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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

WIBU to have a nicer advent calendar than the Dc?!

134 replies

CakeNinja · 29/11/2015 17:38

They've got malteaser ones after we went shopping and chose, saying they couldn't all have the £10 Lindt ones - £30 on advent calendars seems ridiculous!
But now I want the Hotel Chocolat one and id feel really mean spending £12.50 on mine now.
This really is a first world problem

OP posts:

thelouise · 29/11/2015 19:45

"It's okay to have a calendar of your own - but it should be of equal value, because everybody in the family is of equal value."

Everyone in my family is of equal value but we don't measure that in terms of money. I wouldn't buy a Prada handbag if my children needed new shoes but if we're getting a treat, I don't see the need to spend £10 worth of haribo because that's what I'd spend on a bottle of wine.

BolshierAryaStark · 29/11/2015 19:46

Sometimes MN is a real eye opener...

intothebreach · 29/11/2015 19:47

If its a waste of money to buy pricey calendars for the children, then it's certainly a waste of money to buy a pricey one for yourself!

I am truly a bit flabbergasted by this. If I had any money to spare after food and bills, I would be spending it on things my children needed and wanted - not on a luxury advent calendar for me.

babymouse · 29/11/2015 19:49

Wait until the 1st to get it half off! (And experience half the guilt!) ;)

intothebreach · 29/11/2015 19:53

I think my perspective is a bit off here - sorry folks I will step away now. I've been feeling a bit sad today about constantly being skint, children only having one pair of shoes each, can't go out for too long in the rain etc.

I will bow out of this discussion. I am not a 'normal' mumsnetter, but I don't want to start any kind of competitive poverty frenzy, and I do accept that this wasn't the point of the thread. Sorry folks.

VestalVirgin · 29/11/2015 19:56

Before someone asked me whether I had an advent calendar, I actually considered myself too grown-up to get one.
I do like them, but it seems such a waste of money, the chocolate is so much cheaper elsewhere, and being an adult, I just cannot get as excited about the chocolate being in a nice form. (Which they don't do with most calendars anyway, only those for children. The milk chocolate in those is horrible.)

If your children really wanted the ones they got, and you really want the one you saw now, then buy it.

I think to children, it is much worse if a sibling gets something nicer than if their mother does.

NameChange30 · 29/11/2015 20:02

Excellent suggestion from babymouse. Might invent an excuse to go near Hotel Chocolat on Tuesday, it would be wasteful to pass up on a bargain

NameChange30 · 29/11/2015 20:03

intothebreach

wannaBe · 29/11/2015 20:07

I've just ordered advent calendars from ocado because over the past week me and DS have been too ill with stomach bugs to leave the house. I wasn't sure which one to get so I bought a dairymilk one (£3) and a lindt one (£5). I will let ds choose which one he wants, I suspect he will have the lindt one, in fact I bought it knowing he would like it. although knowing my ds he may decide we should share both.

But £60 for a selfridges one? what's in it?

Cressandra · 29/11/2015 20:17

intothebreach it's a fair point, and it is really, really crap being skint all the time.

Original poster

CakeNinja · 29/11/2015 20:36

Sorry if this thread has touched a nerve into, it wasn't meant to make anyone feel crap.

I'm not buying it anyway, I haven't had a chocolate one since I was a kid I don't think!!

OP posts:

Original poster

CakeNinja · 29/11/2015 20:38

The selfridges one had little beauty bits, teeny perfumes, eye shadows etc. A real waste for me as I don't wear makeup but dp was always in London around the time they were on sale and so would get me one but after about 4 years has finally admitted defeat! Not sure if there are different types but the one he used to buy was well over £100 not £60?

OP posts:

shutupandshop · 29/11/2015 20:39

Oooo Jo Malone

INeedACheeseSlicer · 29/11/2015 20:49

Well, I wouldn't buy myself a more expensive calendar than my children. Because I would feel a bit daft having an advent calendar; they are for children imo, especially chocolate ones.

However I would buy myself a nice box of Hotel Chocolat or Lindt or whatever brand chocolates without any twinge of guilt at all, and eat them whenever I wanted rather than having to ration myself to one each day throughout December.

