gift giving argument - your opinion?

 Young couple in late twenties.....his brother
and the wife just had a baby ....
 young couple arguing over the amount for a
 christening gift (in cash).
He wants to give about $225, she is having a fit.
Should she give in or is he being a bit too
 extravagant?

The new parents are struggling, by the way, if that should make any
difference...

  val189 (gwehrenb@bellsouth.net) writes:

And how is this a frugal issue?  Frugality is about spending wisely.
Gift giving is something entirely different.  You could apply frugality,
by using it to loosen up some money from existing expenses so there
is money for gift giving.  But you can't ponder whether gift giving
is frugal or not, because giving is not about getting something back.
You either give or you don't, and you value the gift in terms of
what value you place on the receiver.

When a friend of mine had a baby two years ago, I gave her something
that really has infinite value, but didn't cost a bit.  I didn't give
it because I was too cheap to buy a present, I gave it because the event
was worthy of something out of the ordinary, and buying a present would
not have done that.  I've given the now two year old various things, and
no, I wasn't buying new.  But again, I was applying frugality, aware that
new items didn't really mean that much more than finding neat things
for him.  And everything has indeed had some significance.  If I came
across something that jumped out at me as something I should give him,
the cost wouldn't be a factor.  

  Michael

 

 
And few would consider that sort of gift as spending wisely.


Nope, excessive gift giving isnt frugal at all.


Makes a lot more sense to loosen up that money and not
spend it on overpriced gifts like the one being discussed.


Corse you can.


Sometimes it is just that.


Not necessarily.


Easy to claim. Unless you are less cryptic about it, its impossible
for us to decide whether we agree with that claim or not.


Nothing 'cheap' about querying whether that is an appropriate gift.


Mindlessly silly.

 
I'd try to convert it into cash if I was her.
Even at pennies on the dollar, she could be infinitely wealthy.

Don