When you're invited to someone's house, do you always bring something (food items or hostess gift)?

For D&D I bring some pop and potato chips.

It depends on who it is. If it’s a new friend yes, we usually do. If it’s an old friend I follow the lead of what they have done with us in the past

No. I don’t want my friends to feel like they have to, so I usually don’t do it either.

If it’s a party of some sort, then I usually bring something. Or, someone I very rarely see, or don’t speak to often, and I see them once in a great while, then more likely I show up with something. It might be a friend of my parents, or former work colleague, then I possibly show up with something. In general, family, and close family friends, I usually don’t bother with it.

I think if you and your friends are drinkers it’s easier. Bring a bottle of wine. I guess you can always bring flowers too. I don’t drink, I’d rather you not spend a lot of money on flowers. I’d rather pick up the tab for lunch if we go out.

When company comes I’m interested in spending time with them, not getting gifts. I do think it’s very nice when company brings something from their local area. Some candy they are famous for, or other food thing.

When people show up empty handed I don’t think about it at all. I don’t expect anything.

I always bring something. Bottle of inexpensive wine, salad (with prior approval), a dessert item (with prior approval), a piece of cheese. If they have a wood burner I will bring a piece of primo wood like maple or black walnut. I never bring a “made in china” piece of tchotchke. Anything I bring is to be consumed.

I try to. Wine or a food gift usually. Sometimes a small token gift.

Yes, I always bring something. The gift can be very modest – a good but inexpensive bottle of wine, a quality candy bar, a six-pack and a bag of chips, a nice bar of soap, etc. It depends on the recipient.

I’m with @LuckyGuy that the item should be consumable. Nobody needs more tchotchkes.

Those of you who always show up with something, are you including neighbors and friends you see quite often?

I will always bring something, unless it’s my mom’s house or if it’s a close friend, I’ll call her and ask if she needs something specific from the store. Even if she says no I’ll probably bring something specific if I prefer it but know she won’t have it, like diet soda. Otherwise, for other people, I’ll bring something that I would like to eat, like dessert. If I am going to be hanging out with them for a long time, like a day or weekend, I’ll also bring stuff like apples so that if there’s nothing healthy, at least there will be that.

I’m not a big alcohol drinker so I usually don’t bring alcohol.

My friend that I referenced above came from a big family of 7 children. She said her parents always taught her that even if you have nothing to bring, pick up a bottle of soda so you don’t arrive empty handed. I usually never arrive empty handed unless it’s a party where the hostess specifically says “don’t bring anything. We have everything.”

@JLeslie Yes! It is silly but we still do it to each other. I might bring Halloween candy or share a Hickory Farms box of cheese or meat that I got for a present.
My more elderly neighbors will bring boxes of cardboard for me to use as starter in my stove. We’ve even swapped GoodWill clothes!

We make a bit of a joke about it. but we still bring something.

I usually ask, when invited, if they’d like me to bring anything. It’s been my experience that some people really appreciate one less dish to make, and some others take pride in assuring their guests never have to lift a finger.

I can’t imagine bringing something every time I visited a neighbor or close friend who I see quite often.

If they invite me to a meal, usually I’ll ask if I can bring something, like @Seek mentioned, but if I see them all the time I figure I’ll return the favor another day, similar to picking up a check rather than splitting it.

@JLeslie If I’m just stopping by a neighbor’s house to say hi or something, then no. I am referring to if I’m invited for a meal.

If the invite requests something be brought then of course I bring what is requested. If it is a casual lets just hang out then its a snack and beverages that I will bring. If it is a formal/special occasion that the host is clearly supplying food and drinks then I will bring a flower arrangement.

I truly despise chips and dip or store bought veggie tray appetizers so at the very least, I will make and bring one of my signature appetizers or desserts to help feed the attendees and the hosts always appreciate this.

@jca In the original Q details it says “visit.” To me that means anything from dropping in for 20 minutes to staying over for the night.

Not unless I’m being fed, in which case, I ask what I can contribute in the way of a dish, appetizer or dessert. And I will usually bring 2 bottles of wine, varying with the tastes of the host(s).

@JLeslie: You’re right. In the q itself I wrote “invited” which I was thinking of invited for a meal or party. In the details, I wasn’t clear.

If they’re real nice, i’ll let them hire my butler for the evening, mates rates of course.

It depends on who it is. If I was dropping in on a neighbour or friend for a cuppa and this is a regular thing, no, I wouldn’t take anything. If I was visiting someone more formally, then I might take flowers, wine, a cake or something to say ‘thank you for having us over’.

When invited for a meal, I always bring something—usually wine or a desert or snack item. It’s one of those social courtesies my mother taught me and which I enjoy doing. I usually ask what they’d like me to bring, especially for potlucks, and even if they insist I bring nothing, I do.

I had a few neighbors over for New Years. One of them brought a box of candy and warned me that it was a year old. It was some sort of Chinese jelly candy. It was gross and hard as a rock. Sometimes it’s better to bring nothing

I’d have hoped “Don’t bring that box of candy you didn’t want a year ago” would have been something Ms. Post could have safely left out of her books. Alas, humans never fail to disappoint.

In the days when I was able to go to other people’s houses I would often pick a small bunch of flowers from the garden, or sometimes bake a cake or biscuits. And sometimes I would bring something to contribute to a meal. There were no rules for me, sometimes I did, sometimes I didn’t. Mostly I did.

I just had pizza and wings at my neighbor’s house. He is going on vacation and wanted to show me what needed to be done while they were away.
I brought a small chocolate cake for dessert and a bowl of fresh pomegranate seeds that I extracted from the fruit. We sprinkled the seeds on salad and ate some as dessert with the cake. Delicious.
And supposedly pom juice is good for men’s prostate health, so there was a little hidden message in the offering.

@LuckyGuy, pom juice is good for almost anything!