My wife sold the birthday gift we gave our daughter - then left me

"We only spent $50 on the party. Why did she have to leave?"

In a cost of living crisis, most families are making big sacrifices - even when it comes to things for their kids.

It's prompted many parents to share online the ways they've still managed to get what's desired, at a reduced price; like this dad, who scoured the internet to find the Nintendo console his daughter wanted for her birthday.

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"The birthday party should only cost $50"

The man explains that he's been married for 12 years and has a son and a daughter. The couple's little girl is about to turn eight.

According to the dad, his wife lost her job, which made her "more frugal." She announced the daughter's birthday party should cost no more than $50.

Accordingly, inexpensive decorations were bought, and the guest limit was five friends. The dad organised pizza and cake... and unbeknownst to the mum, the birthday present.

The daughter had asked for a Nintendo Switch, to which the mum had said no, having researched the price - which is upwards of hundreds of dollars. But the dad went rogue: found a "good price" online, and intended to give his daughter the gaming console at her party. It did not go down well.

"My wife started yelling at me for purchasing the console," the man continued in his post. A few days later, the situation took a turn.

The dad is confused and distraught. Image: iStock

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"She got the money back"

"When I picked my daughter up from school, she went to her bedroom to play with the Switch. She starts crying and tells me the Switch was missing.

"My wife comes home handing me some money and tells me that she sold the Switch and got the money back. I started screaming at her for selling [it] and upsetting our daughter. Her reasoning was that daughter wasn't letting brother use the console and that I spent money we didn't have."

The wife then left the home... to stay with her sister for an indefinite time.

The man concludes his post: "SIL thinks I am being a horrible husband and not respecting my wife's decision on saving money."

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"The dad looks like Santa"

Commenters on the post had varied opinions, including on the marriage in general.

"This relationship has huge issues, even before wife returned the Switch," one wrote. "Wife seems to be operating like they're going to be broke tomorrow, and the dad is buying stuff even after the wife said it was too expensive.

"These two people are on completely different pages about the family finances. That needs to be addressed immediately."

Another agreed, adding: "My issue is that wife felt it was too expensive and expressed it, husband decided it wasn't and got it, rather than continue the discussion or even inform wife.

"That leaves the wife looking like an a**hole and hubby is the Santa dad."

Others doubted the mum's 'excuse' for re-selling the gift: "Because she wouldn't share her birthday present with her brother? It's her toy!"

People were also concerned that the daughter was "caught in the crossfire."

"Wife is feeling insecure about finances. Husband doesn't agree. They're so much at odds over this that wife is staying with her sister over a Nintendo Switch that the husband thought they could afford, and daughter is caught in the crossfire."

Originally published as My wife sold the birthday gift we gave our daughter - then left me