Hubby is driving me batty.....

[Lisa loves Pooh]

(DISCLAIMER: This is an in jest thread, the spirit of Christmas is fine in our house as is our relationship...thank you!)


So--I am beginning to know why his family had the rule of no personal purchases between Oct 1 and Dec 25 when they were growing up.

My husband keeps asking me if he could buy things.

He just called to ask to buy something that I already got him for Christmas. That one was awkward.

He actually called b/c he was going to buy a gift card for my sister and husband and saw this item and asked if they might like it. I had to be blunt and say "no"...but I just didn't think it would be appreciated. Then he said he would just buy it for himself and I had to stop him in his tracks as his 3yo got it for him for Christmas. (It was on dad's list!)

That was awkward.

(And I would insert the ROTFL smiley--but my emoticons are not working).

 

[VeganCupcake]

My hubby does this too!

 

[Christine]

I feel your pain.

My DD is my pain-in-the-butt though.

She gave me a list of things. She LOVES Free People clothing. I got her soem of their gloves, a hat, and a sweater. She has proceeded to go out on her own and buy the same sweater in a different color and similar gloves from another store. She's going to be disappointed when she gets all her duplicate gifts on Christmas morning.

 

[nmmom95]

I just had the same thing. DH has a December birthday and my parents gave him a gift card for Best Buy. We were Christmas shopping and he wanted to use his gc to buy something I already got him for Christmas. I was like..."Uh, not now, the line's too long, let's go" Being my slick self, i think he caught on.

 

[plutotek]

The rules in our house are 1) there is no buying of personal items (unless they are necessities) from Sept thru Christmas, 2) don't ask if you can buy anything during this time, and 3) don't ask what the other has bought when packages arrive. After a little snafu, a corollary to rule 3 is don't look at the return address if at all possible.

 

[DL55]

My DH does this too. I've mentioned to him it's not a good idea before Christmas.

 

[LisaR]

I think your marriage is in trouble. It sounds like he is having an affair. It sounds like you don't respect him. Make sure your accounts are in your name and change all your passwords.

I thought I would save someone the effort of typing this out when they miss your disclaimer or ignore it.

I feel your pain only mine has actually started with my teens. Now that they are older and have some money, they are terrible about wanting to buy things a few weeks before Christmas.

 

[Jennasis]

Hmmm..never had the "no buy" rule. I don't get it. I do all of DH's Christmas shopping the first week or two of December so I pretty much know what he has and doesn't have, and if he buys something I already got him (will never happen as he NEVER buys stuff for himself), he can return it and get something else.

 

[worm761]

DS just tried this a few weeks ago. He was given money to spend as he saw fit. All he wanted to do was look for a video game that he has wanted for a few years. It isn't that I wouldn't allow him to have it, it is that I couldn't find the darn thing! Well, we found it back in September and bought it on the spot. Thankfully, the one video game store we took him too was out! I convinced him to buy some books instead.

 

[disykat]

Hmmm..never had the "no buy" rule. I don't get it. I do all of DH's Christmas shopping the first week or two of December so I pretty much know what he has and doesn't have, and if he buys something I already got him (will never happen as he NEVER buys stuff for himself), he can return it and get something else.

Which is exactly why you don't have to have the rule.

 

[MushyMushy]

My daughter just did this to me last night!!! We went shopping and to make a long story short, I'd bought her two pairs of brown boots. She took some of her babysitting money and bought herself a pair of brown boots.

I kept my mouth shut until just a little while ago and mentioned our rule of not buying stuff for yourself around Christmas and she said something to the effect of "Mom, I KNOW you. You wouldn't buy me a pair of boots for Christmas!" (true, I never do buy clothes for the kids for Christmas).

I really can't wait to see the look in her eyes when she sees I bought her TWO pairs of boots.

 

[Jennasis]

Which is exactly why you don't have to have the rule.

But DH's mom loves to swoop in and buy him everything he wants with no regard for anyone else's gift giving. At first I got annoyed by it, then I realized he always opens gifts from me first, so HERS are duplicates.

However, the other day we were at World Market and they had these holiday gift packs of different "gourmet sodas". I pointed it out to DH and he said "Awesome! I'd love those!" so MIL swoops in from the other aisle and buys him two and sends them home with DH. However I had already bought him a case a week ago as a Christmas gift. I could've slugged her, but I know she meant well, and in all honestly, he WILL drink all of them eventually.

 

[LisaR]

But DH's mom loves to swoop in and buy him everything he wants with no regard for anyone else's gift giving. At first I got annoyed by it, then I realized he always opens gifts from me first, so HERS are duplicates.

However, the other day we were at World Market and they had these holiday gift packs of different "gourmet sodas". I pointed it out to DH and he said "Awesome! I'd love those!" so MIL swoops in from the other aisle and buys him two and sends them home with DH. However I had already bought him a case a week ago as a Christmas gift. I could've slugged her, but I know she meant well, and in all honestly, he WILL drink all of them eventually.

It is a little different when you are talking about a consumable item vs. a chainsaw, boots, food processor, etc. Eventually, he will drink all the soda but it is highly unlikely that he will need two chainsaws.

 

[Pamlur]

But just think; a man with TWO chain-saws will be the envy of the neighborhood.

 

[Jennasis]

It is a little different when you are talking about a consumable item vs. a chainsaw, boots, food processor, etc. Eventually, he will drink all the soda but it is highly unlikely that he will need two chainsaws.

You'd think that...but he's busted many a chainsaw, appliance or power tool. Duplicates couldn't hurt in those regards.

I guess I just never thought about forbidding my DH from buying something he wanted/needed just so I could give it to him at Christmas.

It probably makes sense to do it, but I've just never heard of making it a hard and fast rule. Learning new and fascinating things everyday.

 

[LisaR]

But just think; a man with TWO chain-saws will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Very true!

You'd think that...but he's busted many a chainsaw, appliance or power tool. Duplicates couldn't hurt in those regards.

I guess I just never thought about forbidding my DH from buying something he wanted/needed just so I could give it to him at Christmas.

It probably makes sense to do it, but I've just never heard of making it a hard and fast rule. Learning new and fascinating things everyday.

Yeah, I have never forbid anyone from buying before the holidays but I am constantly reminding them that Christmas is just around the corner so could they refrain from buying things they don't absolutely need.

My DD did the exact same thing with buying boots that someone else posted about. She just had to buy them yesterday even though she wouldn't have a need to wear them between then and tomorrow morning. I tried to warn her but now she gets to stand in line and take them back.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Well, I didn't forbid anything.

It's his rule and our budget and he wasn't budgeted to go buy a gadget now let alone a duplicate.

But again--I made no such rule. . He made his own rule. SomI can complain in jest when he doesn't want to follow it. Especially 24 hours before he was to open it. And I hate unnecessary returns...so I'm not creating extra work for myself just because he is impatient.

 

[DL55]

I don't forbid my DH either. I just try to encourage no buying the month before. Sometimes he listens.

 

[Robindianne]

I think your marriage is in trouble. It sounds like he is having an affair. It sounds like you don't respect him. Make sure your accounts are in your name and change all your passwords.

I thought I would save someone the effort of typing this out when they miss your disclaimer or ignore it.

OMG I am laughing so hard at this. I love the Dis. You are all great!

Merry Christmas.