Real life MMD: 'Should singles pay more than couples?'

joehoover

What is the point in gift giving if there are rules attached, a gift should be personal given with thought to the receiever in mind. I always tell people to never buy me gifts or a card, I would rather they save their money so they can come out and celebrate, with a birthday in January I am well aware people are skint from Xmas and New Year and it's ages til payday so I am made up they turn up and that always means more to me when I know they are struggling for cash . Use a restaurant discount voucher, stock up on supermarket drink offers, or use those Nectar points and get a few spirits and some cocktail recipes and have some drinks at home too, that money can go far on a night out if planned simply ahead.

tindella

Completely daft idea to start with but everyone should get a present worth £15. If you are buying for a couple (£15 x 2) each member of the couple will be buying you a present, so you get £15 from each person, and you give £15 to each person.

Why not just agree to each buy yourself something you'd like?

Sooler

Just knock the whole present idea on the head - it's stoopid - you'll all just be wasting your money on a load of tat no one really wants.

If someone wants something they can go buy it themselves.

Would the single person recieve presents of £30 from the couples, if so they should spend £30 on the couples. what's with the present for a couple when it's only going to be one persons birthday - daft.

Tulgey_Wood

I'm definitely with the £15 vote, for all the reasons stated!
It isn't tight or mean to pay proportionately! If anything, ot seems a lttle thoughtless of the friends to ask for £30 "per couple" when one of the friends clearly does not fit that category.
Single people shouldn't have to subsidise couples (whatever married law tax breaks would have us believe), people who eat cheap food and have no booze in restaurants shouldn't have to subsidise greeders, and people who can't eat cake shouldn't have to buy cakes! I've never understood that bizarre office custom. Perhaps I am terribly old fashioned, but I always thought that birthdays were for receiving treats; its depressing enough getting older without also having to fork out your hard earned cash to treat a load of parasitic work colleagues who you probably don't even like anyway!

jetfighter

It isn't £30 per couple, it's £15 per person. Easy as that. The original request was just badly worded and, like others have said, a quick text or email would've cleared it up.

lutzi1

Gareth_Lazelle wrote: »

My wife has a similar work-related problem,

At her workplace staff buy cakes for other staff members on their birthdays - all very well,

My wife is a coeliac (can't eat gluten) though, so she can't eat anyone else's cakes - should she still be expected to buy everyone else cakes on her birthday? (She simply doesn't participate at all for what it's worth - but the problem also arises at the Xmas party, etc)

Coeliacs rule! :A

As a Coeliac with a Coeliac daughter, I've often found in the past that people will bring you a gf chocolate bar or a piece of fruit or something once they know the situation, so you don't feel left out. I've certainly never had a problem buying a few cakes or whatever for others when it was my birthday. However, your wife's solution is certainly better for the waistline! I know it's hard sometimes being a Coeliac, but a bit of explanation usually helps things run smoothly.

Guinea09

£30 IS a lot of money to pay, particularly if you are single and do not have the benefit of a second income not even bearing in mind we are in a recession. If you would normally pay £15 per friend for a Christmas present then fair dos - you should spend that much (as you are essentially buying for two). If not, however, whilst I appreciate they are wanting to make things fair by setting a spend limit, it is hardly fair if it saves them money but leaves you out of pocket.

I think your friends should take into consideration that your circumstances as a single person are different to theirs. £30 would form a large proportion of my Christmas budget personally (and is two weeks worth of grocery shopping!) - not spending more than you can afford is not being tight and at the end of the day it is supposed to be the thought that counts . . .

JayD

Of course the single person should only pay half!

It says £30 per couple - a single person is half of a couple.


Where is the dilemma???

anggrrr

It sounds to me that the "mates" are the male half of the couples and they are turning 30. It's 30 quid each whether single or not in that case as everyone gets the same amount spent on them.

Basically, if you've five mates, why should you get £150 worth when you only put in £75? That said if the partners are all turning 30 too it's a different ball game.

A.Jones

djembe_caz wrote: »

I'd be a bit offended that the assumption was towards couples, alienating the one person because they're single. Like how holidays are based on two people sharing, buy one get one half price restaurant deals etc.

Holidays are based on two sharing since that is a very common situation, and gives the minimum price so it looks good value. Most hotel rooms are for two sharing, and so if only one person uses the room, the hotel loses money compared to what they could have got if a couple were in there. Singles can pay the price for couples if they like, but they would have to share their bed with a stranger.