So what are you getting your wife for X-mas? (1 Viewer)

[Chad Isaacs]

:frowning: a divorce

 

[Scott Barnhart]

Usually my wife and I agree on something big that we would both enjoy and "give" it to each other as a present. One year it was our home theater equipment, one year it was a Thomas Kinkaid, and this year it is a 4 week vacation in Germany.

This works out really well since we both get something we really wanted, and we don't have to rack our brains trying to surprise the other person.

 

[Ross Williams]

I'll tell you who came up with the 2 month rule: Diamond Sellers!

I'm so glad my s.o. isn't into jewelery. In fact we were talking about it last night. She and I both think it's ridiculous to spend so much on such tiny things made out of rock. We laugh at those cheesy diamond commercials all the time.

I got her a digital camera, some dvds, a few books, and other assorted cheap, but fun knick-knacks.

 

[Jeff_A]

:frowning: a divorce

Hang in there, Chad. My happy thoughts are with you and it WILL get better.

 

[Stephen L]

I'm getting her a leather jacket , clothes , new watch & the upcoming 2 pack DVD The Father of the Bride 1& 2. She is letting me buy a 2002 V6 Nissan Altima in January.I'm thinking I come out ahead in this deal.

 

[Brad_W]

Howard,

About your initial post: Yes, you may not know what to get her and giving her money would be the best way for her to get what she wants, but your lack of creativity may show her your appreciation or love for her (in a negative sense). Last year I picked out and bought my wife a pair of shoes (among other things). While not the fanciest present you could give your wife, she'll love knowing that you spent your precious time wandering around thinking of only her. Even if she doesn't like the gift she'll love the fact that you tried to pick a gift for her. I guess my advice to you is that money may get her what she wants, but maybe that's not what she wants. I too am married and am spreading my limited wife/marriage knowledge around. Of course, I don't know you or your wife and that may be perfectly suitable. And I don't claim to know women, I just am going purely on experience and trying to help a fellow man in his pursuit to keep a marriage happy.

As for what I'm getting my wife, I have no idea yet. Last year she suprised me with a reciever that I wanted and up until the minute we opened our gifts I was told that we couldn't afford such things at that time. She fooled me even further when the reciever-sized box was opened and it was only a new set of surround speakers and a center channel. And that was the only present around!! We then went to her dad's house and there was my reciever. That was the BEST christmas I ever had with a woman.

I must return that special favor she did for me. Plus, this is our first christmas being married. She doesn't like jewerly much, so I will be thinking hard the next few weeks.

 

[EricK]

I am following some of you on the engagement ring thing.

I am buying a 1.00 Karat diamond (mucho $$$$$) killing me here!

and a Platinum setting.

Talk about hurting the ol wallet...this is crushing it!! LOL

Eric.

 

[JeffDemum]

I'm doing the engagement ring thing also !

 

[Trevor Schell]

Everything on her list plus a nice Diamond ring..

 

[Shawn Shultzaberger]

I never know what to get my wife. She is the kind of person that never really expresses what she "wants". It's always what she needs or needs to get for the kids. But this year I think I've got her turning the other way.
1. One of those dip your feet and hands in the warm wax thingies.
2. That really soft squishy foam pillow that conforms to your head and stays cool.
3. G.E. or Conair waterfall foot spa with comfort gel.
4. And my fave: A new 3.1mp digital camera.
But she also said she that instead of buying lots of things for each other, she would rather go out together and buy one big thing we could both share/use and have fun with. Her product of choice? (And this woke me up) An X-box with DoA3, PGR and Halo and Odd World. I still don't know what to think of that one.

 

[Denward]

Well, this isn't really for Christmas but we're due to be in a family way on 12/13 so I'm going for the diamond earrings. She's never owned a lot of jewelry but I think she'll appreciate these. Not too big. Very beautiful and elegant.
For all of you other jewelry guys, http://www.bluenile.com is a GREAT website for picking diamonds. It's got slider bars for narrowing your range of the 5C's (for those who haven't gone down this path, that's cut, color, clarity, carats, and of course cost
) so you can get a real good feel for how much you're going to spend and what the trade-offs are. As you change the slider positions, their list of diamonds that fit your criteria changes instantly. Their inventory and prices were MUCH better than the local reputable jewelers. Even if you don't buy from them, you'll be much better educated when you go to the jewelry store.
And screw the 2 month salary rule. That's ridiculous. When we got married, we didn't have much. We spent $500 on the ring and $2000 on the honeymoon (which we both still think was good budgeting). 15 years later and we both have good salaries. In either situation, 2 months' salary on a diamond would have been outrageous. She still loves that engagement ring, but it will get an upgrade, maybe on our next anniversary in July.
As for actual Christmas presents, so far there's a couple of favorite DVDs (Return to Me, Willow), one of those wire racks you put across the bath tub that holds a book/wine glass/candle/etc. I'll think of other stuff. I've been encouraged to shop for myself since the wife is pretty exhausted these days so I'm getting a leather jacket and some clothes.
Oh, and because I'm an HTF kind of guy with a new baby, I got a camcorder (Canon Optura Pi) for the family.

 

[SteveGon]

No wife, no girlfriend. More dvds for me!

 

[DaveF]

Whoever came up with that 2 month salary rule

de Beers, the diamond cartel, who also coined the "A Diamond Is Forever" phrase, and essentially created the Diamond ring == Engagement Ring mythos, in the 40s - 50s, I believe.
Believe it or not, the consumer market for diamonds, their mystique, and place in romantic culture is fabricated by the marketing geniuses at de Beers, and is only about 60-70 years old.
History on de Beers and diamonds
As for me -- no idea what to get my girlfriend. But it's definitely not going to be a diamond ring

 

[Ryan Wright]

I'm so glad my s.o. isn't into jewelery. In fact we were talking about it last night. She and I both think it's ridiculous to spend so much on such tiny things made out of rock. We laugh at those cheesy diamond commercials all the time.

Hahahaha... my wife and I do the same. She is also not into jewelery, thankfully. We spent less than $500 total on both of our wedding bands. I spent $100 on the engagement ring. Leaves more money for the stuff we really enjoy... a friend (?) of mine spent big $$ on his bride's wedding band, then pulled the jealousy bullshit over my HT ("oh, another expensive toy. you have too much money and too many toys."). Huh? His wife has a ring that cost close to $3K. There's your HDTV, pal...

And what's the reason for it? So she can show it off to all her friends. They ooh and ahh and tell her how lucky she is, but now two years later it's just a heavy rock on her finger that nobody thinks is all that great anymore. Meanwhile they're still paying it off at 20 some odd percent interest and complaining about how poor they are. Hey, I have nothing against jewelery if you can afford it, but I don't get people making $30k a year buying $3000 rings. It baffles my mind.

Of course, everyone is free to spend their money on whatever they wish. That's the great thing about America. You can work at McDonalds, live in a box, and spend every last cent on expensive diamonds if you want to. God bless America.

 

[paul_v]

I got my girlfriend diamond stud earrings. Diamonds = Happy girlfriend = Broke Me

 

[Denward]

Amen, Ryan!!
BTW, back to the original topic of this thread (whatever that was ), I'm also going to get her a half day at the spa with facial, massage, manicure, etc. I've given this before and it's always a big hit.

 

[Julie K]

To echo SteveGon: No husband, no boyfriend, more DVDs for me!
As for the diamond thing, I've always found colored stones a lot more pretty (ooohhh - chrome tourmalines

).