Traumatized in Turre

Dear Carmen,

I know it’s no where near Christmas yet but I saw an awesome gift for one of me friends and it just made me sad. Last year at Christmas my friends and I played secret Santa in a small group, we agreed on a €10 limit. I’m financially very stable so unrestricted on budget I traveled over an hour away to do my Christmas shopping and exceeded the €10 limit in order to get some really thoughtful gifts for them. Unfortunately only to find that my secret Santa just bought me socks and a novelty travel coffee mug! Is it time to get new friends and tell them in advance I’m not interested in being together at Christmas?

Traumatized in Turre

Dear Traumatized in Turre,

Oh, for sure, just go down to the nearest chic boutique and lodge an order for some higher class financially worthy materialistic friends, that should resolve the issue without having to worry about those cheapskates again! I pray the new friends sense how Rolex-worthy you are just from first introductions. However before abandoning your friends it might be time to consider, if you haven’t already, a few points; the first being the fact that you had a limit for a reason and it’s not fair for you to get your knickers in a twist because they did what was agreed! Have you considered that your extravagant purchases (generous though they were) may actually be making them feel a little guilty and under pressure? How important to you were the gifts anyway? If you’re financially independent maybe gifts aren’t what get you excited, is there anything you genuinely want anyway? Possibly if you could do something together instead, make memories? That way there’s no ‘secrets’ or surprises. After all what are good friends for if you can’t spend memorable moments together.

xoxo Carmen

If you want to write to Carmen yourself as well, please mail to dearcarmen@ultimatealmeria.com.