Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Presents that aren't really presents?!

76 replies

BobbysBeardOfWonder · 17/09/2012 21:20

Anyone else have this with their DH/DP?

DH: "I got you a present!"
Me: "ooh thanks, a Twix! Yum!"
...a few minutes later
DH: "are you going to open it then?"
Me: "not yet"
DH: "can I have it then"

Gahhhhh! Just buy one for yourself & stop pretending you got it for me! Drives me mad Angry

OP posts:
NiniLegsInTheAir · 18/09/2012 15:51

When we bought our first house a few years ago (just before xmas), as our xmas present we got silver napkin rings from my husband's loaded but tight aunt & uncle. Confused

I wouldn't have minded too much, but we had no furniture, not even a dining table. I think my reaction (when we got home naturally) was along the lines of "We have nowhere to sit and eat, but we have napkin rings!"

PowerDresser · 18/09/2012 15:54

NiniLegsInTheAir

Try a Wanted ad on Freecycle. You'd be surprised at how many useful things are there, including furniture. Hiring a van to collect would be cheaper than buying furniture from a charity shop. At least you would have something to use until you had a more 'desired' table or other item unless you have passed that stage, of course.

NiniLegsInTheAir · 18/09/2012 15:56

Thanks PD, this was a few years back so I can happily say we now have a dining table Grin. The silver napkin rings don't get used though I'm an uncouth woman who uses kitchen roll to mop up when eating

Pandemoniaa · 18/09/2012 16:02

That would do my head in Quenelle. I can take at least 2 days to eat a Topic. Admittedly, I suspect this is unreasonable behaviour in its own right but for all that, what's mine is mine! No matter how long I care to take over eating it!

HecateHarshPants · 18/09/2012 16:10

HiHowAreYou - you know how to sort that one, don't you?

ask for the one you don't want Grin

NatashaBee · 18/09/2012 16:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ByTheWay1 · 18/09/2012 16:12

Oh goody - at last - NatashaBee - your truck trumps my shed!!! did he give a reason??

CupsofTeaAndHandfulsOfCake · 18/09/2012 16:13

Throughout my entire childhood my little brother would hand me a Christmas, birthday, whatever present and before I had opened it he would say 'I'll have it if you don't want it'.
But I did once buy myself, my brother and my ex a huge Easter egg each, I ate them all myself within about 2 hours. Needless to say I was sick. Couldn't eat choccy eggs for months after.

CupsofTeaAndHandfulsOfCake · 18/09/2012 16:15

And I always buy everyone no matter who it is or how old they are my favourite cake on their birthday. I don't go home until I have eaten lots of it.

timetosmile · 18/09/2012 16:18

stealth it scrubbed up really well and lasted for years Smile

I would love someone to buy me my OWN shed, just for me with no skateboards, sandpit toys, bits of old LandRover and drying onions..

NotaDisneyMum · 18/09/2012 16:19

I do have an ex-h who could be guaranteed to buy gifts that bore no resemblance to anything I'd ever have wanted but which always seemed to suit him perfectly. Books by his favourite authors and home brewing kits spring to mind.

I have an ex like this too - on the surface he'd seem very generous, but the gifts were all things that he wanted to use/own. Now he's doing the same with DD, too Hmm

He's filled her ipod with songs he likes, and the laptop he bought and gave her, not only came with specific conditions on where she could use it (anywhere but at my house!) but he has set up profiles for him and his fiancee on it, and loaded lots of software that they want to use - so much for her laptop, eh?

Catsmamma · 18/09/2012 16:19

I was bought a new coffee maker for my christmas present last year, I love coffee, I longed for that particular style of coffee maker for ages and had bought myself one previously.

But bearing in mind it was dh who smashed the vital part of the first one I failed to acknowledge this as my actual present.

Incidentally dd broke the same bloody bit on the second one, so now i have TWO useless coffee jugs and no damned filter parts....I am making sure no one buys me a third one for birthday or christmas.

