No growing up, I would say 'I really like this dress mum, or these new trainers are lovely- and they would get it for me' It did not necessarily mean I was asking them to get it- they just got it.
Makes sense, you learned early that if you showed an interest or hinted at something it was bought for you.. it doesn't mean 'you were asking for them' but it really it kind of does, because you wanted them, you mentioned it to your parents and you KNEW they would get it for you if you did this. You've obviously continued this pattern with your husband because it works for you.
It's not at all how I was bought up, but we were poor!
You had options, you could have bought it yourself from savings, you could have gone out a bit less to afford it, you could have used a different handbag and not bought a new one at all.. all things I assume is what your friend would have done (or had to do!)
But 'hinting' to get someone else into buying it for you instead is quite a spoiled way to live in fairness, great that this is an option available to you, but don't expect everyone else to see it as anything other than being spoiled.