To not let DD use her savings on a gaming computer?

[edole]

DD has saved over the years from birthdays and christmases and also from grandparent money when she goes and sees them. She enjoys THREE just 3 computer games and she now wants a gaming computer. The one she wants is 2 grand she has about £1500 in the bank and as her birthday is 2 weeks before Christmas she will get around £500 for them both combined (in total from everyone). So she wants it then.

I have so far said absolutely not, it's far far too much and it's better to save it for maybe a car when she's old enough to learn to drive. AIBU

Same here. My daughter plays 3 games. But plays seriously.

She saved for a year and bought a decent gaming computer with fantastic graphics card. The cost (it was on offer) was £900.

We are a techie gaming family and this purchase was a lot more than suitable.

Could your daughter compromise and get a less expensive one? It's easy to fall for marketing hype, but different if you understand the spec and can look around.

Do you know any nurds to ask?

I'd support my 14 year old buying a gaming computer with money he saved - but not spending £2k and not without getting expert advice, as others have said. It can have a lot of great learning value in how to build computers, assess components, how to analyse ads, getting the best value for money and more.

At 14 I'd say no.

My daughters account can't be accessed by her until she's 18. At 14, that money can be built on so much for more important things.

It's her money that she has saved. It's her choice what she spends it on. Not yours.

Everyone saying it's a waste of money - would you feel the same if your child wanted to spend money on an expensive musical instrument as an example? Why is gaming as a hobby less acceptable? It's their hobby and their saved money. When I was a kid my parents refused to buy me the baggy clothes I desperately wanted so I saved my pocket money and bought them myself. If they forbid me to do that I would've been incredibly unhappy.

A gaming PC can be useful for so many more things because of its specs. Things such as:

Game design
Composing music
Learning how to code
Photo and video editing
Research
Graphic design
Etc

It's her choice what she spends it on. Not yours.

This really cracks me up. So, she can go out and spend the lot on sweeties, can she? 2k on make-up and hair clips? Or give it away to her friends, just because she wants to?

We teach our children to save, we have to teach them to spend too. Only a fool stands back and just lets them waste it on stuff.

Does the OP have a tech shop near them which can build a custom machine? We have one locally but I don't know how common they are. They could offer great advice and make exactly what she needs.

This really cracks me up. So, she can go out and spend the lot on sweeties, can she? 2k on make-up and hair clips? Or give it away to her friends, just because she wants to?

Make up and hair clips won't help her In uni and other things, a computer will, so the point still stands really.

Can you encourage her to design and build herself? SHould be much cheaper and a very valuable skill. And also means that should component fail or become outdated she will we well placed to upgrade it herself, getting even better value for money.

I take my hat off to your daughter. She hasn't spent it on rubbish, she's saved well & for something in particular that she'd like. That's the point of saving is it not. Cost aside, I do understand your concerns but huge mistake to refuse to let her buy this. I'd be proud tbh.

I think it's the word "Gaming" that's making everyone so negative to be honest. If it had been just a computer for work, there would be less protests about her buying it.

The point is, Yabbers she has denied herself the ordinary teenage tat for years so she can get something she really wants, which also happens to be worthwhile.

My 11 year old wants to do this, we have said that he can buy the components and build the PC. We are contributing some bits for Christmas and he learns something (hopefully) from the experience.

If she said that she wanted a decent PC for doing school work on, would there be any objections? Or is it the dreaded "G" word that breaks so many on MN out in bloody hives.

Or is it the dreaded "G" word that breaks so many on MN out in bloody hives.

The evil gaming word. Its for gaming so it must be a waste of money. Despite the fact those computers can also be used for a wide variety of tasks.

Everyone knows that only sad little pathetic boys would play those dreadful "games".

No, she should spend her money in Primark or Claire's Accessories. Much more worthwhile.

For those who consider gaming a waste of time, you might be interested to know that the 2018 DOTA 2 international your name to had prizes ranging from $11,000,000+ for first place down to $63,000+for 18th place. Admittedly, this is for players who reach the top of the game, but still, not a bad sum for playong a 'waste of time' computer game.

*tournament, not your name.

This really cracks me up. So, she can go out and spend the lot on sweeties, can she? 2k on make-up and hair clips? Or give it away to her friends, just because she wants to?

Well if she hadn't bothered saving she could have frittered it a way on sweets and hair clips like lots of other teenagers do with their birthday money. By all means help her choose a good computer but if you say no you're massively de-incentivising her bothering to save at all.

I think it's different if someone has specifically set up a savings account for DD's future - in that case it's a given it's set aside and not for her to spend now. In that case though it's not really an xmas or birthday present is it?

I think a computer would be a good investment! But not a 2k one.

My hubby games alot! Multiplayer online stuff, role playing, etc etc. And his computer cost about 800. Please get some advice from an expert (not necessarily at a pc world type place as they attempted to sell me every pointless upgrade for my basic laptop) and I second the idea of designing and self build!

Id say let her. My parents allowed me freedom to spend my money my way. I this its kinda controlling otherwise

I got a great gaming PC (used mostly for uni work with memory intensive programs) for about £700 from pc specialists.

I'm divorcing my h because of his gaming addiction.

That's nice.

If you were divorcing him for infidelity trampolines, does that mean the OPs dd shouldnt be allowed a boyfriend?