Money Moral Dilemma: Is it OK to get my friend something for Christmas that's on sale?

honestcove

Oh yes, definitely.
I often save up unwanted presents I’ve been given, re-wrap them, and send them on as presents the next year (sometimes to the same people who sent them to me in the first place - they never remember).
Very thrifty, and a bit of thought of effort has gone into it is as well.
With a particular friend of mine, we’ve been exchanging the same presents for nigh on 20-years now.

Zoggsville

Why bother?  If you are both spending £30, do Martin's present agreement, whereby you both keep £30 instead of spending 'just because you have to'.  Gifts of friendship are greater than material things.

gloriouslyhappy

Sounds ridiculous - just get something you think they’ll like up to £30 value. If there’s change but you haven’t skimped on the gift, then so be it.

Thank goodness for my family’s £10 limit with preference for home-made, charity shop or recycled-fixer upper project sort of items. The gifts given and received are always thoughtful and interesting and no one goes into debt or adds to the plastics mountain. 

CathWat

I don't think you should buy something else to go with it and I agree with the ethos of buying great gifts reduced which in fact you might not usually be able to afford, I often do it.  But just thinking of you - what if your friend said they wanted to return it/wrong colour, size etc, how would you feel?  I suggest - say that you've found something perfect and it was less than the £30, do they want to spend a bit less on you this year?  This might also prompt a discussion about maybe reducing gift limits going forward, if either of you wants the opportunity to do that.  Happy Christmas!

Agent57

Stick to your 'agreement' this year but review it for next year. 
Is what you are buying something your friend actually wants / needs?  Does your friend buy you things you actually want / need? Do you buy all your friends £30 gifts? How does your financial situation compare to your friends?
Don't paint yourself into a corner over Christmas.  You should not be obliged to do anything and people should not be expecting anything.

SkyFae

I've bought a lot of things for my parents Christmas Food hampers (they are retired on fixed income so its full of special treats they will talk themselves out of buying) on special deals, and they would be very happy as it means I can get them more things.

For friends we've all agreed no gifts, and even my sister and her fella were going to be no gifts as they only had Christmas day off work so wouldn't be able to meet up with us.  But as she now has a few extra days off as gift from her company she is visiting Boxing day and we will swap what we call "squishy" presents - basically a small gift between £5-£10 often fun socks or similar, just so we have something to unwrap with parents.

I only send physical cards now to older family friends with a note inside as people seem to like that and direct family (all 2nd class post).  Friends get a virtual card either to emails or a Whatsapp christmas image.  No worries about that as they are younger, or in case of my godchildren would look at a paper card as a waste of environment (bless them!)

Spendless

What is less anyway - on sale at £25 instead in which case I'd either not say or if it bothers you buy a box of chocs/tin of biscuits to go with it. 
Or
You've dropped on a really lucky find at a charity shop. Never been used and it's cost you £2? In that case I'd either depending on whether I thought my financial situation become strained over the next few months I'd keep quiet and save the difference. If that made me feel uncomfortable, I'd buy another gift at or close to budget and hand over the lucky find as well saying saw this in charity shop so thought of you and snapped it up.  

SuperScrimper1

MSE_Kelvin said:

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

My friend and I always get each other a Christmas gift, which we spend a mutually agreed £30 on. This year I've found something worth £30 that would make a great gift for them, but it's on sale so I'd be spending less. Should I keep the money I'd save for myself or buy them something extra so I've spent the agreed amount?

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Hi ...I would buy the gift that you know that your friend would absolutely love and get them something to take it to the value of £30...as you have agreed to spend £30. Alternatively and personally what I would do you could tell your friend the truth that although it was worth £30 it had been reduced to £15 but you bought it because it was what you were going to buy at full price and ask if your friend has not already bought yours do they want to just spend £15 this year so that you both save some money from doing this . In my friendship group as there are a lot of us in high powered jobs to struggling financially we have a rule that we should all only spend £5-£7 max but have all agreed that it wouldn't matter if it was a £1 or homemade  as long as the thought was there and if struggling we should say and no offence will be taken to 'I can't do it this year'. This covers all budgets then and puts pressure on no one  . I had a lovely brand new vase from a charity shop that prob cost £30 in M&S my mate had bought it for £3 but knew i would love it...another friend had harvested her Grape vines and made bottles of red wine...another had bought a hand towel and cross stitched a shell border and lighthouses on the bottom again I loved it at the time I had a sea themed bathroom...another learnt how to make the most beautiful beaded bracelets and made me one...I have noticed Boots have already slashed stuff to 1/2 price and many others so I would think your friend would be ok with this. Christmas is so expensive anyway buying for family members especially with Children or Teens involved let alone paying Gas and Electric this year . 

JayD

Whilst I agree that a mutual spending cap is wise, it shouldn't be rigidly adhered to. If you have found something that you think your friend will enjoy, and it happens to be on sale, then go for it! (And tread yourself to a mince pie with the difference LOL )

Happy Christmas!

Spendless

As I found a 'rigid' agreed spend a bit odd but I'm also aware that these dilemmas often 'fudge' round the details meaning some of the responses are  unwittingly not always relevant, I do wonder if the real dilemma is more along the lines of the RL situation we got this weekend.

DH is in a Secret Santa for £10. He found a suitable item in a national chain store for £10. It says that price on the sticky label. When he got to the till, it rang up at £7.50. There'd been no sign of the offer on the shelf he picked it up from. With a long queue behind him, he didn't go look for an additional item to make it up whilst we were at the shopping centre. That has left him with a 'Do I go look for something for an additional £2.50, or do I leave it, I thought it was £10, the price tag says £10. It's secret anyway so recipient won't know how it's from and should they look it up, they won't know when bought and was it then at full price'.