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

Gaming is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK. Last year it grew 6.7 percent. It's expected to be worth over 5bn pounds to the k economy by 2022.

The gaming industry in the UK is the biggest in Europe and regardless of brexit is still expected to continue to grow well above the gaming industry in the UK.

But gaming computers aren't just used for gaming, she can learn to code so can then become a software engineer. She could also be a hardware engineer.

She could apso work in tech support, developing AI and Robotics etc etc etc.

Basically Ely her spend her money on it. It could provide so many opportunities in a sector that's growing and will become one of the biggest sectors in the UK.

I'll start by saying I'm not really a gamer (though I love Red Dead!)

However, when I was in my early 30's, I saved and saved and bought a horse. My mum went apoplectic when she found out. This was my money I earned from my job. I never understood how she didn't understand why I would want to have something I've dreamt of since I was 3.

I've since bought another 2 (sold first one to keep the second who was pts, so bought a third) and she still doesn't get it 😕

I'm so impressed your dd has saved that amount of money and you should be too. Of course it's not your thing, but it doesn't mean that her thing is of any less value just because you don't understand it.

What the f has someone's husband's gaming addiction got to do with the OPs post?

My youngest son did the same around that age. He researched the bits he wanted, ordered them and built it himself. While I hated seeing his savings drop so much it's not my money. After he bought it he went back to saving his money and his account has built up again.

Also consider that your dd is a rare creature nowadays, very few young people bother to save. In a society where instant gratification rules, her saving should be applauded.

I'd have no problem with them spending their savings on a gaming PC, but I'd be concerned that it sounds like they're not very tech savvy about what they actually require. My son's Alienware Aurora R7 that he got for Christmas last year (by getting money from everyone instead of presents and adding lots of his own savings) will run every game out there at highest settings and it would "only" be around $2000 CAD (when on sale price, which is every few weeks it seems) so that is about £1200.

Is it a desktop PC she's looking at or a gaming laptop?

If she is saved it then personally I would let her spend it on what she wants. There are much worse things. My 13 year old must have paid for his XBox X 100 times over with the use its had.

We got a good one for DS from Dell for 600-ish.

Gaming computer also just very high spec PC so for much more than gaming!

I would love someone to come and explain why it is frittering money away, or wasting it to buy something that is as useful for school work, games, and other IT based hobbies and pastimes - which could lead to a well paid career!

Frittering/wasting money would have been spending it on sweets, or glittery tat that would have broken long since.

She wants to buy a high spec PC - how is that wasting/frittering her money away?

@Defrack
Spot on. My son has always been a massive gamer and is now at uni studying Game Design. Huge potential and Im very excited for him.

OP, its her money, let her buy what the fuck she wants. How dare you take that joy away from her. She's not been down Tesco all these birthdays buying LOL dolls and cans of Red Bull.

If she has been saving for 2yrs its not a spur of the moment decision and it will last her years as im sure she will want to look after it well

As an aside this is my ad while posting on the thread...

I wish I had £2000 to spend on a gaming computer.

You want her to keep it for a car? And she's 14? That's taking delayed gratification to ridiculous lengths. Let her spend her money as she chooses - like you do.

www.pcgamer.com/gaming-pc-build-guide/

As an example, these components will build a PC to happily play any game on the market for £1100 and be futureproof for at least 3 years, plus whatever her monitor costs (probably about £300). Each component can be upgraded or downgraded depending on her personal taste.

@edole

£2000 is a bit much. I'd suggest £1500 as an upper limit.

"I would love someone to come and explain why it is frittering money away, or wasting it to buy something that is as useful for school work, games, and other IT based hobbies and pastimes - which could lead to a well paid career!"

Because gaming is EVIL!!

YABU she's saved for it. Also think a good gaming PC can be resold for a decent price if she goes off the idea, or decides she wishes she spent her money differently

OP, you should consider apologizing to your DD for trying to control how she spends her money. You can advise, but ultimately she gets to make the final decision and take the consequences, good or bad.

2 grand does seem like a lot, you can get a great mid-high gaming PC for half that. Contrary to others I wouldn't advise building unless she already has experience messing around with cheap old stuff; I wrote off £500 worth of parts 10 years ago through a build mistake. Provided you're knowledgeable and shop around you can get good prebuilts now.

But that's just advice.

You should be so proud of your DD, OP

She has saved hard, with her own money, to get something she wants.

To put your foot down, when she has saved all this, would be VU, and overly controlling

She isnt asking you for anything. Stop treating her like you are doing her a favour by allowing her to spend her own money on what she wants

I spent £600, bought all the parts and put my pc together myself.

Tell her to go to the buildapc reddit and ask for advice - she'll be able to put together a powerful PC for about a third of the money.

I think it's awful to dictate what she spends her money on. The whole point of saving the money was surely so she could spend it if and when she wanted to, or did you not allow her to spend it?

Is be in two minds. I think if you’ve let her keep her substantial cash gifts for her own spending then you can’t really stop her. If my teenager was getting that sort of money for Christmas I’d ideally want half going into longer term savings and half to save/spend on whatever they wanted. She’s obviously been saving well and if she regrets the purchase that’s a powerful lesson for her. If she loves it for a long-time then it has been a good use of the money. Would her grandparents have wanted it spent in a certain way or were they happy for her to pick? That would influence my feelings on the purchase.

I just saw the post about her wanting to go to Dundee to study computer games. Definitely encourage that. Abertay is the best in Europe for gaming. She will learn tons there.

No the op said her DD wanted to do computer science at Dundee university, not some mickey mouse gaming degree at a pollywolly