For Valentines day my husband got me these beautiful Tulips. Tulips are my favorite flower.
I was excited that he got me flowers in the first place, but the fact that he took the time to purchase my favorite kind made it even more special. They were cheaper then roses, but for me they meant so much more.
This is what I gave him (notice the heart stickers?!) he he he:
So as you can see, price is not a factor between my husband and I. No expensive chocolates, no jewelry, no gift cards to a day spa....just thoughtful gifts. Now comes my question......
We recently gave a gift valued at $20 to someone. When they received it, they (knowing I bargain shop) said "How much did you pay for this, $5?" I'm sure it was meant as a joke, but I was in shock. "No you jerk! I paid $10!!" HA HA.....of course I didn't say that, I just laughed if off and told them I didn't pay $5 for it. They were appreciative and thanked us for the gift, but I was hurt and confused. Should it matter that I got a discount on your gift? I'm a bargain shopper....sue me!
On a more positive note, another gift was given from a post around Christmas on FREE Melissa & Doug toys (the offer is over, so don't bother finding the post). I got a M&D train block set (for free) and gave it to my nephew for Christmas. My sister asked me "Is this the one you blogged about for free? It's really nice, he'll love it!" I was very appreciative of this type of comment. It's hard to surprise people with gifts when I share with all my readers about finding the deals and how cheap they are. My sister knew the worth of the gift, and how much I paid (or didn't pay) for it. More importantly she realized it was a nice gift and that her son would love it.
So my closing question to you is.....should the price paid on a gift matter to the recipient? Have you ever had similar situation? How would you have reacted to a comment like that? What are your thoughts?
No, it should not matter to the recipient how much you paid for a gift. Unfortunately, I believe our 'prosperity' and the 'go into debt and spend more than you earn' mentality has brought about a very shallow mindset - how much did you spend on me? - how long will it take you to get out of debt because you love me so much? Instead of the thought of the gift, or even the gift at all.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that we value money more than charity or kindness; that we can't have gratitude for what we receive.
And if that were me that they made that comment to - I'd offer to take the gift back and probably not give a gift to them again for a while.
I shop the same way, I refuse to pay retail. I feel they should be appreciative that I spent so little. I have a budget and must stick to it. If I found it on sale, it means you get a better gift. I too have received distasteful comments. I usually say something like, "you bet your butt I got a deal, you're welcome." I'm proud of it. The comments can get annoying and I have phased out gift giving to certain people because of it. I feel they should appreciate my situation. They all know that we were part of the lay-off roundup. We are working hard to get back to where we were. You would think people would be sensitive to it. Alternatively, I have those who will blurt out how little they spent on a gift for me because they know I will appreciate it and that I will think the gift is even cooler because of it. They usually get a high five from me. So hold your head up high!
ReplyDeleteGreat comments Greg and Nicole! Thanks for taking the time to chime in. :) Sad to hear I'm not the only one out there that has had this experience.
ReplyDeleteIt does make it fun when others can be appreciative and share in the joy of you finding a great deal.