Christmas presents for significant others
 

I know that Christmas isn't all about presents (at least I don't think of it that way) or about how much you should spend on presents.
But now for my question... ;)
How much do you spend on your significant other for a present (and how long have you been together)?

I have a few things for him, but I would feel odd if I only spend a little and he goes out of his way and spends a ton. Although he would understand, b/c I'm on a limited budget and he has a bit more funds to work with.

I would definitely say that this will vary from couple to couple. I learned a long time ago that since my bf makes so much more than I do, that I will never be able to spoil him as much as he does, so I often go the more creative route...something nice, sometimes a watch or an xbox game he'd been eyeing, and then a framed scrapbook-y page and so on. Three years ago I was strapped for cash around christmas and made up my own "12 days of christmas" song and spread out his presents every other week after christmas. He liked it that year, because even though the presents got smaller as I had to find things that I could by 10, 11, 12 of, it was nice because he was getting surprised long after the holiday...I had just given him my version of the song on christmas. Its a little late in the season now, but last year I sewed one of the Bucilla christmas stockings, and gave him the stocking with little presents inside it.

They look like this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1..._SMP_83974.jpg

My grandmother made everyone in the immediate family one of these a few years ago, and makes them for every new baby... mine looks exactly like the one you posted. :) I'm getting the BF a ski pass for a resort in Tahoe X mas...

Since BF and I are going back to Ireland in a few weeks, we're trying to keep our spending in line. He's really wanted an armband for his Ipod so he can use it when he trains, so I got him that, a book on roadside americana (he's obsessed), and I'm knitting him a scarf since he lost the last one I made for him!

We've been together 5 years and some change.

I bought mine Packers/Vikings tickets. They were a combination anniversary/Christmas present because I am a broke student.

Oh dear, I was just gonna say that :) nothing beats than making a lovely scarf for your dear :D (though don't be like me, who started off with 18 stiches, than 19, than 21 and back to 19....needless to say, it was a really interesting looking scarf ...but it was for my ex that time) For this year I'm so busy with work that I couldn't make one for my bf of one year. So I'm gonna give him some nice clean boxers and an H2O shaving kit. I tend to go a little pratical :D

Thanks everyone! Those are all great ideas.

I was really wondering on a price range that would be practical for a grad student to spend on her boyfriend of a few months shy of a year. Now that I think of it, it really doesn't matter how much I spend... I know he will appreciate the gifts. I was thinking $ b/c for his birthday I got him a massage and took him out to dinner/drinks and I spent more than I wanted to. But he loved it all, so that is what matters. I just thought that in general, you should spend more $ on Christmas than birthdays.

What I have for his gifts so far are an LSU stocking that I'm getting a friend to help me make. I've had my nose in a book for far too long to learn how to sew. :D But I'm trying now. That is probably the gift (although small) that I've thought about the most. His living room is all LSU and we decorated a Christmas tree in purple and gold (obsessive, I know ;) ). I was thinking about stuffing it with simple items like coffee grounds, candy, etc. And I'm getting him 2 new DVD's that he wanted. But I'm ordering them online and I feel like I'm getting off cheap.
Anyone else have a problem with buying for the man who has everything? I swear, they're were 5 items that I saw he needed/wanted, but he bought them for himself before I could get them! :rolleyes:

I know what you mean! Tomorrow is my boyfriend's birthday, so I got him Guitar Hero 2 and a wireless controller. Hey, guess what he bought at Best Buy last weekend? Yeah, both...jerk, now I have to return it and come up with something else! Who buys themselves presents the week before their birthday?!?

The BF and I always spend $200 for eachother on Christmas. Because we have a set price, it's more about finding a great present than the price itself. (we also aren't in a spending war).
We've only been together for 4 years

Lol on the LSU tree and all! It sounds very familiar... except in Orange and Blue Gator colors! I have gator santas and ornaments and my christmas tree plays the fight song! Instead of a star at the top of the tree, we have a star sitting on top of a gator football helmet. hehe I don't have gator stockings though...at least not yet.

Oh oh, before you return it, have you ever thought about playing it with your boyfriend? It could be fun too! And it's always fun to have 2 controllers so you guys can invite friends over to play too! If your bf is an outgoing person, I'm sure he'll be in need of 2 controllers :)

And I suck at Guitar hero...I can never play things with more than 5 buttons :p

Cutie Cat - we actually already had two controllers, and I try to play with him sometimes, but I suck too, I'm a good Easy player and adequate Medium...whereas he kicks ass on Expert...so rather than battle, we tend to take turns, but he'd much rather play with his guys when they come over than me :p Speaking of which, now that he has GH2, seems like there are always boys at our house, all hours of the day, to play...! Anyone else need ideas? Get GH, they love it, lol.

My boyfriend really needs some "Friday night date" clothes so I bought him a pair of jeans and a sweater at ExpressMen.

