Is this too cheap of me for Christmas?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2004
Is this too cheap of me for Christmas?
12
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 3:01pm
Hello-

My 3 y.o. dd just had a bday and received tons and tons of toys. My relative from another state sent a gift card to a toy store for her. Since she doesn't even know about this card/wouldn't understand anyway and just got so many toys, would it be wrong to use it towards Christmas for her?

There's a nice chunk on it and it would help us out for the holiday. (I refuse to use my snowflake money!)If DH knew he would call me cheap (like usual) and that I was mean not to take her to pick out something now. But I didn't mention that card and he never asks me where I get money since he knows I get tips.

I already sent a thank you to the relative. BTW, he always sends them for bdays and Christmas and he never asks what my kids picked out. (only see him once a year)

Would any of you use it for Christmas?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2004
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 3:11pm
I would!
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-23-2004
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 3:14pm
I would. Imho, it would be completely different if your daughter didn't already recieve an abundance of toys etc. My house looks like a toy store exploded due to well wishers...My kids don't play with half of their things. As soon as I get a chance, I plan on picking out a bunch they dont use, and I will bring them to the thrift shop. Hopefully someone will get some use out of them. At this age, they don't care where its all coming from.

~Dawn

A survey company that really pays cash

http://www.surveysavvy.com/?id=1517115





 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-18-2004
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 3:48pm
I would. Your house sounds like mine. Too many toys. If you have already sent a thank you note and dd doesn't know about it why not?

Check with the store though. It might have a time limit on when the card can be used and if it does, use it right away.

IMHO, kids these days have too much and it is up to us as moms and dads to put limits on it. Last year for Christmas, my kids got three presents each from Santa. We explained to DD (DS was only 1) that Santa couldn't bring her EVERYTHING she wanted, because he had to get toys for all the other boys and girls. We then had her go through all of her old toys and decide which ones she wanted to "give" to Santa to help him provide toys for other kids. It really worked. She occassionally brings me toys to mail to Santa because she doesn't play with them and hasn't in a long time.

Don't worry about DH calling you cheap. He'll get over it when he realizes you have tons of extra money. Then he'll be happy you were so "cheap."

Kellie

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 5:35pm
Well if you are "cheap" than so am I! When I was pregnant I got quite a few giftcards to various places (walmart, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, etc) and I was told to go and pick the baby out something. I had everything I could have dreamed of from my shower (sometimes in multiples of two or three) so I saved them and bought diapers and wipes when money got tight! It really helped. I took the multiple things back and got giftcards for those too! I used the Walmart one for baby medicine when she had shots or a cold. Those things add up. She benefited from it so who cares?

I've also been known not to open all of our daughters presents right away too. She gets so much for Christmas! I save some of them for her birthday too (February). She doesn't notice because she is only 19 months and neither do the relatives because they live far away. It works out in my favor and I'm not afraid to do it. Right now we are working on debt and that is the best gift I can give her. We are going to start saving for her college and buying a home after we take care of debt and she will benefit from that so who cares?

Anyways! Just my .50 worth!

Stephanie

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2003
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 5:55pm
Happy Christmas Shopping...I would definetely not think twice and go ahead and spend it on your DD for christmas :)

Kassandra

"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys.  The challenge is to accept them equally and experience them

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2004
Fri, 10-01-2004 - 6:18pm
I wouldn't think twice about it. I had a family member tell me a few years back that the reason they send gift cards is because that way the parent can pick out what is appropriate in their eyes for the child. So in order to not cross those lines in any way, she prefers to send them something that they can REALLY use....how it is used and when it is used is up to the parent to decide.

Trisha

Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sat, 10-02-2004 - 8:43am

Yes, I would!


You don't even want to know how cheap I am with the subsequent kids (poor kids!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2004
Sat, 10-02-2004 - 2:58pm
You actually will be helping yourself to be able to afford a nice Christmas and so yes I would use it then. donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2003
Sat, 10-02-2004 - 9:24pm
I definitely would!!
Avatar for lovmy2kids
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 10-03-2004 - 12:04pm
I don't see anything wrong with it, and I envy your willpower to hang on to it.

The thing that concerns me is the not telling Dh about it and later having him think you received the money from tips. I think a lot of peoples money woe's comes from not being honest about money, or having different ideas about how money should be spent. I understand it's difficult when you want to pay off debt and dh isn't exactly on the same game plan, and I do not know what the answer to that is. I do know that if I hid something even as little as that from my dh the guilt would be much worse than the decision on whether or not to save it for christmas.

-Darcy

 

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