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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Price tags left on gifts

67 replies

LittleMermaidRose · 26/12/2016 21:08

My MIL left all the price tags on the Christmas gifts she gave me.. & left the "sale" stickers on or half tried to tear them off, making it obvious she bought my gifts on the cheap.

I really don't care what anyone spends on me for Christmas (I much prefer people's company over material gifts) but my MIL can be very passive aggressive & I feel like this was her way of telling me she didn't want to spend money on me. None of DH's gifts had the price tags still on them.

Am I reading too much into it or do other people feel he same?

OP posts:
mynachos · 26/12/2016 21:09

yes. very passive aggressive. done on purpose!

Frusso · 26/12/2016 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MargotMoon · 26/12/2016 21:13

DP's mother does this, but in reverse; she leaves the tags on so everyone knows how much she has spent. He calls it 'aggressive gifting'.

ProudBadMum · 26/12/2016 21:15

Mum does this but she's just genuinely dopey Grin

DramaInPyjamas · 26/12/2016 21:16

My mum does this, I don't think there is any malice or ulterior motive behind it (in my case anyway) she just can't be arsed with the whole process of buying/wrapping a gift properly.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 26/12/2016 21:18

Hmm I was very embarrassed yesterday when the joint gift from my sister and I to our dad (posh dress watch) still had the price tag on - my sister had been in charge of wrapping and tagging and had missed the price tag. Dad was shocked that we had spent so much on him.

I try to get rid of all of the tags but did leave them on my son's clothing gifts in case I needed to return them.

Original poster
LittleMermaidRose · 26/12/2016 21:26

I find it embarrassing also! I always make sure to remove any price tags, or if there are any which I can't remove I put a little Christmas sticker over them ha!

I found it even more embarrassing opening the gifts in front of my DH to see all these bright red "sale" stickers on my gifts. I'm sure he was embarrassed too.

Oh I really sound ungrateful :( I'm sorry! I just feel it's her way of getting yet another dig in at me.

OP posts:
VeryBitchyRestingFace · 26/12/2016 21:29

I'd probably do that but I'm as dopey as fuck. Xmas Grin

Perhaps she did it purposely because of a mistaken belief that you'd otherwise fret she'd overspent on you?

Iamcheeseman · 26/12/2016 21:30

Are you sure they weren't just too stuck? I often find sale stickers don't come off properly and you end up with an awful mark making it obvious there was a sticker there.

In our family we have the opposite though. One member of the family will only leave the original price on and remove the sale one so you think they spent more than they did.

Nataleejah · 27/12/2016 08:36

I heard an etiquette talk on radio recently, and leaving price tags is actually a thing.

  1. it shows that you've actually bought the item (and not passed on something second-hand)
  2. the approximate value of a gift you'd give in return. So don't worry about "sale" -- you buy something on the cheap for MIL too.
NicknameUsed · 27/12/2016 08:44

I think you are looking for offence here.

Honeydragon · 27/12/2016 08:47

It's pretty much impossible to buy something not on sale in the run up to Christmas.

They are gifts. It really shouldn't matter.

ShutTheFuckUpBarbara · 27/12/2016 08:48

MIL does this too, but there isn't a bad bone in her body so I think it's either so we can easily exchange /return things, or because she just didn't notice.

NavyandWhite · 27/12/2016 08:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sirfredfredgeorge · 27/12/2016 08:55

YABVU gifts should be bought in a sale, it's the thought of the gift that counts, and once you've thought of the gift, then buying it as cheaply as possible is the only correct way of doing it.

By wanting non-sale items, you're wanting to have money just completely wasted on you.

With gifts generally a huge destruction of value anyway (people generally perceive the gift they get as lower in value than the cost of the giver) we should do everything we can to reduce that - then we'd all have more money for life, or more gifts.

Figure17a · 27/12/2016 09:00

Oh dear God, I occasionally get a gift with a price tag on. Never occurred to me to think anything except someone forgot or didn't notice or realise it was there.

I'm sure I've occasionally given a gift and forgotten the price tag. Have people really been analysing my motives?

Figure17a · 27/12/2016 09:03

It sounds like MIL got you lots of gifts, so hardly stingy. Why on earth you you or dh be anything but pleased that a family member saved a bit of cash in the process?

Bodicea · 27/12/2016 09:05

I get loads of gifts in the sale. I see it as being able to give them more. I always start with the same budget. So it's about £20 for a niece for instance. If I spend £20 on a sale item that was higher to begin with they get a higher value present than if I spent £20 on something non sale.
I also am a bit dopey about leaving the prices on.
Not sure if that's he case with mil though has to be said.

dudsville · 27/12/2016 09:06

It's YOUR response that matters most, but what she or anyone else does. How can you live with this in a dignified, self respectful way.

dementedpixie · 27/12/2016 09:07

Maybe it's in case you wanted to exchange anything

DoubleCarrick · 27/12/2016 09:08

Mum sends gifts with labels and prices on AND the receipt wrapped up with it

Thinkingblonde · 27/12/2016 09:08

My neighbour does this, she buys things in the sales throughout the year to give as gifts. She gave me a scarf last year with a full price sticker of £15.00 on. This year DH got a box containing socks with the original price on, £12.00. I know there's no way that she actually paid full price for them, she prides herself on never paying full price for anything. She's into every casback scheme going, browses the internet, hits online sales like it's a career. I take in parcels for her all the time when she's out.

andantecantabile · 27/12/2016 09:09

My friend always makes a thing of buying all her birthday presents for the next year in the sales after Christmas. For my (March) birthday I received a tin of gingerbreads (that were a week before their best before date), a tin with a serving of tea leaves in, and a mug that still had the reduced price sticker on (£1.50).

Lesmacarons · 27/12/2016 09:11

I do it on purpose.

coffeetasteslikeshit · 27/12/2016 09:11

I don't think anyone here can tell you if she was being pa or not with the tags. But it does sound a bit clutching at things to be offended about unless she's usually a total bitch who has left you completely paranoid. But if I were you I wouldn't mention it to anyone in real life as you may come across badly, which may be what mil is after, who knows!

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