When Your Wife Says “Don’t Buy Me Anything”

I don’t know how you and your family celebrates Christmas or birthdays, but does your other half ever just tell you not to buy them anything ‘cuz they’re perfectly content?

And do you believe them?? ;)

My wife’s on year #8 now of doing this to me, and I think I’m finally catching on…

• Year #1: “Don’t buy you anything?? Yeah right!! Not falling for THAT trick!!” *Goes out and buys double the stuff just to be doubly sure*
• Year #2: “Don’t buy you anything?? But if I’m going to just ignore you, at least cap it at $50 total?” *Goes out and buys $100 worth of stuff and lies saying it was only $50*
• Year #3: “Don’t buy you anything? But if I’m going to ignore you AND not take your cap seriously, just fill your stockings with (small) gifts only?” *Fills her stocking with gifts only, but not small ones*
• Year #4: “Don’t buy you anything? But if I’m going to ignore you AND not take your cap seriously OR fill your stocking with small gifts, take you somewhere for a day of relaxing?” *Books a bed and breakfast and buys nothing and wins the Husband of The Year award*
• Year #5: Listens to his wife
• Year #6: Listens to his wife
• Year #7 (this year): Will listen to wife…

What can I say, men are slow :)

But also – SOMETIMES IT IS A TRICK AND HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO KNOW??? Haha…

We’re all on the same page now, however, and it’s been laid out even more specifically over the past few years so that we’re both better at honoring how the other person wants to celebrate holidays together. Because as it turns out, I don’t really want a lot more “stuff” either! I’m a proud minimalist now!

So here’s *currently* how our gifting looks after many many years of trial and error (mostly on my part ;)):

• Christmas: stocking stuffers only – no items allowed to be more than $10/each.
• Birthday: gifts or experiences. If gifts – $50 (total) or less, if experiences – 1 day or more away to relax, with the less kids and schedules the better.

After three years of sticking to it, I’m proud to state it’s been a smooth and magical ride ever since. Imagine that? Which is saying nothing of all the pressure and last minute scrambling that’s now gone out the window too… That alone can be more stressful than fronting the cash!

So the point is, sometimes our significant others ARE telling us the truth with these types of things, and hopefully we’re smart enough to realize it and know that there was a reason we chose *them* over all the others to begin with…

BECAUSE THEY’RE SPECIAL!
And special people don’t go around playing games :)

So happy holidays at all the special people out there in our lives, and a very particular Happy Birthday to my own special person today – my wife! Who not only makes me a better person (and listener), but who also joins me in the “closer to 40 than 30” club so I’m not so lonely here :) Thanks honey! Though don’t be surprised if your kids have gone out and bought you a ton of stuff today… There were never any rules around THEM, right??? *muah ha ha*….

(Okay, who am I kidding – you already know you’re about to get 400 pieces of doodle art because that’s all kids ever want to give for presents! So don’t forget to act surprised! ;))

How about you all? What kind of rules do you have around gifting? And do you follow them??

Via Finance http://www.rssmix.com/