Monetary gift - strings attached?

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 29 2006 Posts: 4774

I was given a large monetary gift to "splurge and buy something special" for the baby, from someone who I have helped a lot over the past few years.
Unfortunately, we now have an unforseen expense that will cost us a fair amount of money that was not budgeted for. We will iyh be ok, but things are tight because of it. The monetary gift will not cover it completely at all but it will make a dent.

Do I use the money for the baby? And "buy something special? Or do I use it to offset some of the new expense?

I spoke to Dh and he said, well it all comes from the same place. Either we'll pay for the baby gear or we'll pay for this expense. I feel that it is more complicated because it was a gift.

What do you think?
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"But it's no use going back to yesterday, I was a different person then"- Alice in Wonderland

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 29 2006 Posts: 4774

I'm gonna do something I've never done before.

BUMP.

I need advice...

Silver Member Joined: Mar 20 2006 Posts: 963

I would probably buy something for the baby, but not use the whole thing to cover it. It would be nice to have an item for you to be able to say to this is from so and so. But it doesn't have to be the whole thing. You can use it to buy s/t you weren't going to buy, but it doesn't have to be the most expensive thing, or use it to "upgrade" something you were already going to buy, ie. a better stroller, etc. and use the rest of the money for your unforeseen expense.

I think it makes a difference if the gift giver will be around to see what you got for the baby or will ask about it at some point. If you think that is likely, could you add to something that someone else gave you and say that that is what you got and then just pay for your other unforeseen expense? Or you can say it went to diapers and other baby stuff as we had another expense that came up? You do what you gotta...