Men: Why Do You Suck at Buying Gifts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Men: Why Do You Suck at Buying Gifts?

Women: Why don't you suck more?

There's a correlation.

Exactly!

It shouldn't be. Your wife isn't a prostitute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dh sucks at buying gifts, but otherwise he is a wonderful guy. I just tell him what to buy, and we're happy. It's not a big deal. End of story. Get over it.

Why don't you just cut out the middle man and buy all your own gifts then? Just as romantic.

He does many romantic things. Buying gifts just isn't one of them. No biggie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Men: Why Do You Suck at Buying Gifts?



Women: Why don't you suck more?

There's a correlation.



Exactly!



It shouldn't be. Your wife isn't a prostitute.

Of course not. It was offered as a reply to the OP, in the same spirit as her post.

I think her original question deserved about as much consideration as you rightly gave mine. I can't believe people have actually taken up 4 pages with trying to respond seriously.
(Well, actually I can, but that morbid curiosity is why we all keep coming back, right?)

[Anonymous]

My DH gets the greatest gifts because he asks for a written list. He splurges on top of that! He loves jewelry shopping even though I wear one pair all the time. I appreciate his thoughtfulness but, hate the thought of spending $.

[Anonymous]

I didn't realize how thoughtful my DH was for a while, or the intentions behind his gifts. I'm kind of cheap, er, frugal, and I'd get upset if he got something extravagant that didn't exactly, 100%, fulfill a need at that moment - a cashmere robe instead of a terry one, or a beautiful coat with impractical details, or an engraved iPod full of love songs. I was kind of awful about it, and cringe every time I think of it.

Then last year, he just blew me away. I have a friend who is a designer and dressmaker, and I knew she was looking for work, so I hinted that I'd love to have her make me an apron. He did that. He also took my favorite, sooo comfy, discontinued, completely gross old granny nightgown that would not have made it another year, and had her remake it down to the last detail, with her own color combination.

This nightgown makes me so happy, but it's a potato sack. High neck, flannel, ankle length. It's definitely not the gift that keeps on giving to him, except that every time I put it on I get a little misty with gratitude for this incredibly sweet, thoughtful, delightful man. I really cannot believe my luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DW here. I suck at buying gifts and my DH is awesome at it. Every year is a surprise and spot on. I've never even considered returning anything he's given me. I on the other hand suck at it big time.

+1

I'm great at choosing gifts for everyone except DH, largely because if he really wants something, he just buys it himself. I try to think of things he doesn't yet know he wants, but it's tough.

In the meantime, DH is a fantastic gift-giver. I don't know how he does it. He's certainly the exception to PP's rule about examples. My FIL never, ever buys my MIL gifts.

So I feel terrible because I'm not as good at choosing gifts for DH as he is at choosing gifts for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Allow me to try to answer this.

1) I cannot buy you clothing. I know your size, but I'm not really up on how retailers do vanity sizing these days, so I fear that I'll invariably get you something that makes you think I think you're fat (you're not and I don't), so there's simply no way to win in this area.

2) You developed an allergy to gold, and have more silver than you know what to do with. Besides, earrings are sort of go-to gifts from the kids. Besides, I've already given you diamond studs in the past. But, generally, it's getting harder to find decent jewelry. I do look, however, especially when I travel for work -- i'll go to the local markets. I just can never find the right thing.

3) You really wouldn't appreciate a book of "love" poetry. We don't do sappy symbolism in our house anyway. What I really want to give you is a new Apple Macbook to replace your failing laptop, and that would be a stretch financially, but you just said don't buy anything practical, so I guess that's out.

4) Along those lines, gadgets are out. You spend too much damn time looking at screens anyway as it is.

5) I'd get you lessons or something but you always go once or twice and stop going, so it's a waste of money.

So, look, this isn't as easy as you suggest. And I'm trying. How about you cut me some slack? Or just, I don't know, tell me what you want rather than play some game where I'm supposed to guess and be right?

HYSERTICAL.