To think this was really cheeky of my friend!

[BreezyFish]

So my friend has just told me that she’s “only gonna spend a cutla quid” (her words, not mine ) on my DS this Christmas because she’s “saving for Center Parcs next year.”

Now, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but a cutla quid?? I actually thought she was joking at first. My DS is 7, not some random kid from school you pick up a selection box for. I always spend properly on her DD with last year it was a LEGO set, a book, and one of those slime-making kits that exploded glitter everywhere. Easily £25+.

So I said, “Oh right, just a couple of quid?” and she said, dead serious, “Yeah hun, can’t go mad this year, Center Parcs isn’t cheap.”

Sorry but since when did her holiday mean my son gets shortchanged?! It’s not my fault she wants to go be in a beige lodge with a swimming pool.

She’s now acting like I’m the unreasonable one for being “materialistic.” But surely it’s just basic decency to reciprocate roughly what someone else spends?

Would I be unreasonable to get her DD something from the pound shop this year and see how she likes it?

You're not unreasonable, but there is another solution, and that's saying "ok no problem, shall we are a budget to surge on each other's kids then? Is £5 ok"

I had to check as I felt sure it must be the same poster!!

So jack in the friendship. Blimey, it’s not that difficult.

I love my friends DC, they're amazing. If their parents couldn't afford Christmas presents for them I'd 100% buy them. At the same time, I don't think a supplementary gift for them is more important than my family holiday. You are being unreasonable to be mad at her for this. You would not be unreasonable to get a gift from the poundshop for her child, I imagine that is what she wants and why she had let your know she will only spend a couple of quid on your DC.

Stop buying presents for each other’s children. It’s so unnecessary! She sounds rather tight otherwise, but in this specific situation, I’m with your friend. There’s no need to spend so much. What are you trying to prove?

maybe only spend the same mount on her daughter this year then. I wouldn’t spend £25+ on a friends child at Christmas. Your son isn’t being short changed, that’s a weird way of seeing it. This is why I think spending money on Christmas presents for people who aren’t in your immediate family gets awkward. I don’t know why you’re being bitchy about her choice of holiday either

Don’t exchange gifts this year simples

Haha we say it in the north too! Made me laugh because I’ve never seen anyone write it

Be easier just to say let's not bother. Better than just buying tat for the sake of it.

Match her and save some money yourself 😊

I'm doing this this year, fed up of buying lovely gifts for others to receive either nothing or crappy expired boxes of chocolates. What they going to say back to you? You're doing to them what they do to you!

You sound like an ungrateful brat. She's given you notice of this so you can just buy her child a small gift too then there no issue! You are being materialistic. I don't buy for my friends kids and they don't buy for mine.

I always spend properly on her DD with last year it was a LEGO set, a book, and one of those slime-making kits that exploded glitter everywhere. Easily £25+.

It’s baffling why your friend isn’t looking forward to more slime-making kits this Christmas, especially as the one last year managed to explode glitter everywhere.

There’s nowt so queer as folk, and all that.

YADNBU
She’s taking the piss if she expects you still to buy her DC an expensive present.
You’ve got to treat like with like.

The friend doesn't expect she's made it abundantly clear she has other priorities. At least she's said. Buying everyone Xmas presents isn't mandatory OP doesn't have to buy for her friends child. Maybe she should take head and not bother!

If this isn’t bullshit, you’re an absolute CF. Enjoy Christmas babe.

’Cutla quid’ 🤣 I’ve heard it all now 😂

Things get worse on here everyday.

Your child has been shortchanged? Do you actually know how entitled you sound. Sounds to me like you're notoriously a pain for these type of conversations and she was trying to set some boundaries with you regarding presents. A good friend would surely say, "that's fine, let's agree on a ten pound limit" and hope they have a lovely holiday at centre parcs.

It's an excellent opportunity to get away from buying presents for her child altogether. Not from meanness but it's just one less stressor.

🤣🤣🤣

She's right. Reel in the spending. Her holiday is more important for her. She's telling you to do the same

P.s places like the pound shop can be great for parents on a budget, at Xmas you utter snob

OP, this entire thread is solely to make cutla happen, and cutla is not going to happen.

No your the cheeky one ... I'd say don't buy gifts for each other's kids.
Money on a holiday is much better use of money maybe you should try it.
Get some sweets for each others kids it's plenty enough.

I figured it was something like this.

Stop being thoughtful or generous, just treat her like she treats you. Or dump her.

Sorry your thread turned into a pile on, most people can’t see beyond the end of their own nose here.