So... Mothers day gifts? Also, learn me Nintendo Switch

I asked Elise what she was getting for her mom for Mothers day. She responded by crying, then pooping and laughing! I couldn't believe it. She thinks it is a joke. Well, now this task falls to me. And I was going to go for a massage or a mani/pedi, but that won't work this year. Not much of a drinker. Any ideas? 

The only thing that my wife mentioned was a Nintendo Switch. But that looks like it is (a) expensive at $500, and (b) a continuing expense as games look like they're $20+ on the low end. Am I missing something? Is there a cheap way to do a Nintendo Switch? Apparently a lot of her friends are playing it. 

Relevant.  Wifey is going to expect something, although I have done my damnedest to lower her expectations.

The Switch Lite is $200. Still a chunk of change though. And it can't be docked to a TV. It is pretty much a non-folding Nintendo DS.

No cheap way out unfortunately unless you go the retro gaming route.

They aren't supposed to be $500.  Because of COVID everyone snapped them up, then people did what people do and started selling them online at a huge markup.

They are normally $250-300.  

She made it easy and told you what she wanted.  I vote for switch, with maybe a breakfast in bed. 

EastCoastMojo (Forum Supporter) said:

She made it easy and told you what she wanted.  I vote for switch, with maybe a breakfast in bed. 

Not in the budget, unfortunately. 

1- Love the name Elise. 
2- Mrs. Mtn gave you an easy button. In my experience it is nearly impossible to do better on your own. 

We just bought my wife a Switch for her birthday. She loves it. Its great because I'm not into games so she can either play on the big TV in the living room or go to handheld mode if I want to watch something.

Yes we paid covid prices which is stupid. Yes games are expensive. But it gives her another outlet while she's stuck at home.

Does she want to play it on the TV or exclusively as a handheld? 

The Switch Lite is $200, but it is only ever going to be a handheld. It cannot be played like a console on the TV. So be warned.... 

The market for the Nintendo Switch, racing sim rigs and other computer components is right now is absolutely bonkers thanks to supply shortages from Covid and the market being absolutely huge with everyone at home. 

If you can't budget for it now. Give her an IOU, budget $300 for a switch and start looking for the market to slide when we start to come out of the stay at home. 

get her the old frogger video game, as she wants to play animal crossing. 

when she's frustrated and proclaiming that you don't understand or "get it" surprise her with the actual switch. Also giving your wife a switch for mother's day sounds as bad as Maryland's state flower being the Black Eyed Susan. I've attempted efforts to get the flower changed over multiple years with no support found in the matter from either party. 

If you go with the diet switch, not all games can be played on it.  Something to keep in mind maybe.

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:...giving your wife a switch for mother's day sounds as bad as Maryland's state flower being the Black Eyed Susan. I've attempted efforts to get the flower changed over multiple years with no support found in the matter from either party. 

As a gardener with a fondness for Rudbeckia, I am at a loss to fathom your objection.  I think they are fabulous perennials and look absolutely enchanting planted in conjunction with Echinacea.

OP:  If you spring for the Switch, it will only hurt a little while.  If you don't get her the switch, it will haunt you for the rest of your life.

1988RedT2 said:

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:...giving your wife a switch for mother's day sounds as bad as Maryland's state flower being the Black Eyed Susan. I've attempted efforts to get the flower changed over multiple years with no support found in the matter from either party. 

 

OP:  If you spring for the Switch, it will only hurt a little while.  If you don't get her the switch, it will haunt you for the rest of your life.

I'm not so sure about that. She's not a gamer, never been a gamer. I think she just wants it because her friends are playing it now... But out of those 4 friends playing it, 3 of them have gamer husbands. A HUGE part of my hesitancy is that I think/know this will be left on a shelf within a month and never looked at again. 

Coming from an avid gamer- the switch is a neat piece of tech. Absolutely portable, tons of casual gaming available. Family friendly, easy to learn, and a deep library. That being said-

I wouldn't do it. She wants it because her friends have one. Most of them are playing animal crossing because they have E36 M3 else to do. Gaming consoles across the board are sold out. No consoles, no accessories, no nothing. Especially if she's never really shown interest in gaming before- it's not worth it. The one you CAN dock to a TV is 300 bucks. To use any controller that isn't the joycons, you're looking at 75 bucks. Extra memory is expensive. If you don't get the dockable one you're stuck with a screen barely larger than you average xl cell phone, along with a form factor that can be a bit cumbersome. I have a few different 3ds units and I'd take one of those for portability any day over the switch. 

I'm setting up a wine delivery for my mom.

Something you could think about, if you can get time alone with baby mtn, is making a simple plaster cast of hand and foot prints. Just don't do like I did and use a good pan because the stuff won't come out. 

Might not be as fancy as a switch, but definitely should hit the sentimental buttons.

Maybe go with a 2DS or 3DS if a switch not in the budget. I just got my daughter a refurbished 2DS for less than $70 for her birthday.

I'll vote the other way and say find a way to get your hands on a Switch. My wife has been absolutely loving Animal Crossing on our Switch lately, to the point that I had to fire the Xbox back up since she's on the Switch all the time. Before this game, she'd play Mario Kart with a group occassionally but otherwise had never touched it.

One thing I've enjoyed with the Switch, Nintendo has a game library of all the NES and SNES games that you can get a subscription to.  I've been playing those more than I've been playing Switch games.

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
sounds as bad as Maryland's state flower being the Black Eyed Susan. I've attempted efforts to get the flower changed over multiple years with no support found in the matter from either party. 

Another Switch owner here. It's pretty rad. Crazy that they're way expensive now. Ours was $300 last Christmas.