'Former poor kid' surprises husband with thoughtful $900 gift but left devastated by his family’s response

Different people may have varying perspectives on gifts and what constitutes an extravagant present. However, it can be deeply hurtful if someone’s heartfelt effort is dismissed. A woman, who poured her all into a Christmas gift for her husband—who comes from a wealthy family—experienced similar disappointment when the gifts were opened on Christmas day. She shared her story on Reddit, under the username u/Complex-Club-6111, seeking advice and venting her frustration.

The woman shared that she grew up in poverty, explaining, "It is what it is, I had a VERY rich childhood in all the ways except financially." She recalled how Christmas was saved for all year, and her family would receive just one item of clothing, one book, and one fun gift. In contrast, her husband's family earned over $300k annually, with each child receiving $2000 worth of presents under the tree. The couple, who had been dating for five years and married for over two, worked their way up, as the husband didn’t receive any financial help as an adult. "This year is the first time we can spend some decent money on Christmas," she admitted.

The wife revealed, "He has been wanting a guitar for some time. He has never played and has expressed interest so many times, but we couldn’t do it financially." After researching, she found that beginner guitars cost around $150, while more expensive ones could go up to $5000. "I AGONIZED over what I was going to choose and ended up telling him to cut the budget for me so that I could surprise him with a really nice gift (so I thought)," she wrote. Originally, her budget was $500, but she decided to go big for her husband. "It ended up being around $900 CAD, plus $200 for accessories or so. Being able to spend that amount is just… unfathomable for a former poor kid." She added, "But I did it because he deserves it, we finally have the means, and I was BEYOND excited to see his face light up!"

The woman was beyond excited on Christmas day as her husband's family gathered to open presents. It was finally her husband's turn to open the gift she had carefully chosen for him. However, his reaction wasn’t as she had hoped. "Oh, thanks babe. Never heard of this brand," he said. The woman wrote, "Not the overwhelming joy I was hoping for, but it’s not about me, right? His brother says, 'Awe, it’s nice. A decent cheapy one to start out with.' His dad chimes in, having played in his 20s and says it’s known for its lower-end models and they’d be happy to chip in for a 'nice' one next year if he sticks with it." Feeling deflated by the reactions, the woman became upset and felt small about the gift. She later spoke to her husband, who reassured her, saying he genuinely liked the gift and that she shouldn’t be bothered by his family’s comments.

People took to the comments section of the post to reassure the woman and praise her thoughtful gesture. u/Chickan_Good wrote, "Family doesn't know squat if they've never heard of 'Guild,' they're great guitars! I used to play on a sweet little 60s acoustic and would kill for a T100." u/batcaveroad commented, "Guild is a legit heritage brand, meaning it’s been around since the 50s when the workers from freaking Epiphone started it (when Epiphone was a legitimate contender with Gibson). Jerry Garcia from the freaking 'Grateful Dead' played them. Guild doesn’t have a lot of name recognition with people who don’t know guitars, but it’s a great brand." u/thewordthewho remarked, "Tons of pro musicians play Guild, the band Lord Huron comes to mind - but you see them a lot in recording studios, house of worship bands, etc. True gigging instruments."