Gift Giving Style

Yep, that's right. There ARE different styles of gift giving.

If you've been reading my blog for very long or if you know me at all, you know that I am frugal, tight, cheap....whatever you want to call it.  Of course this spills over into my gift giving.

I like to get the most stuff for the amount that I am spending. This doesn't mean I spend less, I just try to get the most bang for my buck. If I am going to spend $50 on a person, I like to get $100 worth of merchandise for that $50. This means coupons, sales, Black Friday.

It is no fun at all for me to simply go and purchase a $50 item and give it to a person. Not a big fan of gift cards either, I give them on rare occasions.

Please do not ask me for expensive items that I can't get on sale. Somehow it just pains me to buy them, like it's going against my principles.

In receiving gifts, I have the same concept. I like to know that you got a bargain.

One year my sister and I both got each other the same winter coat, different colors. Plus, since we both got it so cheap we were able to buy each other more. Of course, she somehow hit a better sale on the same coat and I ended up getting more presents from her than she did from me. Although I was a little down that she got the better deal, in the end it actually worked out to my advantage. Ha!

Now, my husband on the other hand........completely different style. He is not as frugal as I am and he doesn't use coupons. He is not going to be looking for the sale and he certainly isn't out on Black Friday. But he is a very generous person and that defines his gift giving style. If he is to buy you a $50 item, he will probably get you 1 item and it will probably cost more than $50.

He really doesn't know how to buy cheap gifts.

This is also a bonus if you are me.

Here is how it works in our house:

I want a few items that I could use but probably won't go out and buy for myself. What I get is something extravagant that costs a lot of money. No sales or coupons involved. One year I asked for just a basic watch. I told him I just need it to tell time, please don't spend a lot of money. I got a Movado watch. Well.... it does tell time. And really I do love it.

Over the years I've gotten a coach purse, the watch, a SLR camera (before digital), a DSLR camera, a Thomas Kinkade painting, diamond earrings.

Then Brad usually asks for something that costs a few hundred dollars and what does he get from me. Some piece of crap that I got on sale and had a coupon for.

Honestly I don't remember much of what I've gotten him which means it all must be pretty bad. Last year he got a Blackhawks jersey, one year a Garmin GPS. That's about all I can remember.

This year is different. Brad is not getting anything on sale or that I used a coupon for. I'm trying, it pains me but I'm trying. No crap giving here.

Just trying to keep it all in perspective, it's not about the presents right? At least that's what we tell the kids!

Anyone want to share your gift giving style? or maybe the best gift you've ever gotten? or maybe the worst? I would love to hear!