Dad asks if he was wrong to call wife 'cheapskate' for giving the kids used gifts.

Sticking to a budget can be difficult during the holidays as sometimes it can be hard to resist the urge to splurge for the perfect gift...

While the temptation to spend a reckless amount of money on Christmas shopping can be around every corner at the mall and pop-up ad on your phone, if you set a strict limit for yourself or your family, it's usually in your best interests to follow it.

Going against your partner's wishes and dropping way more than the allotted amount on gifts probably won't result in the magical Christmas morning you expected. While it might seem like the biggest, most expensive present under the tree is the best one, gift-giving really is ultimately about the thought (despite what every holiday commercial might tell you).

So, when a frustrated dad decided to consult the online courtroom of moral philosophy otherwise known as Reddit's 'Am I the A@*&ole' about whether or not he was wrong to accuse his wife of being cheap for returning the gifts he bought their kids, people were quick to help deem a verdict.

"AITA for calling my wife a 'cheapskate' for giving our kids used Christmas gifts?"

I (46M) and my wife (45F) have two kids together. Our daughter is 11 and my son turned 12 in December. My wife lost her job due to everything that happened this past year and has become very frugal with spending.

I do have a very successful job that helps pays the bills and food. We were planning on taking a trip to visit family for Christmas, but my wife voted against the idea as it would be too expensive.

This Christmas, we had a budget for our kids being $75 each to spend on them and then $50 to spend on each other. I went out and bought the kids most of the items that they wanted on their list.

When I showed my wife, she was not thrilled and told me that she would take care of the shopping. I went out and bought my wife a few gifts while staying in the budget. When our kids went to open our gifts, I was looking forward to seeing them with huge smiles on their face.

My daughter opened her gifts and looked at us saying none of this stuff was on the list. My son opened his gifts and stormed up to his room. Both kids had gotten old broken toys, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, things that no kid wants.

When the kids were out of the room, I turned to my wife and said, 'you returned all the gifts that I had bought that were on the list and stayed within the budget. You couldn't stop being a cheapskate for one day.'

She looked at me and told me that she would be spending the day with her family alone. She left and hasn't spoken to me since. I cooked the kids a wonderful dinner and heard from my wife that she would be staying with her family for a few days. AITA for calling my wife a cheapskate for giving our kids used Christmas gifts?

Here's what the jury of internet strangers had to say:

NTA (Not the A#*@ole). That was foul. It sounds like she is having some serious personal issues and it’s probably good she left for a few days. Try to be understanding as much as you can. She is TA but I don’t think she wanted to be. There has to be something else going on because this makes no sense. Good luck - KaoJin-Wo

NTA. Go buy your kids real gifts. Give your wife the toothpaste. - Maskydoo

NTA. You both agreed on a budget that would work for your financial situation. She decided to then return everything and give broken items for Christmas. Sounds like an as*hole move to me. - pinkitydrinkiity

I see absolutely no problem with buying things from thrift stores or shopping 'cheap.' What made me mad, reading this, was that she returned the gifts you already purchased to buy her kids things they didn't want. What a terrible and selfish thing to do!!! You are NTA, but your wife certainly is! - Alastryanna

NTA - sounds like she’s letting her money anxieties get the better of her and she’s going behind your back, which is unacceptable. This was not what you guys agreed. She’s managed to upset her whole family and although it should always be the thought that counts, in this case she’s been unreasonable. - gurrrrrrrrrrrl

Tentative YTA (You're the As*hole), it reads like she's been extremely financially stressed since losing her job and seeing you spend so much on toys when she's struggling to afford necessities for the family was a breaking point. - skyntbook

So, there you have it!

While the opinions were slightly mixed here, most people agreed that this man wasn't wrong to accuse his wife of being cheap, but some felt perhaps there was more to the story here. While this dad isn't the villain, his wife wasn't exactly either especially if there have been financial concerns this year.

Regardless of the Christmas gifts, they clearly need to get on the same page about their budget to prevent problems like this in the future. Good luck, everyone!