Entitled boyfriend asks 19-year-old college student girlfriend to buy him $800 gifts, tells her 4 gifts worth $100 aren't good enough: '$800 is half of my bank account.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jan 7, 2026 11:00 AM EST

He should not expect a teenager to afford an $800 gift. 

Gift-giving is one of the most criticized love languages. Some people find it shallow to place more value on buying someone a present than on spending time with them, but that fundamentally misunderstands the value of gift-giving. You don't have to buy someone something to be a gift giver. Gift giving can mean baking cookies and giving them to your friends. It can mean giving someone a penny you found on the ground because it was from the year they were born. Gift giving doesn't have to cost more than a cent. It's more about telling the people around you that you're thinking about them and care about them than it is about sinking a lot of dough into a material object. If you're able to find a gift your friend truly loves, it's a good sign you're a good listener and understand them well. 

Not everybody likes to give and receive gifts, and that's okay, too! Some people get a lot more out of Christmas by sending their family members links to the things they want, and acting surprised when they open exactly what they asked for. Wish lists can be helpful for those who are stressed about getting someone a gift they don't like. If you're going to write a wish list, you'd better put some reasonably affordable items on it, or it's virtually useless. Your uncle is probably not going to get you an $800 gift, and he shouldn't be pressured to do so.

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  • A woman holding a wrapped gift box on a bed
    via Yianni Mathioudakis (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • You shouldn't ask anyone who is in a fragile economic position to get you an expensive gift, no matter how close you are. The boyfriend in this story is way out of line for asking his 19-year-old girlfriend to get him an iPhone when she's struggling to support herself through school.

  • My boyfriend is too expensive for me right now

    Me F19 and my boyfriend M22 have been together for a year and when its time to gift give its always been stressful because I'm in college, working to pay it off but I only work 2 days a week and he has very expensive
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • likes and hobbies (electronics) that he always asks for. He's not in college and works a lot, so he buys himself expensive things regularly.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • Businessman holding luxury watch stylish groom putting on white shirt and watch getting ready in the morning near window in soft light before wedding
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I try to do my best when gift giving now since the first time around was a fail but its just getting really expensive. He just asked me for a 800 handheld gaming device and its half of my bank account. He doesn't
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • know my finances entirely, but he knows my obligations and when I opened the link to what he wants for his birthday I cried. I do not have that much to spare in 3 weeks. I really love him but I feel like I just can't
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • give him what he wants. What do I do? Edit) He used to be homeless, now he's doing good for himself.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • Our first Christmas together I did not get him a good enough gift, spent about $100 for 4 things and he said it could been a gift for any other time, but not Christmas.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • He actually wanted an iPhone first but then I told him I couldn't do it, so the game was his 2nd choice.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • Cheerful young bearded man sitting with crossed legs on carpet and playing video game using virtual reality goggles
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • He does buy me nice things, around 700 in gifts this year for holidays, could be more or less, idk cuz I never ask for large gifts or what the price was. He's never spent over $400 on a single gift for me.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • My parents do not send me money or pay for college at all.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • Weird-Director-2973 Yell him you can't afford it. if he gets mad about a broke college student not dropping $800, that's a red flag. get him something in your actual budget
    via u/Weird-Director-2973
  • OP M1ataMazda Well first I told him I couldn't buy him the new iPhone, asked him if he could give me a less expensive idea and then he told me the gaming thing.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • eternallytiredcatmom He should absolutely not expect that kind of gift from you. He shouldn't even want such expensive gifts from you. Someone who values and respects you would encourage you to save the money you do have and would be content with a loving gift from his loving 19yo student girlfriend.
    via u/eternallytiredcatmom
  • OP M1ataMazda He does get me nice things too, it just feels sort of like an obligation to get him exactly what he wants since Xmas 2024 he told me I got him stuff I could've given him any day of the week, then I stepped it up on his bday Jan 2025 and since then its been roughhh.
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • Sunny DayOutside-1234 How can anyone dare ask such expensive gifts from the bf/gf? In my culture (Northern Europe) that would be a terrible and huge red flag. Partners are not money milking appartuses. And he knows your position and knows what it is like to be poor. And still he asks? Tell me this isnt normal in your country? Tell me this is a bot and not for real?
    via u/SunnyDayOutside-1234
  • OP M1ataMazda I don't know if this is the norm, but I'm not a bot
    via u/M1ataMazda
  • NikkiBlissXO He should know that you're not exactly making big money working part time as a college student and that his ask are ridiculous.
    via u/NikkiBlissXO
  • Icy_Salary_4412 Get him a pack of socks and call it a day 700. What was the first gift that you ever got him? How did this even start?
    via u/Icy_Salary_4412
  • Puzzleguy135 Dump him, this is insane
    via u/Puzzleguy135
  • BikerSlutsFromHell Get a box for the gaming thing he wants but fill it with dog shit
    via u/BikerSlutsFromH**l
  • Solid Assumption7160 Well dump them move on away from them because he is a child that has not grown up and you're being responsible with your finances. That $800 or whatever you have in your checking account. you need that in case you've got expenses that has to do with bills, food, rent books and other stuff. so you get him a $20 gift and then be done with it? better yet get him a nice birthday card. put $20 in it and put a lovely little note that says that you appreciate the year you two had t
    via u/Solid_Assumption7160
  • Glittering_Apple2102 Girl hell no. Don't you dare spend that kind of money on him, that's an insane ask. If he cared about you, your wellbeing, and your financial situation he wouldn't even think to ask you for that. Honestly you should be insulted he even considered you should do that for him. Break up!!! Most married couples don't spend that kind of money on eachother for birthdays or Christmas. He needs to get over himself and you need a better boyfriend stat.
    via u/Glittering_Apple2102
  • Jayxe56 To expect anything over $100 is absurd. To expect anything when finances are tight is absurd. Drop this douche bag lol
    via u/Jayxe56

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boyfriend presents gamers girlfriend expensive money college student entitled people gifts toxic relationship
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