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No Gifts Here

January 18th, 2008 at 03:18 pm

Dh and I don't really exchange gifts any more.

It's more of a one-income thing than a gift thing. We rather save up our pennies for vacation and stuff like that than buy each other more crap.

I don't know, we have been doing this more consciously in the last couple of years.

Anyway, the guy in MyMoneyBlog said so much about him and his wife. No gifts for Christmas. & the response to his blog was kind of nasty. Like the world will end if you don't join in the consumerism for christmas, for your spouse.

I have to say we are QUITE happy with this arrangement.

For one, I think the joy of gift getting has gone out the window with the one-income thing. It is hard for my spouse to pick up a gift without me noticing (I pay all the bills and look at the cards daily, etc.). Plus, though my dh is a great gift giver, it is annoying that my paycheck goes to these gifts. Maybe I would have rather gotten something else. I don't know. IT just isn't the same. I imagine when money isn't as tight, it won't matter. I might appreciate some gifts. But for now, I appreciate not having to pay for them more. Big Grin That is what it REALLY comes down to. Dh is on the same page. For him it probably helps his parents spoil him rotten. He rather we save our pennies for TVs and the like than more junk on his birthday.

Of course one thing nice I always do is take the kids out and give dh a free day. See, it's not like you have to do something materialistic to be nice. There is nothing he would rather have more than that.

This year I am not sure I can swing it or that it will cut it. He had THREE days with no kids this week. LOL. & I am working all weekend and ha has plans (& babysitters).

So I don't know.

I will probably give him $25 to his allowance to go buy some Blu-Ray movies. Then he can pick out what he really wants. There is probably nothing he wants more.

I also agreed I wouldn't nag him for trading the carseat for the PSP. LOL. That's his gift too. I could use the cash and the budget is about $110 over right now for January. I was planning on getting in the range of $100 for the carseat to cover that. So that is also a pretty nice gift.

He'll give me his birthday money to cover the cash shortfall. I didn't spend my birthday money on anything but bills, so seems fair.

He is skeptical but his mom gave ME $100 this year (kind of rare). I said if I got $100 I get the feeling you will get $100. His grandparents will each give him $50 too. I might put some to retirement. Oh I am not counting on it all 1000%, but I think odds are good he will get some decent cash.

I was hoping we could just add these to our allowances, but just didn't pan out this year. There is a fairness factor there. Usually his parents and grandparents rain cash on him and I get zilch. So who knows. Then again now his family is giving me cash. So it might be more fair in a year. ?? We'll see. We always play it by ear. It helps our birthdays are back to back. It helps with the fairness card. Of course, we are also pretty happy to forego gifts and cash and all that right before/after Christmas. Since we get plenty for that too.

Anyway, for the weekend we are going to San Jose tomorrow for a dental appointment. We are going to have lunch with our parents (I may treat, or my parents; we'll fight it out). I wanted to treat with my raise. But I expected it to be more. So if they insist - will take the offer.

Olive Garden. Can't remember the last time I went!! Ages...

Then dh has a poker game. He took $40 cash for that. Since it is his birthday weekend, I hope that means good luck. He actually usually comes out ahead. But I think last time he came home with $0, or only 1/2 or something. We'll see.

His mom is babysitting so I can work all weekend. Phew. Well I hope to work most Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Then enjoy the rest of the day with the fam.

Oh and we are going to try a new pizza place Sunday night. So it will be a bit of a spendy weekend. Dentist, gas, 2 meals out. A good $700/$800 weekend? (Mostly Dentist!)

BM is going to the dentist with us.

I left a message for a recommended pediatric dentist for LM. They never called back. It took me ALL this time to get the nerve and they can't even call back. I take it as a sign to look elsewhere. LOL. I know technology is not fail safe, but I am terribly annoyed. I always look at these things as signs.

Bah.

Man I just hate dentists. Very bad experiences. Not looking forward to this on so many levels. Back to the drawing board for LM. He really needs to be seen. My dentist won't touch him with a ten-foot pole because he is a "baby." Which is fair. He gripes about BM but he was excellent and the hygenist insisted we just bring him in. This will be his second visit and he did excellent last time. He actually LOVES the dentist. (Who is this kid? LOL.) Anyway. I think my dentist said he sees 6 or 7yos and at this point BM can pass for that age. He did very well. But still looking for a pediatric dentist for LM.

4 Responses to “No Gifts Here”

  1. scfr Says:
    1200674888

    We don't formally exchange gifts either --- I just can't imagine why people would be critical about that! If it works for the couple in question, as long as both are happy with the arrangement, that should be all that matters.

  2. Ima saver Says:
    1200676051

    We don't give gifts for birthdays either. Christmas is just things we really need, socks and underwear, etc.

  3. denisentexas Says:
    1200677724

    About Christmas and gifts - DH gave up that holiday many years ago and I gave it up about 12 years ago. No one gets Christmas gifts from us. Once a year the kids all get something they really want like a 35 mm camera, a guitar, an amp, etc. and DH and I have never given one another any gifts that I can think of. It isn't really a money issue for us - we just aren't into giving one another gifts and we steer very clear of almost all the holidays. There's nothing wrong with not giving gifts, whether you have the money for them or not. That's your business.

  4. gruntina Says:
    1200678035

    We still exchange gifts. But they are necessary items. I needed shoes to wear at the house for gardening and daily wood chopping and splitting. I moved to the forest when I married him, before that I lived in the city and work for HR so I only had a few shoes for work (high heals). So for Christmas he bought me duty shoes for the house purpose. It is what I needed but the gift was he pick it out himself and surprise me with the style and etc.. For things he needs, I do the same and we have been enjoying that.

    I try not to take things for granted and those shoes were a wonderful Christmas gift. I guess it depends on what “gifts” means to you. If it is something I can not really use or needed, It does not really feel like a great gift.

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