Who else has a DH who stinks at shopping?

[disneymom3]

I know you must be out there and I need some commiserating.

I love to give gifts and would really like to get gifts but it feels like it has been forever since anyone really put thought into what to get me for Christmas. Now, this won't even come close to ruining the holiday for me so don't worry about that.

But does anyone else feel like it would be really nice to get a gift that you didn't have to specifically tell someone--mainly DH--that you wanted? I could give him a list, but then really what fun is that? We have combined money so I could just as well go out and buy it myself. And yet, in reality I know he will not get me anything that will really make me go "hey, he really put some thought into this and it is such a good fit for my personality." The last couple of years we did not exchange gifts because financially we just were not able to. This year we are, but I know he has done no shopping. He has a deadline for work next week so I know he will be working late all week. And if he does manage to go shopping, he will complain about how much he hates it and that just really makes you feel so cozy, huh?

He is a really great guy. In other areas of our lives he is thoughtful, loving, kind and totally unselfish. I really have nothing to complain about, but I want a fun gift so I came here to whine.

Anyone want to join me?

 

[Stitchfans]

as I said on another thread. I have to buy it myself, or win it on Ebay with him paying of course. That is how I get presents. Or as I said have good friends on the Dis like Lewdyan1 (Dyan) send my cookies from WDW so my DD11 can have a gift for me under the tree. He hates shopping and I knew that before we were married.

 

[mickeyboat]

I hear you!

DH is hit or miss. Sometimes he does a great job with my gifts, sometimes he doesn't. I mean really, if all he is doing is going out to get what I put on the list, then I can just do it myself while I am out shopping for everyone else. Doesn't make you feel very special, does it.

There have been years when he has gong above and beyond for me. Those are the years I remember the most, even if he doesn't spend much money. This year I gave him a list, and he said he has bought something from it. He also said he has gotten something that was not on the list, and that I would never even expect him to go into that store. I can't wait.

Hope you have a good year this year.

Denae

 

[Sthronds]

I don't have a husband but I have a dad. His grand plan for my mom this year is a shredder. But a really good one!

 

[barkley]

i must say my dh has given me some very thoughtful gifts over the years-but he does not always put a great deal of time and thought into it and he does detest shopping. he has gotten better over the past few years and i can only attribute that to the influences of his "shopping companions". we both take each of the kids out to shop for the other kid as well as for each of us. i have made a point in my trips with them of teaching both kids about putting time and thought into choosing a gift (we sit and talk about what the recipients interests are, what has happened over the recent past, anything that will jogg some ideas) as a result both kids tend to be very good at selecting gifts. i have a feeling since both of my kids like to chat quite a bit, that when dad takes them shopping for me he hears allot of what the kids believe my interests are and what i might like (and they are pretty much on the mark)-i think he then uses several of thier discarded choices when he goes out by himself

 

[Kaycee]

OK, so we are really weird...DH is great at shopping. He always knows just what to get for everyone, including me. I'm the one who stinks at shopping. Luckily, he doesn't care about surprises and he's willing to tell me very specifically what he wants, so I just go out and buy it. Or rather, in the past few years, I order it online since, not only do I stink at shopping, I hate doing it. DH also helps me pick out gifts for everyone else. Which is a good thing, or no one would ever get a decent gift from us! It's not that I don't want to get gifts for people - I love actually buying and giving the gift. I just really stink at picking something out.

 

[Monte Cristo]

He is a really great guy. In other areas of our lives he is thoughtful, loving, kind and totally unselfish. I really have nothing to complain about, but I want a fun gift so I came here to whine.

So the only thing you are complaining about is that you don't get a deep down thoughtful gift? Now, believe me, I totally understand where you are coming as my wife often says what do you want for x-mas/b-day? I understand that it would be nice to not have to tell her what I want, BUT on the other hand, I am NOT the easiest person to buy for and I will fully admit it....so I give her a pass becuause if that's the only thing I have to complain about, then boy, I guess I can be proud that I struck the lottery on finding a great wife.

MC

 

[rascalmom]

My dh would probably be amazed to hear that Christmas is this week!

No complaints in any other department though - he takes me to WDW regularly. What more could I ask!

 

[disneymom3]

So the only thing you are complaining about is that you don't get a deep down thoughtful gift? Now, believe me, I totally understand where you are coming as my wife often says what do you want for x-mas/b-day? I understand that it would be nice to not have to tell her what I want, BUT on the other hand, I am NOT the easiest person to buy for and I will fully admit it....so I give her a pass becuause if that's the only thing I have to complain about, then boy, I guess I can be proud that I struck the lottery on finding a great wife.

MC

I know. I fully admit to whining and feeling sorry for myself!

He is a fabulous husband and I adore him.




But I still want a present.......

I knew I was not alone in this so this thread has already made me feel better. I may just go ahead and buy the gifts myself again this year. I really want the new Unofficial Guide. Maybe I will give him a shot and go shopping the week after Christmas for the stuff I don't get.

Anything has to be better than the two years in a row of slippers. (I hate slippers and never wear them. Plus one year, they were the wrong size. His reason was that he didn't know slippers came in different sizes ) Oh yeah, I am feeling better......

