Serling126 Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 I have a little gift dilemma and I would appreciate an outside point of view... My husband's family does a secret santa drawing among the adults with a limit of $50. With all the great deals out there, I can purchase $50 worth of gifts for much less. So then I feel obligated to spend more to get up to the $50 limit. I have the same problem with my nephew's gifts... My budget is $25 but the gifts I've gotten have been half price. So do I spend the extra money to bring it up to the limit or do I just say I have $50 worth of gifts and leave it at that (even though I didn't spend that much)? I'm pretty certain that other family members don't go out of their way to find the best prices... My husband says that Christmas is not about the gifts and nobody cares how much I actually spend, but he's not in charge of buying the gifts!!
dmmiller Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 I agree with your husband.. It's not about the gift. I'm sure if you bought something that was normally in that $50 range, and you got it for 1/2 price or less, it would be fine. No one will take inventory. You should just take pride in the fact that you found an outrageous deal, and keep it your little secret. :)
pogiporkchop Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 That's how I do it - go by the regular retail price. My exception may be for my son's class gift exchange, which I just found out about. He's buying for another boy and has a limit of $4.
missyjane Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 I would too. It's your excellent shopping that found those deals, which in turns saves you money. No one is going to come back and say - hey this is regularly $50 but I saw them on sale for $35 so now I deserve another $15 present. I'd say it's ok. I think the limit is set as a limit. -Just my opinion.
ms_mckenna Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 I agree go by what the regular price is and let it be your little secret that you did better than that
christib327 Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 I have to agree with your husband. It doesn't matter. Don't feel guilty about it! BE PROUD!!!! :)
motoXmom Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 I have to agree with everyone else on this one. Maybe look at it this way.. you get everything say at half price so your total is $25 and retail about $50. Now if you keep buying up to the Retail of $50 some may be upset and THINK you actually spent roughly double that ..$100. If that made any sense.
Serling126 Posted November 23, 2006 Author Posted November 23, 2006 Thanks for the responses! motoXmom.... Very good point, I never thought of it that way. I'm always afraid that somebody's going to return the gift and find out I didn't spend the full $50. I probably won't be handing out gift receipts then... if somebody wants to return their present they can try to get store credit I guess. But I suppose not having to spend the full $50 is compensation for getting up before the crack of dawn and standing in the freezing cold to get into walmart at 5am! :)
dmmiller Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 also.. How do they know when you actually bought the gift.. For all they know, you could have bought it 2 months ago, and its been reduced since then. :) But we all know thats not the case LOL
Kimp67 Posted November 27, 2006 Posted November 27, 2006 I'm gonna be the one that disagrees. We do a gift exchange at work with a specific dollar amount & the person I get always makes out because I find such bargains & go by what I actually spent!! But really, I agree with what your hubby said, with family it's not about the gifts!
conj Posted November 27, 2006 Posted November 27, 2006 It is a $50 limit, not a minimum! You're fine.
mom_of2boyz Posted November 28, 2006 Posted November 28, 2006 It is a $50 limit, not a minimum! You're fine.Exactly. Go by retail prices.
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