And no, not Stephen Grinch who went to Otterbein. This is the cold-hearted Christmas Grinch and it's my new state of mind!
I was visiting the fam last weekend and my brother asks me to go in on a gift with him for my dad. I thought...oh, $50 or so. No problem! I said yes. Then he says, "I want to get him one of those big flat-screen TVs." A little startled, I ask how much those are. Oh...$1,000. He wanted me to fork over $500 for a present for just my dad. Of course, I spit out my drink and said, "Ben, I think we have different gift-giving budgets."
Communications associates at banks do not make the same amount of dough as investment bankers. And not even the same amount of dough as prison guards (like my brother) who live at home and have no expenses. Now I'm glad I didn't ask him to go half with me on an $80 present. (I wanted to free up my wallet so I could buy more!)
Then, I'm out on a date with some guy last night (don't get excited...he was 'veto card' worthy.) He says he and his sisters bought their dad a big screen tv for his birthday. Now he has two sisters and this guy was an investment banker. Nevertheless! That's a pretty nice gift.
Am I just amazingly cheap? Are other people out there spending $500 on one of their parents?
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