what do you guys generally do for wedding anniversary gifts? This will be our 4th year. Do you guys do the whole traditional gift thing or do you just buy something nice. How much do you generally spent?
I got burned badly on Valentine’s day by not doing anything (thought our wedding anniversary was the new Valentine’s day) so can’t afford to mess this up.
Relative to Christmas/Birthday present budget, how much do you spend on wedding anniversary presents? My budget for those is generally $150-$200.
I’m a student and I typically spend most of my discretionary income on gifts for the lady. Most people think I’m crazy, but I typically spend about $100-300 on gifts for each occassion, depending on how signficant it is. We’ve been dating for 3 years now, and I typically spend about $200 on anniversary gifts. Once I start working/when married, that will probably go up by a hundred or so. It all started when I first started dating her and I went all out during Christmas (close to a year of dating her) and I spent a little over $300 getting her all sorts of things she always wanted. The wide eyed, confused/shocked, omfgoodness this is the best day of my life look has me hooked.
If you dropped the ball on Valentine’s day I would up your game a little bit. If you haven’t gotten her a nice jewelry piece in a while, you can go that route. Or just try to think back to some of the stuff she’s been talking about that she really wants or is looking into getting. They may not be expensive, but getting her those things shows her that you were listening/care.
Also, my girl doesn’t care as much about the quality/expensiveness of the gift. What really wins her (and I feel a lot of women) over is a gift that showed I put a lot of effort into it. One valentines day, I made a whole bunch of stuff and went all out on the presentation of it, and you could tell it took a while to do. Just stuff like that shows you care. The best gifts are ones that show that you really care. Anyone husband/boyfriend can go to walmart or the mall and do a round-trip tour and grab things that look like she might like. Try doing a bunch of small but romantic things too - flowers, bubble bath with towels straight from the dryer (warm), make a cd for just that night, cook a filet mignon dinner with mash potatoes and sauteed veggies. All that kind of stuff. Thing that sucks is… after a few years, you start running out of ideas hahah.
Yeah, especially the modern interpretation which is indicating I should be buying an appliance for 4th year of marriage. Sounds like a perfect recipe for a major relationship shitstorm.
probably not, or if anything it’ll be something very small. She has an excuse though because she spends all day at home taking care of our 2 kids (a 2 year old and a 4 month old). I find it difficult enough shopping for presents on my own but with 2 kids that age, forget about it, it would drive you insane.
I went on a bit of a hunt at lunch. I’m thinking of getting her a really nice pen. I’m happiest with 30 cent bic ballpoints but she’s always had a thing for pens of higher quality (i.e $10 pens). I spotted a really nice roller ball pen for $225. I’m open to other suggestions but at least I have a fallback idea if nothing better comes up before Wednesday.
Anyway. If she has dropped any hints, just get her that. If not, depending on your budget, you can never go wrong with flowers or jewelry or both. KISS.
EDIT: Dude, seriously, no pens. Not even $225 ones. Unless that’s your code for ahem, a toy. (Penis mightier than the sword.)
It’s an aniversary. She should be getting you something too. It doesn’t have to be equal dollar value, but she’s supposed to show appreciation too, and not just for whatever present you get her.
Clever - go the spa route. All day at home with a 2yr old and a 4mnth old, she’d probably kill for a day of relaxation and some adult conversation. Post spa find a babysitter and take her out for a nice meal.
My fiance has an Amazon wishlist. I just log into her account because I know the password and, presto, I have a great idea of what she wants. She is never disappointed, even when I don’t have a minute to put into shopping. Good system. If I want to do somethign special then I go to a this awesome local jewelry store that never does me wrong, and she knows by the box that I went and talked to the guy at the store and looked and though about it.
Making stuff? My girl would rather have something that lasts and I confess that, outside of wood, my craftsmanship is poor. I don’t think she’d be happy if I gave her a stool…also, kind of hard to keep that kind of thing a secret.
Your wife should give you something on the aniversary, I believe. I mean, it sounds like you are confusing anniversay with Mother’s Day.
So, are you saying that your wood doesn’t last? Or that it’s just poor? Or is your wood high quality and lasts a long time?
And I second the motion about the spa. But don’t go with her. Get her a gift certificate for a mani/pedi/massage, etc., and volunteer to watch the kids while she goes and does it with her girlfriends. Gives you some time with the young-uns, and it gets her out of the house.
You can still take her to dinner, and give her the gift certificate there.
I’m not married, yet, but i find these comments a little over the top. Bchad said it best that this is a mutual celebration. A spa day along with dinner may be warranted if you expect to get something in return but it’s not as if she is taking care of the kids and you are surrounded by the finest women earth has to offer. More than likely, you are slaving away in an office surrounded by pretentious overachievers looking to throw you under the bus. Def treat your woman well, but don’t forget the sacrifices you are making. Finally, to end my rant, I pitty the person who receives sex as a gift - perhaps I’m naive but I’m a firm believer that such interactions should not be on special occasions.
Get her a book of love poems and sign the inside cover. Most women love that stuff. The downside is that you can’t do it again for a little while.
For extra kick, choose a poem in the book that you like (it doesn’t really matter which) and read it to her after she opens it. Yeah, I know guys think it sounds corny, but most women love the thought that you picked something out just for her; it almost doesn’t matter what it is.
Hahah, iteracom I laughed out loud when I saw your whip!
I get that a lot too… oddly enough, it’s always from guys who don’t go to the levels I do for this sort of things. It’s almost like they want to justify their apathy. I am in no way whipped. If you really love/like the person, you’d want to give them the best and see them get excited/happy. Plus, good GOD does my woman take care of me. She cooks for me every single day when we both are busy and also does all the dishes. When I’m studying for the CFA she’s willing to go outside of her own room and study at the kitchen table to let me have the desk in the room. She takes care of me so well, and I really fail to do a whole lot for her on a day to day basis because I’m so busy between school and the CFA. In the very least, doing these things makes me feel better…
