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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to not pay for half DPs family's presents?

81 replies

isitnormal · 14/12/2013 14:59

I've been with DP 2.5 years. He moved into my house in January and we pay half and half for mortgage / bills / food, etc, but the rest of our money is in separate bank accounts for us to spend as we wish - we earn roughly the same amount.
I have a very small family, just my mum and dad, whereas in addition to his parents he has 4 siblings, plus their long term partners.
DP seems to think I should go half and half with him on the 10 presents for his family whereas I envisaged buying presents for mine and him buying presents for his.
I've spent a lot of my own money on the house recently including buying a new bath and fridge without asking him for a penny because they were things I felt we needed and he felt we didn't.
AIBU to say no to paying for half his family's presents?

OP posts:
Caitlin17 · 14/12/2013 21:29

imperialBltether I'm largely indifferent to them. I wouldn't choose any of them as friends.

Tapiocapearl · 14/12/2013 21:57

I let DH get on with paying and buying gifts for his side of the family. I got sucked into doing it for him and paying but that really didn't seem fair after a while. DH had such an easy ride.

Now I get my families gifts and say they are from both of us while he gets his families gifts and says they are from both of us.

ToffeeOwnsTheSausage · 14/12/2013 22:18

At last! An advantage to me having no family.

I am a SAHM. I have an allowance every month but I also save every month to pay for Christmas so I buy most of the presents for everyone and just transfer the money from the Christmas account to mine. DH also buys some presents for his parents, brother and brother in law. It is all joint money so it doesn't really matter. I just have an allowance paid into my account as it was easier for me to budget .

As soon as DH and I were together we were both on the tags, no idea who paid at the beginning but suspect DH did.

Bellarina80 · 15/12/2013 00:28

I buy the presents for my family, DP buys them for his family. The presents are from both of us. Simple and fair. YANBU

MistressDeeCee · 15/12/2013 08:31

If he's not contributing to your family's presents then why should you contribute to his? Really hope he's not one of those men over-focused on his DWs money, but keeping as much of his money to himself as possible ie..very scarce when it comes to buying things that cost a bigger amount. Like larger applicances. Or presents for a large amount of family members.

MimiSunshine · 15/12/2013 09:11

It doesn't actually sound like he's demanding the OP pays half, just that he was surprised she said no. Maybe he was thinking along the lines of tags and signing them from both.
Maybe he was looking forward to the status of "love BF & OP" in the eyes of his family.

Anyway it's perfectly fine to pay for presents separately. We are, it's our first Christmas living together as well and in October I suggested we buy the presents separately but put from both of us on the tags.
The main reasons for this are that I buy for more people than my BF, I like to spend what I want on them and I don't want to become 'Head of Sourcing and Purchasing' for all my family, his family and our future offspring, so keen for my BF to retain his 'experience in the field' so to speak.

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