. I am careful not to surf the net while signed in to my normal browser. And if I search for something for her, I would use a different browser completely. Google, vs Yahoo, vs Firefox vs microsoft and others. Just to keep things one step away from discovery, my main Yahoo account is through a European yahoo service that thinks I am in Switzerland, It helps keep folks from hacking, i.e. they have to be trilingual to follow the trails.

[John K Jordan]

I answer all questions with "don't ask questions around Christmas". Compounds the mystery and heightens anticipation.

[Ted Calver]

I ordered the missus a new laptop as a Christmas surprise. Her old one has been a trial and she has seen me trying to resurrect another old one with Linux and a new SSD, which I said would be her new ride. Two days ago she answers the early morning phone call and it's the FedEx driver making sure someone will be home today to sign for a laptop. Yup. it's getting harder and harder to keep things secret.:eek:

[Rick Potter]

A friend lost all his mechanics tools etc, when they were stolen from a storage unit. He didn't get the insurance, and his insurance didn't cover it. He lost over 20K of equipment, and it was an inside job. He even got it on video, but no one ever got arrested.

Be careful. Just sayin'

[Tom Stenzel]

I just bought the Wife a stocking stuffer (cash sale) for Christmas from Best Buy. When I looked at the receipt I saw that a copy of the receipt got emailed. To my Wife. Just swell.

We have Amazon Prime but I can't keep things I buy a secret from the Wife so I use my sister in law's account to buy her gifts. But for the most part I try to support the local stores, the only time I buy online is when the stores fail me. Unfortunately lately that's pretty often.

-Tom

[John K Jordan]

... But for the most part I try to support the local stores, ....

That's the safest thing - cash and carry!

Maybe my wife will do that when she buys me a trackhoe for Christmas. I just want a little one, $30,000 or less.

BTW, I buy all of my farm feed, supplies, fencing, etc. from the local farmer's Co-op, even though they are sometimes more expensive. I REALLY want them to stay in business because when I need something on the farm I often need it today. Can't wait for Amazon Prime.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

You don't share computers. Your preferences will only show up on your computers, not hers. The rest... well, gifts aren't about surprises, they are about the thought.

This!!!!!!!!!! Some things are not meant to be shared... LOL

[Bill Dufour]

Tell her the storage unit is for the new chest freezer you bought for her and then remind her to make sure she has automatic deposit into the joint account for her retirement check. tell her you paid extra and got the Dorthea Punte model upgrade so she will be more comfortable.
Bill D.:)

[Matt Mattingley]

My wife tried this on me once. I caught her...

She went into my emails and forwarded the email to herself one Sunday night . She knew I was looking at a new Hammer JP. The Monday morning she ordered it, arranged for delivery… Everything! There was a six week delivery on it. What she didn’t realize is I have my email set up so it sends a BCC to myself. Right away she The BCC and she went into my account and deleted the forward from my sent folder. She totally dropped the ball when she didn’t go into the deleted file and delete the BCC. The problem was the salesman was supposed to call me back within two or three days with availability. He never called me back. So I went back looking for emails. I called the dealer and said what the Hecks going on. One of the other salesman said you’re already paid on the list and we already informed you that delivery will be mid December. I told him cancel delivery I’ll pick it up. The salesman that was in cahoots called me back five minutes later. Later that evening I just gave my wife a big hug and said thank you. I asked her how do you think you were going to hide a 700 pound machine? She already arranged for it to get delivered to one of my neighbours house. Damn email trail Got her caught.

[Brian Hall]

Wife asked for diamond earnings lets see what the browser looks like next few days.

[Bill Orbine]

Hmmmm! Hard to keep a secret, eh? Maybe I should start looking at stuff I want online and others will get the hint......

[Flamone LaChaud]

"Why did you rent a storage unit??"

"For when your mother visits . . . . "

[Bruce Wrenn]

Years ago, built my wife a harvest table. This was when I was teaching shop, so worked on it after school. Fellow teacher wanted to build his daughter a stand up desk as she was going into teaching. Everyday for two weeks, wife "chewed me out" for working on friends daughter's desk. But the look on her face when she came home from work on Christmas eve made it all worth i!

[Kev Williams]

You don't share computers. Your preferences will only show up on your computers, not hers. The rest... well, gifts aren't about surprises, they are about the thought.

This!!!!!!!!!! Some things are not meant to be shared... LOL

Actually, we don't share computers, she does everything on her phone, I use the computers- the problem is, what we DO share is a Google account. Need I say more? Just today I got an email from Google about my free-ad stats. X-amount of people used this search term, X-amount used that search term, X-amount visited-- all that's okay, but then I read "X-amount of people called me" -- umm, exactly HOW do you know THAT?? And FWIW I have no 'smart' stuff, I have a land line, an old LG flip phone and zero smart phones...

[Bob Glenn]

I wanted to surprise the wife with a gift of Sherry's Berries for V-day a couple years ago. That damn company sent shipping details everyday via our email. That was the end of the surprise and also the end Sherry's Berries at our house.

