Too Broke for Her Birthday, He Still Bought a Coworker a Gag Gift
Two weeks after her birthday, a woman learned that her boyfriend had spent $50 from their shared Amazon account on two billiard-ball bottle openers: one for himself and one for a coworker who was having a rough time. On the birthday itself, he had told friends he couldn’t afford to get her anything. She asked the internet whether she’s wrong to be upset.
This story was reported by Percolately and comes from a post on r/AITAH. It’s one side of one relationship, and nobody can verify it, so I’m judging the behavior described, not the people.
Show Marge’s quick verdict (spoilers)
The Scroll in Brief
- The conflict: A boyfriend said he was too broke for a birthday gift, then spent $50 of shared money on gag gifts for himself and a coworker.
- What the crowd said: According to Percolately, most commenters said she was not in the wrong and suggested she talk to him directly.
- Marge’s ruling: Not the villain. She never asked for a gift, but the timing stung. He cancelled the order and owned the mistake, which is the right ending.
The Verdict: Not the villain. Her hurt was reasonable, and his quick fix keeps this from being a real problem.
The Original Post
The Short Version
The poster says she never expected a gift. Her boyfriend was in school, working and saving for a car, and he had just paid for a suit for his role as a groomsman, so she understood money was tight. When he told friends on her birthday that he couldn’t afford anything for her, she let it go.
Then she saw the shared Amazon account. Two weeks later, $50 had gone to two billiard-ball bottle openers. One was for him, and one was for a coworker he wanted to cheer up. To her, it showed where she ranked, and she asked the internet if she was overreacting.
What the Internet Said
According to Percolately, commenters mostly sided with her. Many pointed out that a card, a home-cooked meal or a small treat would have cost almost nothing, so “no money” was a thin excuse. Others said the real issue was priorities: a coworker got a gift while his partner got nothing.
Plenty of people also gave the same practical advice: skip the stewing and talk to him directly, then watch how he reacts. One commenter shared a story about a past relationship that ended badly after a similar pattern.
The Update
The poster later reported that her boyfriend cancelled the order. He explained that he had bought the gift because the coworker was going through a hard time, admitted it was a dumb choice, and agreed she wasn’t wrong to be upset.
Marge’s Ruling
Not the villain. She didn’t demand a present, and she didn’t blow up. She noticed a mismatch between “I can’t afford anything” and “here’s $50 for the office,” and she said so. That’s a fair thing to notice.
His heart was in the right place, since a friend was having a hard time, and being kind to a coworker isn’t a crime. But shared money and a birthday blank spot make a bad combination. A handwritten card on her birthday would have cost nothing and told her she mattered.
The good news is that he fixed it. He canceled the order, admitted the mistake and backed her up, which is how a small misstep stays small. If you ever need to be broke on someone’s birthday, be broke with a card.
Cast Your Vote
Marge has ruled. Now it’s your turn: pick a side below, then see how the Goblin Tavern on Discord voted.
The Tavern Verdict
Our Discord votes on every Goblin’s Verdict with reactions. To vote, open the post in #goblins-verdict and tap one: 😇 Not the villain, 👿 The villain, 🔥 Everyone’s a goblin or 🕊️ No villains. Here’s how the Goblin Tavern is leaning:
Tally: voting just opened. Join the vote in our Discord.
Keep digging: Expecting Mom Was Let Down by Her Birthday Gifts From Her Mom, Sister Picked Up His Scratch-Offs, Then Wanted Half of the $10K, She Asked for a Ride, Then Her Friend Exploded Over a Text and more Reddit drama.
This story was reported by Percolately and comes from a post on r/AITAH. The goblins summarize and give their own take; they don’t copy the original text. Names and usernames are left out on purpose.
