Money Moral Dilemma: Should you give your best mate a £1 pressie?

muffin_man

All my friends know how obsessed I am with getting a bargain, and lets face it, which requires more effort?

Going to a shop at the last minute and slapping your money on the counter
or,
Finding the deal in the first place, making sure you apply early enough to get the gift in time (if a special occasion), messing about setting up the direct debit etc. and, as mentioned above, remembering to cancel it!

The extra thought and effort expended on them is worth far more than the monetary saving.

However, if I had already set aside the extra money, I'd probably treat us to a night out or somesuch and tell them why. That way, you're not just adding pressies to make up the monetary value - after all, did you become friends for the material benefits?

Taffybiker

It's the thought that counts - the prezzie is not worth £1, it's worth £30. My friend would never ask how much I paid or how I got it.

MYLITTLESISTERLOLA

Of course its ok no-one gets hurt and it saves money, no brainer

lamp

I get gifts people will love, not gifts according to the price tag. Sometimes it costs a bit more then i'd like to spend, sometimes you get the above scenario...

What moral dilemma?

Dorrie

It's the thought that counts, not the cost, so, yes I would just give the perfume. But - I don't give presents to friends anyway!! A couple of them get a birthday card, and they do the same with me.

Must be a bit tight in my family anyway, as we all only spend about £10 per niece or nephew! My children get more - they got around £60 for their birthdays this year (aged 14, 16 and 18).

scarlet_macaw

Why not?

It's what it's worth to the recipient that counts, not what it costs you!

full-time-mum

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Should you give your best mate a £1 pressie?

Why ever not, its worth £30.

When we were both working, before the children arrived and before the endowment went pear-shaped, we would have got the perfume for £1 and then topped it up with something else so that the recipient benefitted from the bargain.
However, now (especially now I'm an MSEr) I'm afraid that they would just get the perfume. After all, the recipient doesn't know its only cost £1. That's £29 into the mortgage fund!

I don't spend £30 on pressies anyway, so, if it was my friend, I would be handing it over saying "you got lucky this year, I found a corking bargain....", so in my case it would only be £9 in the mortgage fund but every little helps.

sluggy1967

I'd get it, buy them something else, then when they opened the £1 pressie & thanked me for being so generous, tell them the truth & have a good laugh about it, that's what being friends is all about!!!

full-time-mum

Dorrie wrote: »

Must be a bit tight in my family anyway, as we all only spend about £10 per niece or nephew! My children get more - they got around £60 for their birthdays this year (aged 14, 16 and 18).

Well, if that's the case, I'm tighter - £10-£15 on nieces/nephews/siblings and £30ish on children unless there is something specific they want/need.

I always challange myself to spend as little as possible but with as big as possible value. £1 for £30 bottle would be a right RESULT!

Same with birthday parties - DDs (12 today) is costing me less than £3 per head - total £20 and I could have cut more corners if I was being a real cheapskate.

DML1954

Yes do it. If the person is a true friend its the thought that counts on the present not the amount.:T