Do you buy your significant other birthday/christmas/event gifts?

[Poetic Justice]

I was chatting with a mate earlier about what I had bought my wife for Xmas and he mentioned that him and his wife don't buy presents for each other.

His reasoning was a cost one - fair enough to an extent - and that they mutually would prefer to buy something they can both appreciate (not necessarily enjoy) such as something for their house.

This got me thinking...

Is this normal?

I wonder if his wife actually feels the same way as he puts it across?

Does any of you approach these things in a similar way?

For me.. I think it's part of our own romance but even then I would have to admit in the past few years its become less about knowing each other and finding an appropriate surprise to now being more like "Whattaya want for xmas?"

 

[JackOutback]

Always prided myself on being a pretty good gift giver over the years, but the wife and I have been together over 20 years now, we have kids now, so the focus is on them and there's been less gift buying at Christmas for each other in recent years. We'll often buy something big that both of us might enjoy (an electric scooter this year, for example). I do try to grab one or two small things so we have something to unwrap on the day, but it's usually just a book or some booze.

 

[Hawk Dork]

We dont on the dates
you get your favourite meal for your Bday
Big purchases are bought when we need or want them or they are on special and labelled Xmas or Bday presents can be anything a holiday, a bit of tech or something that needs replacing.... can be any time of the year


We have enough stuff we dont need more

 

[Shell]

In my LTR, yes we certainly did do birthdays, (his was xmas day too- so it was either 2 separate gifts from me or 1 xmas gift + 1 gift given on a random day thru out the next year), Valentines, and Xmas presents.

Valentines tho wasn't going overboard or anything was just something small + went out for dinner or a picnic. Bigger presents for xmas + birthdays. I still have Xmas gifts from him, eg. Box set of Six Feet Under.

I dont think we did much for anniversaries tho. Its not like we were married.

 

[Billy ray]

 

[Caesar]

Not really. We get each other a book or something, and then go out for a nice meal.

We’re sort of at the stage in our lives where we need to get rid of stuff, not add it

 

[Shell]

^That's why I like activity gifts the best.

Eg. skydiving, scuba diving. Both examples of stuff we've done/gotten as gifts too.

 

[Hawk Dork]

Fun part is when something boring breaks and gets replaced and I say thats your Bday present....goes down a treat

 

[SugarShane]

We still try but it's hard. I'm extremely easy to buy for. I'm into tons of different stuff and am a big fan of merch and collectables. I love stuff.

My wife is extremely particular about what she likes, and does NOT like collectables and that sort of shit. She is nearly impossible to buy for if I want a surprise she'll like. She always wants things like clothes, plants, etc, that I would never buy for her without checking first.

The biggest problem is when we see something we like or want, we buy it. So yeah, every year we more or less end up buying $100-200 worth of stuff for ourselves and giving it to the other person to wrap. This year I managed to get her a few surprises that I think she'll like, and her for me too. But we have 2 kids now anyway so neither of us cares that much as most of Christmas is about making it awesome for the kids.

Birthdays, definitely. Again, not often surprises but we try and make a big deal out of birthdays.

Valentine's, no. Maybe a box of Ferreros at most and some printed off cards with funny puns. Before we got married our relationship anniversary was 22/2 so we always made more of a point of doing something nice on that day.

 

[radiojake]

Pretty stoked when my new partner said she didn't want to buy Xmas presents for each other as I never like doing that

I took her out on her bday earlier in the year but definitely no to xmas

 

[the_interloper]

Id tend to agree ha ha

 

[Geoffa32]

Fun part is when something boring breaks and gets replaced and I say thats your Bday present....goes down a treat

The new whipper snipper and blower vac was for my birthday....

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[GROTTO]

The worst past about buying presents for a significant other is if you start going out just before Xmas, Her Birthday, Valentines Day.

These are the real traps. Especially if you dont think the relationship will last more than 3-6 months.

Damned if you, damned if you dont.

 

[74561347]

ive told significant others that i dont want anything for a birthday or christmas, im not a gift person. had a couple then go out and get me something anyway which really pissed me off.

you literally had to go out of your way and make an effort to do the exact opposite of what i wanted. i mean f***ing seriously.

 

[rank and file]

Lucky lady is going to get a TAB voucher,will be much appreciated and will get hurt Perth Cup Day
1/1/22.

 

[Catfish Alley]

Been together 20 years but, yeah, always buy each other gifts. Can't imagine not doing that.

 

[mr bagcroft]

25 years here.
Meh, I just tie a ribbon on it.
Always works.

 

[Andre]

Yep. Wife and I are easy for each to buy for each other. Buy each other another board game for our ever growing collection and we're happy to get a gift both will like and use.

I hate getting gifts for people who don't have a hobby / interest that makes it easy to get them something. It's like 'Work with me here, I'm trying to help you!'.

 

[Shell]

I hate getting gifts for people who don't have a hobby / interest that makes it easy to get them something. It's like 'Work with me here, I'm trying to help you!'.

Dad: fishing, golf, cars, alcohol, golf, cars.
My mum:

 

[t_94]

Yep. Wife and I are easy for each to buy for each other. Buy each other another board game for our ever growing collection and we're happy to get a gift both will like and use.

I hate getting gifts for people who don't have a hobby / interest that makes it easy to get them something. It's like 'Work with me here, I'm trying to help you!'.

A lot of those people have made Covid their hobby in the last couple of years. Perhapsa rapid testing kit or some nappies?

 

[Scotland]

I am a huge fan of gift giving.

Wait did I say gift? Now how did that T get in there...

 

[Jack Richards]

We hardly do as money is tight (I'm the sole income earner and we have kids).

Way I see it, I'm buying the gifts for myself and her as it is essentially my money.

 

[dumb]

Even if we agreed on no gifts I would still be sneaky and buy one.
It's become a bit trickier now that she has all the colours of her favourite cut of boot.

 

[Brad Goodman]

We tend to go on holiday for her birthday and go out for dinner for mine. We celebrate Christmas with quality time rather than quantity gifts, I tend to think Christmas presents are for the kids anyway.

 

[Cruyff14]

Christmas we do.

Our birthdays are 12 days apart and our wedding anniversary is wedged in the middle so usually it's just something small and we go out to dinner.