I’ve been pissed off with DH a lot lately, but I’ve got to say I’m impressed with him not overspending on Christmas gifts. We managed to keep the spending for the boys' gifts within our budget. :jawdrop:

He suffers from Guilty Daddy Syndrome so this could have been a disaster. The last 5 years have been rough financially for both of us due to the recession. Christmas has always been a struggle and the boys haven’t always gotten what they wanted, which adds to the Daddy Guilt.

DH still complains that when he was growing up, his parents didn’t get him the GI Joe aircraft carrier he as begging for. He compares it to the move The Christmas Story ending with the boy not getting his BB gun. So, he’s been so disappointed not being able to get the boys what they wanted previous years.

But thankfully none of the boys (SS7, SS9, DS13) asked for anything too pricy or impossible to find this year - only lots of Transformers, Star Wars Legos and video games.

I would love to brag that we stayed completely within our budget, but DH did blow it with SD15‘s gift.

After how she’s been a disrespectful, hateful little bitch, I’m still angry he wasted any money on her. She told him she didn’t want anything from him and has repeatedly told him she wants him to leave her alone and out of her life. I wish he’d give her what she wants for Christmas and would just walk away. My life would be so much better if DH would let her go and forget she exists.

Anyway, he didn’t want to not send her anything since he thought that would look bad and his daughter’s relatives would use it against him (ie he didn’t get her anything because he’s an awful deadbeat dad who doesn’t love her).

After talking things over with her older half-sister, DH decided on donating money to a horse rescue group that SD15 volunteers at in her name as her Christmas gift. So, he hopes it sends the message that he cares about what she cares about and supports what she’s doing, rather than sending her money trying to bribe her and rewarding her for how disrespectful she’s been.

I wish he hadn’t wasted the money on trying to impress the brat, but at least it’s also a tax right-off.