Matching costly gifts between 16-year-old friends: is a £40 present acceptable?

[haz128]

Hiya
On my DD 16 th birthday, a close female friend of hers brought her a £200 bracelet (Indian 18c gold). In a few months time, it’s this friend’s birthday… We can’t afford to match the value of the gift! DD wants to buy a Jellycat (worth £40). As a parent of said friend, would you find this acceptable? They will spend the day together as a group on her birthday weekend?
thanks xx

I imagine the Indian gold bracelet was an unwanted gift which was regifted to your daughter . It seems a strange gift for a 16 Yr old . Jellycat is fine and more appropriate for a teen . I would even consider trying to match value .

The bracelet had my daughter s name on, so not re gifted I believe x or re gifted and then engraved? X

I’d say it’s fine not to match the cost. But I wouldn’t say a cuddly toy is a better term present.

Get the friend a nice reasonable present like a jellycat .
If you're really bothered by the value of the bracelet, you should return it saying it's too expensive, not feel you need to match it.

Good grief, are you sure the bracelet was that amount? That's one hell of a lot for someone to spend on a teen friendship.

I mean £40 Jellycat is also a lot of money. My DDs don't spend anywhere near that on presents for friends.

I double checked the value on the website, yes that’s the price.

Mine usually spend £20 on a close friend

Well, what's the norm in the circles you move in? At 16, I'd expect the DC to be buying presents from their own money so that means from their allowance as not many of them had jobs pre-GCSE. No one that my DC mixed with had £200 to spend from allowance money or even £40 at 16, and as older teens they would still not have chosen to spend this much.

What did other people buy your DD at her birthday, and what does she normally spend on other friends' birthdays?

My DD does buy her own presents for friends, she’s a saver from Xmas / birthdays money , so does have her own money, doesn’t earn, except for a few chores. Standard public school, usually spend £20 on close friends. Said friend just moved from India a few yrs ago.