[Brian Henderson]

Actually, we don't share computers, she does everything on her phone, I use the computers- the problem is, what we DO share is a Google account. Need I say more? Just today I got an email from Google about my free-ad stats. X-amount of people used this search term, X-amount used that search term, X-amount visited-- all that's okay, but then I read "X-amount of people called me" -- umm, exactly HOW do you know THAT?? And FWIW I have no 'smart' stuff, I have a land line, an old LG flip phone and zero smart phones...

There's the problem. Don't do that. The Internet is not meant to be shared.

[Darryl Schilling]

Quit using "GOOGLE" to search... I switched to "DUCK DUCK GO" which does not track your searches. No more ads for items I searched for.

[Peter Christensen]

When I buy groceries and the like I get them to give me an extra $10 or $20 in cash when I use the debit card. The small amounts don't arouse the wife suspicions and I can accumulate a bunch of cash over time. Then I buy the gift. When we had separate accounts it was never a problem but now with only a joint account the cat can find its way out of the bag.

[Roger Feeley]

My wife and I have sort of an unwritten rule that we don't look at our credit card account during December (Risky, I know). We also don't try to guess, ignore purchase confirmations from Amazon, and try not to peek at shipments. Most of all, we are experts at feigning surprise on Christmas morning.

No one in my family could possibly guess what sorts of things I want so I have to provide a list. I always make the list longer than is practical so I don't know which things I might get.

[Rod Sheridan]

My wife tried this on me once. I caught her...

She went into my emails and forwarded the email to herself one Sunday night . She knew I was looking at a new Hammer JP. The Monday morning she ordered it, arranged for delivery… Everything! There was a six week delivery on it. What she didn’t realize is I have my email set up so it sends a BCC to myself. Right away she The BCC and she went into my account and deleted the forward from my sent folder. She totally dropped the ball when she didn’t go into the deleted file and delete the BCC. The problem was the salesman was supposed to call me back within two or three days with availability. He never called me back. So I went back looking for emails. I called the dealer and said what the Hecks going on. One of the other salesman said you’re already paid on the list and we already informed you that delivery will be mid December. I told him cancel delivery I’ll pick it up. The salesman that was in cahoots called me back five minutes later. Later that evening I just gave my wife a big hug and said thank you. I asked her how do you think you were going to hide a 700 pound machine? She already arranged for it to get delivered to one of my neighbours house. Damn email trail Got her caught.

She's a real gem Matt....................Rod.

[lowell holmes]

I use a cardboard box in my workshop up on shelves above the bench.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

Impossible. After over 50 years we both pretend we don't notice all the emails, strange deliveries, pop up ads, etc. Just easier that way.

[Brian Henderson]

We don't open boxes not addressed to us. It's not that hard.

[Peter Christensen]

The wife is a gift shaker. I put a glass spice bottle with a few screws in it along side the gift. The rattling camouflages the gift.

[Joe Mioux]

Buy local - Pay cash.

[Brian Elfert]

Buy local - Pay cash.

That only works if the local stores have what you want. I have driven all over to find a specific and in the end had to order online.

I looked all over for some Chinet paper bowls recently. I tried grocery stores, Target, and Walmart to no avail. I finally ordered them from Amazon. I needed thick paper bowls for a project that didn't involve serving food.

[John K Jordan]

I looked all over for some Chinet paper bowls recently. I tried grocery stores, Target, and Walmart to no avail. I finally ordered them from Amazon. I needed thick paper bowls for a project that didn't involve serving food.

Did you try Walmart online? They will ship to your local store for pickup.

I am always amazed at what you can order from them, equestrian things, guide bearings for my Rikon bandsaw, power equipment, Reniassance wax. I didn't check but I suspect they carry Chinet stuff.

[Brian Henderson]

Buy local - Pay cash.

I can't do that. Local stores don't carry what I want. When I go on their websites and try to find the closest store that has what I want, I'm always told that no store in 100 miles has it. So Amazon gets my business.

[Joe Mioux]

OK... yea i forgot, Walmart, et al destroyed local independent shopping.

whatever happened to using real plates?

[Brian Elfert]

OK... yea i forgot, Walmart, et al destroyed local independent shopping.

whatever happened to using real plates?

I am guessing you are responding to my need for Chinet paper bowls. I needed them to tape over marker/clearance lights on my motorhome so the lights won't cut through the cover. One cover got destroyed by the lights and other sharp things. Some of the lights have a fin along the top that is almost like a knife.

I figured foam bowls or the thinner paper bowls would cut through too easily. Obviously don't want to use real bowls for this. I also figured the clear plastic type disposable bowls might break or shatter.

[Matt Mattingley]

OK... yea i forgot, Walmart, et al destroyed local independent shopping.

whatever happened to using real plates?

Maybe this is getting a little bit off-topic, but ...
Cleaning versus disposal?

How many pounds of coffee filters or plastic preload coffee pod cups are we using? How many people show up to the drive-through window with a ceramic or stainless steel reusable coffee mug that they clean at home.

I use green disposable filters, but most of the time a stainless steel screen . Yeah I pay two cents more per filter. Yeah, I get my coffee shop to fill my stainless steel coffee mug.

Sometimes I just wonder how many coffee mugs it takes to fill a landfill. The same people use water disposable bottles. All this trash goes somewhere, Just imagine if you had to put it in your own back yard.