Not exchanging gifts with spouse

northhillsbride

I have to say that I was really surprised to see how many of you don't really exchange gifts with your SO. I thought DH and I were the only ones! It makes me feel better to read, actually - I sometimes think we're too practical bc we don't.

Sometimes, it makes me sad about it - but really, we make gifts more about the kids. And, while I love DH, he is not good at gift giving at all. He tries, but a gift card to Claire's and a perfume that is cheap and fruity smelling are not really "me"! He also sent me chocolate through the mail this summer for my bday (he was already in TX). It all melted into one big blob.

I did buy a few things for DH this year. He's been wanting a soda stream (any feedback on those?!), so that will be from the boys. And I bought him some ND clothes and probably a gift card to somewhere as well.

smynings_bride

We don't do gifts to each other either.  In fact, when we were dating, we put a $50 limit on gifts to take the pressure off.  

egpitt22

It seems like every year, there's something major that we need that we end up calling our gift to each other.  Last year, it was a dishwasher, the year before that, it was our laptop, both of which broke a month before christmas.  this year, at least we had something fun (steelers game) to call out gift  

waltsgirl102503

We don't usually do gifts either.  I think this year since there isn't anything big we want for the house, we're going to do a small gift and a stocking for each other.   

lishie

I like gifts, so we'll do something. Clare, I was thinking about getting Steve the sodastream. I see target has a deal for it as a pack with 4 syrups for $79.99 and then a $25 gift card for next weekend, so I may do that.

He loves seltzer--we used to get it delivered to the house every week, and then Pittsburgh Seltzer decided they hate us, so I was thinking this could be a replacement for it. I've heard good things, but never tried it.

Meghan&Rich

Per my post below, we do gifts, mostly because DH is adamant about it for whatever reason.  If he didn't feel so strongly about it, I would probably lean towards not doing gifts just to take something off of my to do list.  Although, I have to admit that I do love gift giving (and receiving!), so I am glad that he insists we do this.  So many things get put aside once you have kids, so I do think it is a nice tradition even if it's just something small like a lottery ticket and some new slippers or some date night coupons, stocking stuffers, etc.

kris356

Yeah, not getting gifts would not fly in our house, even if we had kids. I love buying gifts and i do love to get stuff that I wouldn't necessarily buy for myself. I have no issues buying clothes or shoes but I will rarely buy myself jewelery or a purse. That being said, my husband is a very good gift giver. In 20 years I have only had to return a couple things because I wasn't fond of them.

But this is probably because my parents always exchanged gifts even when they didn't have a whole lot of money and still do. We we were younger, my dad used to take us out one Saturday before Christmas to go shopping for my mom and then we would go out to lunch. As we got older, it was one evening and dinner. I cherish those memories since my dad traveled for work when we were younger and when we were older, he worked 8-9 most nights.

northhillsbride

I think that's a great tradition, Kris. When we were younger, my Dad would take us out to the Mall on a school night to a jewelry store to help give feedback on something he would get Mom. I always had fun with that.

As we're adults now, Mom usually picked out her own gifts and wraps them up, and then laughingly thanks Dad for the gifts when she opens them. LOL I guess this is why I try hard to pick out things for my Mom for Christmas, rather than give gift cards. I want her to have presents to open that she doesn't have any idea what they are.

That said, it worked for my parents. And even my Mom would open something and had forgotten she had bought it, so it was kind of a surprise anyway.

Lisa - thaks for the heads up! I'll be spending a lot of time online this weekend, checking out the BF ads and such - but I think Target will be a stop next Friday for sure then. I've been watching prices in general on it and that is great, with the gc too!

Amber and Emmy - we do the same thing, too - something big for the house or something, since there's always a trip or a house pruchase needed. Last year's gift to DH was his weekend away at the ND-Pitt game. This year was to be the ND game in Dallas, with Gavin, but Gavin got sick.

But I agree, I love giving gifts and even if it's something small, I like to do it.

4EvR&4AlWz

We don't do gifts to each other.  We never have really.  We always buy what we need through the year.  We usually try to plan a trip or experience at the holidays that "counts."  

However, now that B is old enough to give gifts, understand, pick out, etc, I think I will take her shopping to get something for daddy since she loved shopping for a gift for her sister (we did that the other weekend).

MAYBE?

Since we are building a new house this year and don't need a thing we decided since we still want to exchange something that we would do our normal ornaments that we do every year and a $50 gift certificate to a resteraunt that we have never been to and want to try. I have chosen bistro 19. And I will find out his pick on Xmas. We figured it would get us 2 date nights at least and who knows maybe a new favorite place to eat. Next year we can buy each other stuff for the new house.