DowntonOut · 18/09/2012 16:24

That chocolate rule is evil! I am able to save nice things. I was once still eating Christmas chocolate in March (or maybe even April). But my husband devours everything instantly. I have to be very clear about my chocolate being mine. He still tries it on when his is all gone, but I remind him that it was his choice not to make it last. When I was dieting I would buy a large bar of dark choc and have a square or two a day. DH would ask for some and the next thing he'd have the bar out in front of the telly, scoffing at least half the bar or usually finishing it. Made me very Angry

He also has form for buying me shit plants and gadgets he wants. In 13 years the only gift that has really touched me was a tiny trinket bought on the spur of the moment while visiting another city. And that was in the first year. Sad

Purplemonster · 18/09/2012 16:26

Last Christmas OH bought me a cheap set of non stick pans and some egg cups and my Mother bought me/us a duvet. We did already have several duvets in the house but she assured me that this wasn't just any duvet, this was a WASHABLE duvet Confused
If it's not exciting, it's not a real present. I'm trying to cancel Christmas this year as I just can't face pretending to be pleased when I unwrap a load of things I don't want!

Syrupent · 18/09/2012 16:26

My aunt once gave me a pair of discarded childs' swimming trunks she had found on a beach. She thought they would do for one of my DS. No really they wouldn't, even after removing the sand and seaweed!

Kendodd · 18/09/2012 16:29

I've never been one for exercise or going to gyms but that didn't stop an (ex) boyfriend buying me a sit up bar for my birthday once. Handed over with the line that "you've only got a bit of flab" thanks!

PurplePidjin · 18/09/2012 16:33

Dp to his sister - an axe

Dad to Mum - 1kg Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. Wrapped, with ribbon and bow, under the Christmas tree.

IsItMeOr · 18/09/2012 16:35

Loving these Grin.

Catsmamma I'm with you. But can you not buy a replacement part? What make/model/part is it?

flow4 · 18/09/2012 16:37

My friend's ex got her a toilet seat for one Christmas. Not even a wooden one. And they only had one loo in the house, and 3 children. Notice I said 'ex'. Grin

gallifrey · 18/09/2012 16:44

For my birthday a couple of years ago I got a new laptop, wrapped up in birthday wrapping paper and given to me on my birthday (this is important btw)
However when I later referred to it as my laptop I was told that it wasn't mine at all but it was for us all to use.
I stated that it was given to me as a birthday present only to be told by my dh that it was a bit of an extravagant present and it was actually bought for all of us but as he bought it on my birthday decided to wrap it up and give it to me!!

He still didn't understand why I was so pissed off!

agedknees · 18/09/2012 16:52

My mil takes the biscuit. Took her food shopping (80 mile trip there, 80 miles back home).

Unpacking the shopping. Wait, agedknees I have something for you. She takes a gateau out of the freezer and gives it to me.

Nice you might say. But the gateau was 2 months out of date and had a large slice taken out of it. Mil says "I tried it, it was horrible so you might as well have it"!!!

Can do without pressies like that.

She does similar to my sil all the time.

SpudtheScarecrow · 18/09/2012 17:12

This has just reminded me that years ago my ex said he'd get me a mobile phone in the late '90s when they were still a bit of a novelty. He was working and I was still a student and I was doing lots of motorway driving for my PGCE and to visit him. What he did in the end was upgrade his own phone and pass his old one on to me. Although it achieved the objective of giving me a phone so I felt safe while driving I always felt it was a bit mean-spirited. If only I'd heeded the warning - we got married the year after and then split up after a couple more years.Pr

Lueji · 18/09/2012 17:12

my mil bought me an IRONING BOARD! for my 30th birthday! i do not do ironing.

5madthings, you do know why she gave you that board, really, don't you? Grin Wink

5madthings · 18/09/2012 17:28

i dont buy clothes that need ironing tho! never have. four boys and their clothes get hung out neatly or tumble dried. dp dresses in casual clothes for work, no shirts etc
its only since having dd that i have had to iron as some of her dresses need ironing but rarely. all school.uniform.us the range from m&s that can.be tumblw dried and doesnt need ironing.

seriously my 30th bday. by all means buy me an ironing board but dont try to claim.it is a present! it so isnt!

5madthings · 18/09/2012 17:28

i dont buy clothes that need ironing tho! never have. four boys and their clothes get hung out neatly or tumble dried. dp dresses in casual clothes for work, no shirts etc
its only since having dd that i have had to iron as some of her dresses need ironing but rarely. all school.uniform.us the range from m&s that can.be tumblw dried and doesnt need ironing.

seriously my 30th bday. by all means buy me an ironing board but dont try to claim.it is a present! it so isnt!