I think depending on your budget...
$35-75 dating under 6 months
$55-100 dating over 6 months

Then again, it could be more or less, depending upon your financial situation. Or you could take a trip together, pay for concert tickets, a theme park visit, etc., rather than something material.

For the man who has everything, I say go for an accessory having to do with his hobbies: a state of the art bike pump for the cycling enthusiast or a gift certificate to REI for the guy who loves camping; a gift certificate for a massage or a hair cut at an upscale salon, gifts that remind him of his favorite sports team or alma mater, etc. Homemade gifts and dinners are always appreciated; just make sure any homemade gifts aren't overly cutesy to offend their masculinity. :)

Like, say, a scarf.

Seriously - say "no" to knitted scarves, unless he's a "scarf guy" . . . chances are he'd rather have a backrub and some doing it.

Bottom line: if you wouldn't buy it for him (like food), it's probably not right to make it for him, unless you wouldn't buy it because of the expense.

I was wondering about this -- I sometimes hear about women making scrapbook-y type things or collages for their guys and have to admit I'm pretty WTF about that. Do guys LIKE this stuff? I don't even like this stuff and I'm female -- I'd break out in hives if anybody got near me with anything related to scrapbooks. Then I'd go have a beer -- hey, that would be a good gift. You could do the Twelve Beers of Christmas.

My boyfriend is a photographer as a part time thing and he always makes me a great photo album of all of our photos photoshopped. The photos aren't photoshopped for blemishes, (lol it's not "look honey I made you pretty"), he makes some of the photos black and white and he messes with the colors. He spends months working on it (an hour or two a night). It's really really interesting and neat to look at. It's probably my favorite gift.
lol Valkyrie it's not cutesy either.

LOL that doesn't sound tacky or cutesy -- it sounds really nice.

haha the bf just read what I wrote when I got up to get a drink and he called me a suck up!!!

This is as far different from knitting the average dude a scarf as is humanly possible - and it sounds like a pretty solid gift, too, but surely you can see the difference?

It's not similar to knitting, but it's very similar to a scrapbook. Especially since it's cronological and it covers vacations and birthday and whatnot.

No way. A photo album made by a professional photographer is WAY different from a scrapbook.

Naw, scrapbooking involves paper cutouts and cutesy stickers. I would put this more on par with a photo album, but cooler.

This year, the husband is getting an air compressor and clothes. Nothing says I love you like power tools. Though, the 12 beers of Christmas is a damn good idea.

I love to start traditions. The bf loves coffee (ok he's obsessed) and I've gotten him a coffee ornament every year. Starbucks has recently started making some cool ones.

Also for the parents and the bf (who's also at UF) I get them a gator ornament for every year I'm at UF. When I go off to grad school they'll get a different ornament from that school too.

My dad gets me fancy chihuahua ornaments too.

Ehh while that new purse might be nice, it's the gifts that mean something (or that have a great inside joke to go with) that are the best.

I think I am going to start the 12 beers of Christmas for myself.

*trots off to make her own 12-pack*

I think that gifts should always be something that the person would like to have but won't buy for themselves. I help the kids buy something for my ex and when I asked him what he might want, he said "Dockers". Come on now. He has 18 pairs of Dockers because he wears them to work everyday. Can't he think of something that kids might enjoy picking out besides the same pants he wears every day in one of the two colors that he will wear (khaki and navy)???? When I said that to him, he says "Well, I ordered a book from Borders, if you want to pick that up for me, that would be good". Why do I bother? Why not just give him cash? Hand him back his child support check that week or something? Ugh.

I can't decide if you should dump him because he needs Friday night date clothes or he should end things because you bought him clothing from ExpressMen.

And I have easily determined that overpiced designer jewelry (like meandrojewelry.com) takes a lot less time and a lot less thought. Thanks to all the previous girls I dated for making gift buying so much easier for the next girl.

-Rudey

My husband and I have been together for over three years and we usually spend about $100-150 on each other each year.
This year I got him two DVD box set collections, a hockey t-shirt, and some office supplies.

Thanks for all the advice! :)

I finally decided to get him 2 DVD's that he wanted, an LSU stocking filled with candy, little presents, etc. and an LSU mat that is really nice. He liked them all!

Power tools are great, but only if the guy (or girl) really loves them. This year I got Mr. Pi Phi a cordless drill. He's been wanting a good one for a long time (as the one he had before was a piece of crap). He was really excited about getting it.

I agree with the 12 beers of Christmas too. I know Mr. Pi Phi would love that as well.

It's about that time again...
 

TTT

I'm already thinking of creative gifts ideas! Are you??

Mine aren't creative, but this year I got the hubby a TomTom navigation system (in June... he needed it, and we LOVE that thing) and 9th row seats to Dane Cook next week (he has no idea). We haven't done much the past few Christmases, so I decided to spoil him this year. And I'm excited to see Dane Cook, too, so it's a good present to myself as well :p

I spent my morning researching gifts for my annual "Queen of Gifts" column!