ButtonLoon · 29/11/2015 20:53

intothebreach I'm not skint (I'm not rolling in it either, I still have to be careful with my money) and I don't see the point of an adult having an advent calendar. Especially not one that costs £60 , but even a supermarket chocolate one. Maybe I'm boring and sensible though.

Senpai · 29/11/2015 20:57

Advent calendars in the US are just boring paper ones that give a story sentence each day. Sometimes chocolates come in them.

AmberNectarine · 29/11/2015 21:07

Yes, well, if you can believe it, I made sure my children had everything they needed before I bought the expensive advent calendar. They're not going without because I've got it. Sigh.

GloriaSmellens · 29/11/2015 21:17

I have to admit I find it odd when grown adults have advent calendars. For me the whole point of them was the countdown to literally the most exciting day of the year ie. The day Santa came! Even once I knew FC wasn't real I wasn't that fussed' about advent calendars anymore. I just don't really see the point. And don't get me started on the beauty advent calendars - they are just a marketers dream!

Obviously all this.is just in my own opinion!

SummerNights1986 · 29/11/2015 21:24

I enjoy the novelty of a calendar but like a pp said, it's not exciting enough for me to be bothered about having a naice one.

We were in our local 99p shop yesterday and the dc spotted calendars they both begged for...a Mickey Mouse for ds2 and Star Wars for ds1. Suited me at 99p! I then got a very pretty My Little Pony one for me and The Avengers for dh.

So a total of £3.96 on four calendars here. The dc always decorate theirs with glitter though which is a lovely November 30th tradition we've started . Our calendars are normally of the cheaper variety but guaranteed every single person who comes through my door in December comments on them because the glitter does them the world of good.

intothebreach · 29/11/2015 21:28

AmberNectarine, I know I said would bow out of this thread, but am still reading it, and just want to say that I didn't mean to make you feel defensive

I can't imagine spending £60 on a selfridges calendar - can't even imagine being a selfridges customer in any way.

You and I come from different worlds. I am not criticising you, so please don't criticise me. You have got me feeling guilty about spending £2.50 on a dairy free calendar so that I can join in with my children (they will enjoy this! ) because they don't have everything they need. One thing they do need is for their mum to have some self respect. They see me eating their leftovers instead of cooking myself a proper dinner. They see me not even having a proper bed of my own, because there isn't space (but they do have a bed each).

Please don't be arsey. I honestly didn't mean to make you feel bad - please don't add to how bad I already feel about this.

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 29/11/2015 21:29

Buying yourself an expensive calendar after telling your children they could only have a cheap one does look a little selfish.

Dd wanted the Body Shop calendar which is ridiculously expensive. However her birthday is on the 4th of December so have bought it for her as an early birthday gift.

I really wanted the Yankee Candle calendar but couldn't justify the £30. My lovely friends heard me mention this and bought it for me last week

SpanglesGalloway · 29/11/2015 21:35

morecrack glad you got the Yankee I did too and it was 10% off in my local candle/card shop felt like a bargain! I got dh the hotel chocolate one so he didn't feel left out but still it was half the price of mine haga!
I'm pregnant and not drinking so in said this was my festive treat to myself but Tbh if I could get it again next year or simmilar I would do. It's just a little treat! OP I think you should buy whatever advent calander you want if you can afford it after all bills necessities etc

ohtheholidays · 29/11/2015 21:41

5DC here,Oldest and second oldest have an hotel chocolat one each,3rd oldest has a Lego star wars one(he was supposed to have one last year but Asda fucked up big time and we got charged for it but never received it)2 youngest have the Lindt assorted one's.

I don't have one this year(at least I don't think I do)and neither does DH.

MsJamieFraser · 29/11/2015 21:42

Go ahead, I can't complain my mum got me the yankee candle one, and MIL got me the benefit one.

I got ds2 the play doh one, and ds1 got the star wars lego one.

Then MIL got ds2 the frozen one and ds1 got the hot wheels one.

Original poster

CakeNinja · 29/11/2015 21:45

Don't worry all, I didn't get one and I'm not going to!

OP posts:

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