WWYD - expensive present from a friend

[WhatAmIsupposeToDoNow]

A very good friend of mine gifted me a fairly expensive present for Christmas. Clearly she has put lots of thought into it. I gifted her a present as well but it was rather symbolic. Last year I got her present for her birthday (between Christmas and New Year so goes with Christmas theme) and she got me nothing which is fine.

I just feel bad I didn't gift her something better thought through. Do you think it makes sense for me to gift something for her coming birthday? Or just leave it and put more thought I to some other occasion instead? Not sure what the best thing to do is

It sounds as though your gift giving doesn't form a rigid give/receive pattern which I think is healthy. If you have a good gift idea for her imminent birthday, then go for it, but if it will just be buying something expensive for the sake of it, leave it until you find something she'd really value.

@Forever1973 - she genuinely just found stuff that she really liked and wanted me to have. And also an item that she owns and I really admired(a version of it). I she she gifted me about £100 worth of it and mine was less than £10 (gesture rather). But it wasn't for her birthday it was just a Christmas present from me

Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think this obsession with presents costing the same is healthy. How much we value a friendship should not be counted in money.

Very occasionally i have spent more than I normally would on a friends present because I saw something perfect I knew they would love. I certainly didn't expect them to try and even it up.

Thank you ladies. @helpfulperson - that's a very fair point. I certainly don't expect friends to match my presents and don't quite expect to receive anything in return either. I'm sure she's the same.

This has happened to me before. I waited until her birthday and bought something I knew she'd love with a higher budget. I couldn't match her budget, but it was more expensive.

It sounds more like she got you something really thoughtful. I wouldn’t worry about the money - people spend what they like. But I’d probably keep an eye out for something really thoughtful for her birthday that showed I put an equal amount of that into her present, don’t worry about the price tag.