Practical Christmas Presents

Cotta

Hi All,

My partner and I bought several presents for each other last year, most went unused and were put under the stairs.

My partner this year asked me what I wanted so I advised nothing but she wasn't overly happy with this answer and I know she will be wanting some gift in return.

We are both looking to buy our own place together and I was thinking of putting an amount towards our deposit fund as her gift and if she wanted to get me something she could do the same.

Is this a bit of a selfish type of gift that I'm suggesting as I would ultimately benefit from it too?

Thanks in advance.

Pollycat

Cotta wrote: »

Hi All,

My partner and I bought several presents for each other last year, most went unused and were put under the stairs.

My partner this year asked me what I wanted so I advised nothing but she wasn't overly happy with this answer and I know she will be wanting some gift in return.

We are both looking to buy our own place together and I was thinking of putting an amount towards our deposit fund as her gift and if she wanted to get me something she could do the same.

Is this a bit of a selfish type of gift that I'm suggesting as I would ultimately benefit from it too?

Thanks in advance.

I think it depends on whether your partner would see it as a selfish gift.

Personally, I don't agree with buying gifts for the sake of it.
If you don't want a gift, stick to your decision.
Just because you don't want a gift, doesn't mean you shouldn't buy her something.
And you shouldn't feel you have to buy her something because she's expecting it.

pinknsparkly

My husband and I haven't bought each other big physical Christmas or birthday presents in a long time! In previous years we've bought each other experience days or holidays (for example, he took me caving for my birthday last year, I booked us onto the largest inflatable obstacle course in Europe for his!). I know this doesn't help with your desire not to spend money on gifts, but it DOES avoid the issue of ending up with "stuff" that you don't need or want.

In terms of reducing costs, this year we are in the process of buying a house and need to keep our expenses to a minimum - we have decided to fill a stocking for each other (we already have the stockings) and will set a maximum price for that, probably in the region of £15. We also buy (in his case) or make (in my case) advent calendars for each other which in our view is also a gift. However, I do know other people who are absolutely agast that we don't spend hundreds of pounds on each other for Christmas and would view what we do as a divorce-able offence so it is vital that the two of you come to a mutual agreement in advance!!

need_an_answer

We buy things as we need them throughout the year so never have a main Christmas present.


What we do have is a budget usually quite small and a stocking of presents ...mainly token things but things we will use

Some nice chocolate,bubble bath all sorts of little things a scratch card a bottle of beer...probably quite similar to the poster above

Maybe you could think along those lines this year

Spendless

Cotta wrote: »

Hi All,

My partner and I bought several presents for each other last year, most went unused and were put under the stairs.

My partner this year asked me what I wanted so I advised nothing but she wasn't overly happy with this answer and I know she will be wanting some gift in return.

We are both looking to buy our own place together and I was thinking of putting an amount towards our deposit fund as her gift and if she wanted to get me something she could do the same.

Is this a bit of a selfish type of gift that I'm suggesting as I would ultimately benefit from it too?

Thanks in advance.

Have you both got a help to buy Isa?

https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/help-to-buy-isa/how-does-it-work/

What about opening one up, I guess she'd need to do that herself, rather than you being able to do it on her behalf, so you could give the cash/cheque ready for her to do so.