To think some people spend a ridiculous amount on their partner at Christmas (or am I just stingy?)

[BelleHelene]

I know it's not really my business, but I can't believe how much some of my friends spend on their partner's presents. DP and I usually spend about £100 in total on each other, which I think is quite a decent amount. We both earn decent wages by the way.
I have many friends that think nothing of buying iPads, xboxs etc and I know they're not rolling in it. Why do people do this? What's the point?

[GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen]

I think £100 on your partner is excessive and don't see the point in that. So it's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?

And budget and income and all sorts of things.

My husband and I each spent about £30, including stocking stuffers.

[Mymumsfurcoat]

We spend a lot. It's a chance to spoil someone you love.

[Trills]

YABU to call how other people choose to spend their money "ridiculous".

They are grownups, they can choose to spend their money how they like.

If this makes them happy, why not?

[NotYoMomma]

we usually spend a lot (80ish?) but having a year off this year as we had an extra baby and got the garden sorted for dd1 in summer

so no presents this year, im slightly sad

[Sleepwhenidie]

it's not really my business

^ this! as with how anyone else spends their money on anything.

[FlipFlippingFlippers]

I've spent £3 on my dh and he's bloody lucky, we don't usually buy each other gifts.

[Trills]

There could be an interesting discussion here, about the "value" of gifts and how you can often end up spending £100 on something that, if the person had their choice, they would not consider to be worth £100.

But your "they buy iPads even though they are not rolling in it" is not the best start for an interesting discussion. What's wrong with an iPad? They are quite nice.

[Squitten]

I would call a £100 spend on anybody excessive. Maybe for a big birthday but certainly not Xmas.

[GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen]

I would love an iPad for Christmas, that's for sure Trills.

But I am not getting one.

[wonkylegs]

I always buy gifts I've thought about and my DH wants sometimes they are expensive other times cheap as chips. I've never equated it to an amount to spend AND it is always what I could afford to spare.
This year it's quite expensive, last year it wasn't really.

[Bumblequeen]

I would spend £££££ on dh if I could afford to. I would love to spoil him.

We do not buy each other Christmas gifts - only buy for the dc.

[mistermakersgloopyglue]

I agree that it's all relative. Some people (including myself a few years ago) would think that £100 would be an excessive amount of money to spend on a partner, you obviously think its reasonable and the 'correct' amount of money to spend.

Meh.

[Chocotrekkie]

Everyone's different. When would you buy an iPad/xbox/camera etc if you wanted one ?

I would feel guilty just going out and buying fancy coffee machine for myself on a random day in November - but my oh has bought me it for Christmas.

Some years we don't buy anything at all - just a tube of sweets or something. Depends on the circumstances.

I would rather spend 3 hundred every 3 years and get something I really wanted rather than a small amount on bits I don't really want.

[ScarletLady02]

If I had the money I'd spoil him rotten, and he would as well...

As it is we're both broke as a joke so a bit of under the duvet (because we can't afford heating) Christmas sex will be about the size of it

[bamboostalks]

What can you get for £30 that also includes stocking fillers?

[whois]

DP and I don't really go in for gifts too much mainly because if we want or need something it usually gets bought at the point in time it's needed.

However saying that, total Christmas gifts from DP have ranged from a pack of sweets to a dishwasher so quite a big range of cost!

[trinity0097]

I have spent about £120, but mainly stuff that he wanted/needed and has put off buying so I could get him it for Xmas. So he had £50 special Xbox headphones, which will benefit me!, box set of fringe, a DVD he wanted, a t-shirt he wanted and a belt which he needs!

[GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen]

A DVD box set and some bits and bobs from Hawkins Bazaar, Bamboo.

I'm a really good bargain hunter.

[recall]

LOL @ notyomumma …"extra baby"

[Joysmum]

I think people who question the gift choices of others in terms of monetary value are revealing more about their money hang ups than the people they are commenting on, whether it's about spending too much or too little.

Gift giving is about pleasing the recipient and nothing to do with the value of the gift. All that's important is affordability and that's only the business of the giver.

[Mummytotwox]

My god, my dh spent £600 on me last Xmas.. I got a new iPad and phone. I spent £50 on him. This year I think he's spent around £140.

[noblegiraffe]

I got an iPad for Xmas a couple of years back. If it could wear out from overuse it would have worn out months ago.

If it hadn't been a Christmas present, there would have been no way I could have justified getting one for myself. I never really spend money on myself so it was nice to be treated.

[ICanSeeTheSeaFromHere]

DH and I spend around £30 on each other plus a bottle of perfume/aftershave that we need anyway.

We prefer to save our money and have a family weekend away when the kids are off school in Feb.

[wordfactory]

We spend an awful lot on one another.

But in our defnece we can afford it and we don't give one another gifts or tokens throughout the year.

We also buy one another large ticket items that we might not buy for ourselves.

[DirtyDancingCleanLiving]

I've spent around £150.

I don't spend money for the sake of it. I never bulk up on tat just because. Everything I've bought him I know he will love.

I agree with a pp who said cost should not be relevant when buying other people gifts, only the enjoyment of the recipient. As long as the buyer can afford it, it's no business of anyone elses.

You live to your means. Some people will spend a tenner, you'll have other couple who could spend a few thousand on expensive jewellery or the like.