Buying birthday gifts with coupons - too cheap?

Friday, March 19, 2010

Buying birthday gifts with coupons - too cheap?

I took a trip to Target today to get birthday gifts for two of my daughter's friends who are having birthday parties this week and next week. I was planning on trying these deals that I learned about from Mercedes at Common Sense With Money:

Buy two Monopoly Deal Card Games $5.24 ea.
Buy one Scrabble Slam Card Game $5.24
Use two $5/1 Monopoly Printable Coupons
Use one B2G1 Free Hasbro Game Coupon
Pay $0.48 for all three games

Travel Size Bop It! Game $9.99
Use $5/1 Bop It! printable coupon
Use $3/1 Hasbro Game Target Store printable coupon
Pay $1.99 each after coupons (Thanks give me Neither)

As it turns out, I did neither deal. Target was all out of Monopoly Deal card games, and I couldn't find the Bop It! travel size. Even if I could, I noted that the game was rated for kids ages 8 and up, and the birthday kids are turning five.

But it got me thinking - is it wrong to give a great deal as a birthday gift?

If it were my own child, there'd be no question. I love to find bargains for my kids to give as gifts for birthdays and Chanukah.

But am I being too cheap to only spend a couple of dollars on another child's birthday gift, even if the item's shelf price is much more? Logically, I can see that with sales and coupons, I could give a better gift than in I just paid the same amount for a full-priced item. But emotionally, I feel like I should be spending more out of my pocket.

What do you think? Please leave a comment below.

3 comments:

Rhoni@ckybooks.com, March 19, 2010 at 2:46 PM: I don't see any problem with it at all. There's this "keeping up with the Jonses" mentality we all have as parents...that other parents are spending $20+ so we should too. Why? Quality counts, yes. But if you get a quality gift for a good deal, why not?
Christine, March 19, 2010 at 10:50 PM: I don't think it is wrong. You are coupon savy and can get a great deal. They have no idea that you only spent a few dollars. As long as the toy is age apropriate and of good quality I would do the same thing, I actually do!
The Prudent Patron, March 19, 2010 at 11:54 PM: I can relate. I definitely struggle with this, but I do try to get a deal. For example, a few months ago I have a BOGO coupon for My Little Pony toys. I bought to MLP sets, one for the birthday child and one for my gift closet. What does it matter that I paid half price for these two times? Before I started couponing, I would have bought that same present, but paid full price. The quality is the same regardless.