What is your idea of a gift (birthday, Christmas, etc) that is so paltry or worthless that it's kind of insulting?

It depends on the giver.

A friend in high school had a younger brother that had a dollar to but Christmas presents for the family. He bought everyone a pack of Wrigley’s spearmint. It was the best he could do.

McDonalds gift certificate .

Cents off coupons on products.

When I was 11, and had my growth spurt, and I didn’t now that I stank, and needed to shave. My family had given me an Old Spice shaving kit for Christmas. I took it the wrong way, and I should have kept it. I gave it to my father.

I didn’t know that Old Spice was spice. I thought that it was a perfume.
My bad. I got another Brut shaving kit for Christmas when I was 12, and I gave it to my dad again.

Towels, with a hotel logo on them

Xbox banjo and kazooey

A box of plastic tableware

coupon for a free consultation with a plastic surgeon

A page ripped from a spiral notebook with a poem you wrote yourself

A four inch, black, unbreakable comb

The ticket stubs from a movie you saw together a couple of weeks ago. They have coupons for fast food on the back.

When it is completely thoughtless.
The amount of money spent or not has nothing to do with it,

A flat refrigerator magnet from my sister that read “Merry Christmas from the Smiths.”

Maga crap.

I have to agree with @lucillelucillelucille when there is little thought or care makes it insulting the kid that bought everyone a pack of gum wasn’t insulting it was the best he could do.

Another person could spend a 1000 times more and with little thought that would be an insulting gift.

Socks, especially the used, crusty ones. I do not care if it us filled with your “love”.

Last year a woman in my canoe club asked me to make her 4 cradles for her new canoe. I told her they the parts cost was $11 per cradle. They actually cost a couple bucks more than that plus a couple hours of my time. She was very happy with the cradles and paid me with a display sample of men’s cologne (partially used) and a couple pieces of a cake she made. She’s real estate sales woman that likely can afford to spend 40 bucks especially since she spent about 3 grand on a new outrigger canoe. I just let it go (I don’t use cologne or perfume) and trashed what she gave me. Weird and insulting. Next time I’ll need the $’s up front. HA!

Another time when I was working my boss gave me quick picks lottery ticket for as a Christmas present. I was shocked to see that the winning numbers had already been published. Of all the gall. Unbelievable!

Sexual gag gifts. Not funny, especially when you would have brought a more practical gift that anyone might actually want.

My boss gave us cards with one dollar scratch-offs. Rude.

!0 years my boss gave us nothing,so a buck scratch aint that bad.