To not buy a £1,000 present for DH birthday?

[DandyReader]

Usually, dh and I buy each other an experience for each other's birthdays. But this year, DH is turning 30. He said he'd prefer if I get him a gift. Fair enough, he'd like something to keep.

He has been banging on about getting a 'nice watch' for years. He could afford to buy one himself but knows it's a splurge. He has shown me multiple watches around the £1,000 mark and keeps dropping hints how he really wants a nice watch but can't justify that for himself. He hasn't explicitly asked, but I think he's hoping.

I could easily buy one for him, but I don't want to. I have savings targets to meet and don't want to start a precedent of spending silly money on gifts. AIBU?

You have savings targets to meet, honestly you sound ridiculous. If you can afford the £1k, I don’t get how it even impacts those targets. The fact they’re a bigger priority than him tells me what sort of partner you probably are.

Lol - mine was about 20 quid, tells the time just the same! 😂

Past birthday gifts from OP like an experience like tea for two or a spa day clearly benefits the OP as well as OP’s DH. Clearly, OP’s DH is not going alone on these experiences, but taking her along as well. It’s really not a present solely for him. No wonder the bloke is fed up, and has taken matters into his own hands, and has had to resort to explicit hints. I’d do the same. OP has the cash, but doesn’t want to spend it. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to spend more on him this year to make up for the less than stellar past birthday experiences. Imagine the look in his eyes when he’s expecting a £1000 watch, but gets a more expensive one instead. He’ll be so happy. The look on his face 😻 will be priceless. You can’t put a price on something like that.

Don't you have a joint account? Not everyone does, but it could stop issues like this.

how the fuck have 60% of people come to the conclusion that it’s unreasonable not to buy someone a thousand quid watch?

what world are they living in?

Most ridiculous comment Ive seen on the internet today.

My earrings, pendants, and rings don't even tell the time but I love them.

If its a decent watch they don’t tend to lose much, if any, value..

LOL she said a Rolex, not a £1k watch. My husband has a “cheap” Rolex and it was over £6k. PP’s DH likely wants a £15k Rolex.

Oh god I'd tell him a £50 watch tells the time just as well as one for a grand. I'm with you OP, what a waste of money.

OP there’s truth in this. Why not go a step further and buy him a shitty fake stone sundial from the garden centre and save yourself £970? Keep your money for something more important than your husband.

Woman posts ‘DH and I give each other lists of things we’d like for Christmas presents. I bought him stuff off his list and other things too, he bought me different or cheaper things than I had on my list because he didn’t think the things I had listed were worth it’.

Responses….. LTB

OP posts ‘I could easily buy one for him, but I don't want to. I have savings targets to meet and don't want to start a precedent of spending silly money on gifts.’ and nearly 40% agree with her. 🙄

I did ask a while ago what the savings were for but don’t seem to have had a response.

I actually think it depends - I used to spend thousands on my DH and he hardly bought me anything despite him earning mega bucks and me earning average.

so my question is will he treat you well if the tables were turned?

for me the grabiness and the continuous hints would put me off and make me feel a little cornered.

Also, what do you want to give him? If it’s something he will love and cherish and always what he wanted, then get him the watch. If not get something else.

I am staggered anyone would spend 6k on a Rolex only to know that it was 'inferior' to the 15k ones. Why would you bother?

I mean they are all watches at the end of the day. It must be about status and bragging rights, how gauche.

It depends on your definition of 'decent' I suppose.

My 'Rolex' cost $10 back in the day when a trip over to Tijuana wasn't taking your life in your hands!

My dh bought me a watch one day, we were out and about and happened to pass a jewellers. It was around £400.
It's a simple classic Longines, now around £1600 if bought today.
It has been worth every single penny, it is on my wrist for approx 23.40 hours a day, every single day for oooh 25 years +
It has the battery replaced by a watchmaker locally, and been serviced twice ?

So if he fancies one at £1000 then he's found a bargain he is happy with, as I would probably struggle to buy a nice watch for £1000 for a man tomorrow.

Asssuming, he came on the holiday, will you and the rest of the family take turns wearing the watch?

I’d do it in a shot

a watch (if it’s a collectors) will nearly always gain value.
if I could afford it I would do it easily. No peobken
i dont think it’s sets a precedent for expensive presents
savings are no good if you’re not here next year. The watch would be however.

I think the point the op is making is that yes she could afford to get him the watch, but her DH has also said that as much as he would like a lovely new expensive watch, he couldn’t justify buying one, although he could also afford it, but he thinks she should buy it for him …..

why Not?

That depends what you're saving for. An even better watch perhaps?

Interesting how different people have different takes on things.

I thought he meant he would feel embarrassed spending that much just on himself for no reason but would love it if OP bought it for him as a present.

I’ve never spent £1,000 on myself but would love it if someone spent that much on me.

p.s. and yes you are being unreasonable !!!

A watch will last far longer than one ' experience ' day / weekend / whatever

A 1k watch is nowhere near midrange. Not when you’d struggle get an AP watch for average of £150,000

or a Richard mills watch for around midrange £500,000. If you’re extremely lucky. Some go for millions.

Well, if my wedding ring was £50 from Argos, I wouldn't be inclined to pay that for a watch.

On the other hand, if my ring was in the vicinity of a grand, I think the watch request is fair enough and it's a lovely piece of jewellery to buy him.