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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have spent £180 on a diary

243 replies

MissRabbitsOtherJob · 20/12/2013 21:50

Early finish and drinks after work (Pitcher and Piano on Cornhill in London if it makes any difference).

Stumbled out of there well oiled, spotted Smythsons over the road at Royal Exchange and remembered I'd been asked by the missus for a diary for Xmas.

I went to pay and they wanted £180. That's £2 per day!

It's a nice diary but the price is still a bit toppy.

Just hope she like it

OP posts:
Mabelandrose · 20/12/2013 22:41

Smythson IS worth the money. The paper is wonderful. She will enjoy it ever single day. At least it's a useful present and not something she will use once and then hide in the cupboard!

SuckItAndSee · 20/12/2013 22:43

YABVU

the Pitcher and Piano is a terrible place
I would stick to the Jamaica Wine House

Original poster
MissRabbitsOtherJob · 20/12/2013 22:43

LEM, in the film Mark D'arcy went to the Mont Blanc shop, about 4 doors down from Smythsons, but even more dangerous is the Hermes shop next to Mont Blanc., £400 for a scarf

OP posts:
Egusta · 20/12/2013 22:45

I could understand a really expensive scarf though- if you work out a value per wear kind of thing, and wear it a lot.

MinesAPintOfTea · 20/12/2013 22:45

If you have to ask the concierge what the price is you can't afford it right? Xmas Sad

ThePinkOcelot · 20/12/2013 22:45

But it just looks like a diary! Seen them in the £1 shop and they look the same. There really is a limit to what you can do with it.

ouryve · 20/12/2013 22:46

You see, a well researched power drill is a great present. I got DH a cordless hammer drill a couple of years ago to replace the crappy corded one he had. It's been well used. I did the research while drinking the wine, rather than afterwards.

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 20/12/2013 22:46

You know waaaay too much about that film Missrabbits you are colin firth arent you? Marry me?

scrivette · 20/12/2013 22:46

Ohh if she doesn't want it send it my way. Smythson is absolutely my favourite shop in the whole world!

Fukeit · 20/12/2013 22:47

Egusta wowzers did you pay for the piano?

This has just shown me you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Who'd have thought a wealthy male banker would leave the bright lights of The City on the last Friday before Christmas to come on Mumsnet.

Original poster
MissRabbitsOtherJob · 20/12/2013 22:48

Suckit, I was sick on my boss' shoes in the Jamaica once. Unfortunately my boss was a woman in louboutins. Awkward

OP posts:
Egusta · 20/12/2013 22:51

We did indeed pay for the piano, and fully intend to re-ebay pick it up some time in the future.

Have no bleeding idea where we will put it though.

DH is quite laid back generally, and whenever I comment about how much we paid for the blinking thing he just points out that since then we have never been pissed and bought anything, so in the long run have possibly saved money. Hmm

CranberrySaucyJack · 20/12/2013 22:52

OP- you know your wife best.

I'd say it was about 50/50 on these threads between women who'd be delighted at the extravagance of such a gift, and those of us who'd be punching you repeatedly in the face whilst screaming "You could've bought a new fucking fridge for that you stupid cunt!"

I hope for your sake your wife is the former.

Fukeit · 20/12/2013 22:53

Egusta yikes do you know the people baby sitting your piano? What if they've moved? Do you get visitation rights?

LifeTooShort · 20/12/2013 22:54

I never regret my drunken purchases. Last time it was a Burberry coat and Prada handbag both of which give me a great deal of pleasure.

SabraCadabra · 20/12/2013 22:56

Blimey thats a steep diary got mine from Poundland, ridiculous amount to pay.

Egusta · 20/12/2013 22:57

No, we don't know them! They were the ebay vendors! They may have sold the thing for all I know.

See, it is an utterly ridiculous scenario. About 4 years ago I e-mailed and suggested we pay them storage costs (they ebay, but are a shop dealing in antiques). They just replied and said it was not in their way. Every now and then I suggest to DH that we ask them to ebay it again and take a cut for their trouble.

KatoPotatoHoHo · 20/12/2013 22:58

Hope it lasts a year! My minted sister got a smythson purse for about £400 and it literally fell to pieces within months!

Egusta · 20/12/2013 22:58

The mess came about because we were ebaying plus moving house, plus suing someone and life events just took over.

It is a bit of a mess though.

WhereIsMyHat · 20/12/2013 22:59

Not unreasonable at all. Coming from the owner of a £120 roterfaden diary Xmas Grin

It is Christmas after all.

TikkaTurkey · 20/12/2013 23:00

Bloody hell. I wouldn't care how much money I had - even if I was rich and rolling in bank notes I would baulk at spending that much on a diary!
That's insane, sorry. You know you can get a diary that does the exact same job and looks smart for a quid from Poundland, right?! Grin
Even if it was encrusted with crystals I'd still think it was a bloody rip off.

FutTheShuckUp · 20/12/2013 23:00

OP you are a woman, having us at it. Must try harder

Original poster
MissRabbitsOtherJob · 20/12/2013 23:02

Kato, she's got a purse and iPad cover from Smythsons from last year and they still look amazing. I think you were unlucky, but you'd be pretty upset if they didn't last given the price

OP posts:
musicposy · 20/12/2013 23:02

I would love that diary

I would not love thinking DH had spent £180 on it - I'd be furious. But money is extremely tight for us and just paying for the essentials like food is hard.

Assuming money is less of a problem for you, she should love it.

Fukeit · 20/12/2013 23:02

Egusta I think you should go visit in the new year. Maybe have a little tinkle just to stake your claim.