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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder how you and your OH do Christmas pressies

93 replies

Bearbehind · 26/11/2015 22:34

Not exactly a thread about a thread but certainly inspired by it.

I'm intrigued as to how others do their Christmas shopping.

DH and I buy each other things we know the other wants.

Granted, it's not a surprise but I'd still far rather that than wasting money on something neither of us wants or needs.

Also- I wouldn't think of making purchase of something that could be my Christmas pressie just before christmas as it's hard enough thinking of things I do want.

Does anyone like getting complete surprises that they might not want / need?

OP posts:

Twowrongsdontmakearight · 27/11/2015 06:59

Having had amber earrings and French style crockery for three years on the trot when we first got married I now give DH a very long list ranging from candles to new flooring in the hall! DH does an Amazon wish list for his mum and DC as he loves obscure books and we'd never guess. I also get him a surprise that he might have noticed during the year. One year it was antlers for the wall or a Lord if the Rings goblet!

We do a few presents each because we all love Christmas and unwrapping gifts. We get more for each other now as we don't have grandparents to give or receive from.

lastqueenofscotland · 27/11/2015 07:08

Surprises all the way. But we know each other better than we know ourselves and so far surprises have gone brilliantly

JoyceDivision · 27/11/2015 07:12

books fordh, we get smaller suprise gifts (but he usually picks me some nice stuff from joules!)

This year he's getting some of the ladybird from grown up books

SerenityReynolds · 27/11/2015 07:17

We do pretty much the same as you Bear. We each write a list of things we would like, and the other chooses things off it up to our budget. That way, we each get things we would like, but are never sure exactly what. However, there have been a couple of occasions where one of us has seen something that we are confident the other would love (I bought DH gig tickets a few years ago).

Mehitabel6 · 27/11/2015 07:19

We give suggestions and might get some of it but might get complete surprises.

Mamadothehump · 27/11/2015 07:19

We don't buy each other anything. At all. We haven't done since we had the children. All our money is joint and if we want something, we buy it. We always go on holiday for new year and usually buy something for the house. Both of our birthdays are relatively close to Christmas and we buy each other presents then.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 27/11/2015 07:19

We don't really get each other anything. We have a joint account and if we want/need anything we buy it as an when we want/need it. I genuinely wouldn't have anything to put on a list. If we do buy anything it will be a small 'surprise'.

Fratelli · 27/11/2015 07:23

We don't really spend money on ourselves throughout the year so we both pick up on what the other has mentioned they would like. For example if we're out and he says "oh I like that xxxxx" I'll make a mental note of it. So it's a suprise but we know it's wanted.

sandgrown · 27/11/2015 07:34

The one reason I miss my ex-DH is his ability to buy and wrap beautiful gifts for me! Current OH has no idea and hates shopping and only goes a far as the local supermarket. I now tell grown up DD what I want and she "helps" him.

corlette · 27/11/2015 07:34

I buy what I'd like, this year it's perfume and a book.
DP buys what he'd like, which is a pair of Star Wars light sabre barbecue tongs (dear God why?) so far.
I wrap them up and we open them in front of the kids on Christmas Day while oohing and ahhing about the surprise and how it's just what we always wanted.

mouldycheesefan · 27/11/2015 07:39

Star Wars light sabre barbecue tongs?
Well that's my dh Xmas sorted!

We buy a joint item, previous years been an iPad, laptop, new TV, a picture we wanted. This year it's a holiday. We have a few small things to open on Xmas day. We both have birthdays around the same time.

ClashCityRocker · 27/11/2015 07:41

We do surprise gifts - there might be a few hints. We do go a wee bit OTT as we don't have dc and don't buy much for ourselves during the year. We've agreed this year that the main gift will be a holiday in the new year, but will still get each other wrap-up gifts.

Plus, I'm totally infantile and like seeing a pile of presents on Christmas morning!

ClashCityRocker · 27/11/2015 07:42

On the flip side, we don't really do birthday gifts, more just go out for the day.

Strangertides1 · 27/11/2015 07:43

We do something similar. Dh will also ask for a superdry fleece, as by the of the year is covered in i removable stains! So I get him that plus a few extra bit I've listened out fit, this years is a new man bag, a photo desk calendar and a cheese board. He'll alway ask me to email him in a list, I put about 10 things on it, hoping for 2/3.

RatOnnaStick · 27/11/2015 07:44

No presents here either. He will probably come home with a nice bouquet, I might get a good bottle of booze. That'll be it.

SevenSeconds · 27/11/2015 07:52

We don't have a set method really. Sometimes it's a surprise, sometimes we ask for something we specially want.

snozzlemaid · 27/11/2015 07:54

We put anything we'd like on an Amazon wishlist. Then we decide what to get from there. Sort of a surprise what you get but its something that you do want.

PennyHasNoSurname · 27/11/2015 07:55

DH and I have a £50 limit each, and we do a nice meal out (just done that).

He usually wants some sort of Outdoorsy tool which he sends me a link to, then I get bits to flesh out - this year a little book, a shower speaker, some socks.

His gifts to.me usually include pjs (my favourite!), and something from Molten Brown.

SheGotAllDaMoves · 27/11/2015 07:55

We give each other several gifts.
All surprises.
Although, often we might have dropped hints .

onecurrantbun1 · 27/11/2015 08:00

We have a joint bank account so it would feel weird to get an expensive surprise as we run purchases past each other. We tend to get each other a small "surprise" (£10ish) so just a book and some chocolates or a DVD. Then we have a joint treat in January - although this year it looks like the treat will be DH having 2 weeks paternity leave as i reckon we will be skint! We've had a big year as we've moved house and changed car but I'd love to get a Google Chromecast between us.

HackerFucker22 · 27/11/2015 08:03

We'd don't do pressies for each other at Christmas. We spend loads on tree, food and drink (and the kids) but nothing for each other.

That said DP did buy me a ring a few years back (my birthstone, on silver - I don't like gold) as I'd had baby a few weeks before Xmas.

WheresLarry · 27/11/2015 08:06

We buy each other a small gift but don't go wild. Usually we book a night away together at a hotel, that's our treat.

Pranmasghost · 27/11/2015 08:13

We fill stockings for each other and buy one thing that we know the other wants as well as a couple of surprise items, usually clothes and books.
We open our stockings in bed on Christmas morning (often with various grandchildren crammed into/on the bed) and then have tree presents after cooked breakfast.

INeedACheeseSlicer · 27/11/2015 08:15

We get surprises.

I might drop hints though - mention that I need new slippers, for example, but I won't know which ones have been chosen - or even if my hint was picked up on.

DH doesn't really drop hints, but I try to choose one thing he needs, one thing he likes to eat or drink, and one surprise that he would never have thought of.

We each get 3 presents, two of which will be bought on behalf of the DC, and usually chosen by them, with a bit of guidance, and one which is labelled as from me to DH and vice versa. They aren't ever big things

I like the DC to see that we exchange gifts with one another, and to be involved in choosing a gift each for their parents. So we get things that can be wrapped and put under the tree. When the children are older, we will probably revert to considering things bought for the house as a joint Christmas present, but I think it'll nice to still exchange a little token gift wrapped under the tree.

bluebolt · 27/11/2015 08:17

If my partner was on here he would probably tell you how great he is at surprising me and every year I suggest we stop or try new ways, but he just loves to spoil me. 15 year with one exception of crap, I was a good liar for the first few years and now it is just too far down the road.

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