When you tell someone exactly what you would like as a gift and they interpret this as something else

[Doornon]

My birthday is coming up and last week I said to my DH if you are thinking of anything for my birthday I would like a new Apple watch strap. I explained I had tried cheap versions and they were never as good as the brand version, but the brand strap I have is getting old now and discoloured. It’s £50 but I would wear it every single day and that’s enough of a present for me and I don’t expect any other gifts. I would like the new style that’s out too. I usually spend £50 on him, a pair of shoes or a coat or something

We aren’t skint at all, but AIBU my DH is super tight? He spent 10 mins lecturing me on how much this strap would cost him and why it’s a rip off, and doesn’t cost that much to make blah blah. I ended up walking off saying I wish I had never asked for it, and it’s meant to be for my birthday so usually is something more expensive or random than you would buy yourself and not to worry about it anymore I would buy my own as the shine had been taken off it!

It’s not my birthday for another month, but DH comes home today says I got you a surprise! and it’s a fake Apple strap from B&M. 🫤

It’s not the style I was even asking for originally, however it doesn’t even fit my watch so I tell him that it’s too big so I can’t use it, and he gets all flappy he would take it back to the shop, as if I am being ungrateful and he’s doing me a favour as it was a ‘present’. I was very clear to him I didn’t ask for this and now I have no idea why I am the bad guy for not being excited about my fake Apple Watch strap 🤔

He's a prick, plain and simple.
Tell him to stick it up his arse and buy yourself one xx

Fuck that for a carry on. Go and buy yourself exactly the one you want & tell him not to bother.

Remember that when it’s time to get him shoes or a coat for his birthday and get a £20 one from b&m or its equivalent and see how he likes it….

I'm sorry that's shit.

I really don't think £50 is a lot to spend on your spouse personally (obviously assuming you can afford it).

Honestly what is with all these useless men??

It's time you start buying his presents from B&M. I'm not joking either.

I agree with other posters. Also make sure you buy him something equally as nasty for his birthday.

I’d give up on expecting a reasonable present in future and buy yourself something with the 50 you would have spent on him. Get him a pair of socks or a pen.

To be fair I always buy none brand straps for my garmin as they are better. I would wince at the price of brand straps too.

BUT it’s what you would like, so he should get over it.

My DH has often asked for things I would think are pointless, but it’s his birthday and his choice.

It doesn’t even fit, though. It’s the wrong style.

Don’t take the risk in future buy yourself what you want, around your usual gift price range and tell him that’s your gift from him. My DH has many great qualities but gift buying is not one of them, he’s super happy if I buy it myself or send him a link to the exact thing that I want. That way he just has to get flowers ( and I love any kind of those even petrol station ones) and a card and he knows I have the exact gift that I like that makes me happy

Agree. It's not tit for tat, it's the only way he will understand how rubbish it feels to receive such a crap gift. Stop spending so much on him, buy yourself exactly what you want from now on, and tell him his next gift will be from Poundland 'seeing as that's the standard for gift giving that's acceptable to him'.

My MIL would do this- tell her exactly what you wanted, and she would buy something similar, but not what you wanted which was such a bloody waste. One year I asked for black gloves- any type would have been great. She got a beige fleece hat, gloves and scarf set as it was good value. But not as I put it in the charity shop bag when we got home, whereas a pair of £2 black gloves I’d have worn loads.

This watch strap is not for me colour or style wise 😂

I told him what style and colour I wanted so if he had produced this from B&M then I would have considered it but plus also, he found some paint for £5 in B&M and now that is the colour of my bathroom and that’s also v ugly 😂 but obvs, cheap…

I'd make sure on his next birthday I buy him something I actually want, when he complains that it's not something he wants, needs or asked for I'd have an eye rolling, how ungrateful you're being moment, pretend to look for the receipt, say I'd lost it therefore be unable to return it then enjoy 'his' present.

I grew up with parents like this, expecting you to be grateful when they bought the wrong thing

Ltb x

He didn’t believe you or value your view on it. He thought he knew better. This would piss me off more than the cheap strap.

I like your style.

One night we were out with my DH’s team. His female boss asked if we bought our own birthday presents. Like others, I laughed and admitted I did.
Treat yourself OP.

People that do this really annoy me. My ex in laws did it all the time. Asked for some Little People sets when DS was small. They bought Happyland as "it's better"
It wasn't. And wasn't compatible with the Little People sets we already had. Likewise train tracks.

Buy yourself the strap and buy DH some random stuff for his birthday.

He is horrible . There’s nothing worse than a tightwad.

It's really hard to think that this man is good in any other way. I really hate people who are tight. He's not even tight with himself it's with you!

I don’t think there’s any other response to this than getting him a B&M version of something for his birthday 🤷‍♀️

Omg. I’d dip his favorite item in the paint. And go buy myself not 1 but 2 watch straps from apple. What a tight arse!

Tell him you were t asking for the cut-price, Scrooge version of a watch strap. That if you’ve asked for a specific brand, it’s because you’ve experimented with alternatives and that’s the one that does what you need it to. Nul points.

I'd tell him to stick it up his arse to be honest! What a nob 🙄