Looked at the calendar for Octobers birthdays and we have three family birthdays in this month. The two which are due on the 2nd and the 12th are our nephew and sister/sister-in-law. I take responsibility for both sides of the family's gift and card buying. Hubby seems to think I took this responsibility on once I married him. He never buys any cards or gifts for any of his family. I buy every mothers day/fathers day/parental anniversary gift/cousin/auntie/god knows who card/gift going and it piss's me off! It pissed me off so much I made him buy his mother's birthday present in September. My god, he was flummoxed. He was going to just get her a gardening voucher, fine but not a lot of thought going into that. An easy way out if you ask me. I told him to ask his mum if there was any thing she would like for her birthday. He called her and she said she would actually like some nail polish and a new nightdress. She gave him her size and the colours she would like in nail polish. Easy you would think. Ho no, not for my Hubby.
I was in the middle of putting my weekly shopping on the conveyor belt in Tesco when my mobile phone rang. It was hubby, what sort of nightie should I buy my mum? he asked. I told him not a flannelet old ladies nightie and to make a decision himself, I was at the checkout with my shopping! and to get a gift receipt with what ever he bought. A gift receipt is a receipt that does not show the price of the item bought but does allow the the person who received the gift to exchange it for something else without the card holder who paid for their gift on their card being present. I still don't know to this day if my mother-in-law liked the nightie her son bought her and if she exchanged it. I did not like the nightie!
For nephew who will be 3 years old I thought about what he likes and he really likes cars. I looked on Amazon but they really did not seem to have what I was looking for so I went to Tesco Direct. I bought a pack of 10 Tesco cars and a pack of 5 Hot wheel cars for £10.44 with free delivery. Because I had them delivered to my local Tesco store to pick up I don't have to pay delivery. Done!. Bought their cards in The Card Factory which cost pennies. I'm happy.
We set a budget for all the families birthdays/mother's day/father's day gifts to an acceptable amount that we can cope with. Sister this year will get about £14.00 and nephew £10.00. It's not the amount you spend that counts but giving them a gift that is appropriate to them and you know they will use. I hate receiving gifts that have no thought to them and are things I will not use. It is a waste of the givers money and I just end up recycling the gift by giving it to someone who will appreciate it or donating it to a good cause. As I have said my sister-in-law loves her smelly baths and she loves a bottle of wine so I know these gifts will be appreciated.
Am I going to challenge Hubby again? Course I am. He can get his dad's birthday present which is in February 2012. He's got plenty of time to think about what to get him, hehe.
Yes, husbands do seem to assume our "new" responsibilities of their family's cards/gifts/calls etc, don't they? :-) Mind you, I think we are guilty ourselves of organising too much. Since my MIL threw a hissy fit 6 years ago, I stopped all gifts, cards & calls & left it to my husband from then on. All she gets is a call from him now, & even he forgets now & then (& I don't remind him - that's not my job anymore!) Ahh - the freedom.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday to your daughter, I hope she had a wonderful day. Mick's family, his mum, dad, sister and brother in law, don't talk to us so we don't have the problem of buying cards or presents for them anymore. They fell out with us seven years ago and haven't even contacted the kids since then. His auntie and uncle are more like a mum and dad to him so we treat them that way, they're brilliant. We do buy presents for them but we usually decide between us what we're going to buy.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to budget for gifts too. $10 seems a good amount. I'm trying to only have second hand, repurposed or cooked gifts.
ReplyDeleteI've shown 2 repurposed gifts, 1 second hand gift and 1 cooked gift on my blog this year.
I feel pretty proud about being thinking outside the square and on a budget. I find it takes more time to think carefully for the person your gifting for too.
My hubby's the same, mind you my dad was too - seems to be a male thing. I too hate it when no thought goes into a gift - not bothered about cost, it can be something home made, second hand, really cheap but if thought has gone into it then I am happy. (Thought had not gone into the faded very obviously second hand nightie that I received from my maiden aunt a couple of years ago - not only does she know I don't wear nighties, it was a size 22 - I was a 14 at teh time and seriously old fashioned in a not nice way!!!)
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