 

[PigletsPal]

My DH waits until Christmas eve, then tells me how he couldn't fine me anything so instead he picked just any old thing so I could have something under the gift. This year I told youngest DS that I wanted a new TV for our bedroom. When I saw what I wanted and the price was awsome. I bought it and told him now you get to wrap it...............

 

[Michie]

The last thing the Dh bought me was a crochet, string bikini. Does that say anything?

 

[EthansMom]

My DH is an engineer who was raised Jahovah's Witness (never had/went to a birthday party, Christmas, etc. growing up). Enough said.

 

[BARBARAAPPLE]

My husband spends all year pointing out what he wants that he can't hear me telling him what I want so I don't get presents from my husband ( no x-mas ,birthday our anniv) the last gift I got from him was in 1992 and it was a shirt that was a size 4xl and I wear a xl so after that he decided picking things out was not the job for him

 

[mjc05]

Be careful what you wish for, my ex-boyfriend was trying to find the perfect present for me, he asked everyone who knew me, including my family. I was a freshman in college at the time and wanted a Pashmina more than anything. I told anyone who listened that I wanted one. I would "ohh" and "ahh" over pictures of them in magazines when he was around. I would point out that a certain store was having a sale on them right after payday. I would literally pet the pashminas when we walked by them in a store.

So, Christmas came and he told me that he'd put a lot of thought into my gift, and he knew I was going to love it, cause I could use it after classes when I was walking to the parking lot. I'm thinking "Yay! Pashmina!". He handed me a tiny package and I thought "Why would he roll up a Pashmina into such a tiny package? That's cruel."

I unwrapped the package that he had put such thought and care into choosing and found..... a Mag Light flashlight keychain.

He knew I hated walking out to the car after classes because the parking lot had such bad lighting. It was very thoughtful, but it wasn't my Pashmina. I was at Penney's the next morning, buying the darn thing. Luckily it was dark that morning, so I could use my thoughtful gift to light my way into the store.

 

[jamzots]

My Dh wants to exchange every year, and this year I told him no exchanging because first of all I don't really need him to buy me anything. If I want something I go out and get it myself. 2nd of all I will give him a list and then he always waits until the last minute and everything I want is not in the stores anymore. When I told him no exchaniging this year he pouted like a big baby and was like "what no presents?" So I gave in and once again put alot of thought into his gifts and shopped ahead to make sure I could get what I needed for him. He again waited until the last minute and shopped only after I told him that basically the stores were running out of the things that I wanted, so it's a mystery what he'll get me. Usually he just settles for whatsever left in the stores. I told him I wanted a laptop this year and he looked at me like I was crazy for even suggesting such a thing. It made me feel like I don't deserve it, even though I have 3 kids, including a baby, a job, and a house to run. I'm not trying to complain but I don't need any more knick knacks that I have no use for, and that seems to be a trend in what he buys me each year.

 

[bigolive9]

My husband is a bad gift giver for two reasons. First, he puts off Christmas shopping until the last minute. He started yesterday, and plans to finish tomorrow night.
Secondly, he is a very funny guy, so he always chooses the "wacky" gift. This is okay sometimes- we have a group of friends that usually tries to pick the craziest gifts they can. It is okay in this group. However, he has purchaes the "wacky" gift when it is not appropriate. When we were in high school, he bought me Hello kitty gifts. He bought my best friend, who is also his friend, a plastic whale. She did not collect whales, nor did she have any particular spot in her heart for whales. My husband did not realize that she did not like the gift until about a year ago. (about 7 years later!!) he thought it was entertaining and that she would find it funny. In reality, she was hurt because he had bought me a gift that fit with my interests, and her a totally random whale.
I don't expect a lot of gifts, or expensive gifts. I do expect a well thought gift.

 

[SeeDisney]

My husband is horrible at food shopping. He buys bruised fruits and old look veggies and never uses the coupons I give him. And he doesn't know how to look for the "sale" items.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I mark up a bunch of catalogs with post it notes. I write the size and colors (usually several different colors) that I would like. Then I give them to him. He orders from these, but not all. I always pick way more than I expect to get. So I get surprises, but not total surprises that I have to return.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

But does anyone else feel like it would be really nice to get a gift that you didn't have to specifically tell someone--mainly DH--that you wanted? I could give him a list, but then really what fun is that?

Anyone want to join me?

Sorry can't join you. We shop together now. I just don't understand the need to be "surprised". DH got me Sirius Satellite Radio for Christmas. I am already listening to it.

Now maybe if we were rolling in $$$$$, then it might be more fun!

 

[disneymom3]

You know, my sister used to always know her Christmas gifts because she basically picked them out with my mom. I never understood the fun in that. I still want some surprises!

DH is going shopping sometime this week. He tells me now he has ideas so we will see. I don't really care if they are the things I was really hoping for, just that there is thought behind them. (Winter pjs in a regular size when you are 6 months preg, do not show a lot of thought, IMO. Especially when your gift is jammies for the second year in a row. This was the two years following slippers two years in a row........)