agreed a £10 limit for kids presents and just opened about £200 worth

[littlemissmulledwine]

how would you feel?

we agreed a limit as moneys tight for both of us then ds (9month) presents arrive and open them to find over £200 worth.

i feel uncomfortable and have asked to return some as they have tags as we arent in a position to spend that much on their dd's

[littlemissmulledwine]

just to add that we opened them as ds has been giving quite alot already and we don't want him to become overwhelmed on xmas day so opening few bits early

[ShatnersBassoon]

Why did you open them before Christmas?

Anyway, it's their choice. Accept their choices with good grace.

[ujjayi]

Hmm. Are the givers of the genuinely generous type or of the "considerably richer than you" type? If the former, I would graciously accept. If you made the budget clear, they will not judge you in the slightest. If the latter, well then I would return because they are just playing one-upmanship.

[shesariver]

Who are they from as I dont know who you are referring to in your post? . Do you mean you asked someone to spend a max of £10 and they have spent £200?

[littlemissmulledwine]

opened early as he will get so much we decided to open bits each day cos at his christening he was really overwhelmed by it all.

they are better off than us but they were the ones who asked about setting a budget. last week they asked to borrow a coat for their dd as money was tight

[Lottikins]

Lucky!!!!

[ChristmasJubilee]

Just spend the agreed limit. Not your problem. You won't know what they spent until Christmas Day anyway, will you?

[givemeaclue]

Who is it you are talking about?

Is it one person you asked to spend £10 and they have spent £200- how do you know the cost?

[OnTheBottomWithAStringOfTinsel]

They sound really bad at money management - they asked you for a loan and then gave you gifts worth £200???

I think I'd return the gift and say that I'd much rather they got a refund and were able to clothe their own child before buying gifts for another (however I'm sure there's a much more tactful way of saying it than that!)

[YuleBritannia]

Just because the gift 'looks like' £200 worth doesn't mean that it is. It might have come from e-bay or a charity shop where they have only the best on display. Perhaps it was even a prize that had been won!

[littlemissmulledwine]

i just feel that its far to much and feel really uncomfortable about

i know i might sound ungrateful but i don't mean too it just puts me in an awkward position and feels bizarre that they have got more for him than dp & i have for our own son

[Hatescolds]

How old is their dd? Could they be recycling things that she got last year hence apparently costing more? We often do this in our family.

Otherwise agree with above - if you decided a limit and they decided to exceed this that is their choice.

[BluelightsAndSirens]

Maybe they had gift vouchers for that store or bought in one of the flash sales?

I got some paper Jamz for £5 instead of £34.99

I'm a bit [shocked] that you think your 9 month old will have too many presents so you are getting ahead on opening them, how many do you think is too many?

Surely you just open them over the course of Christmas, part of it for us is seeing the presents build up under the tree?

Yabu

[SledsImOn]

how on earth have they managed to spend so much ifthey are unable to afford a coat for their child?

I'm failing to understand.

[Sirzy]

That is a big difference!

That said I agreed a £25 budget for my sisters sons spent £35 and got about £90 worth of stuff so although they have spent more than agreed they may not have spent as much as you think if that makes sense!

[littlemissmulledwine]

it is clearly over 200 as half of the presents have got tags still on and the other half are things like formula, nappies etc which are always a set cost.

we agreed 1 small token present per child of around £10 in September

[littlemissmulledwine]

blue he already has 5 sack fulls of presents both sets of grandparents as were seeing them all on xmas day

[PottedShrimp]

OP - who has given these presnts? Friend or relative?

[adeucalione]

Well I wouldn't consider formula and nappies to be a present for a 9mo baby really...those things are more to help you out really aren't they?

Either they got them cheaply, or they are passing on an unwanted gift, or they had vouchers to spend, or they stole them

[littlemissmulledwine]

that should be without any from grandparents in those 5 sacks

[squeakytoy]

are they shoplifters?

[BluelightsAndSirens]

Bloody hell, where are you going to put it all after Christmas

[littlemissmulledwine]

my sister. There's a few bits in there that are passed on but definitely over £200 that isn't

[LIZS]

Are you sure it isn't left over from their dd or maybe stuff they have accumulated/won and not used. Just because presents are for ds doesn't mean that he has to be the one to open them ! he also won't know if it is Christmas Day ro 4 days later.