My boyfriend always gives me cheap gifts

My boyfriend and I have been together for 5 years. Every Valentine’s Day, he only gives me things that are worth a few thousand Vietnamese dong (VND23,610 = $1).

We were high school sweethearts and stayed together after we graduated. He went to an established university in the capital, has a good salary and runs his own business outside of his job. He told me that his income often reaches VND50 million per month.

I’m extremely proud of my boyfriend. Everyone that meets him says that he is a handsome, capable and decent guy. My boyfriend’s parents work as civil servants; they aren’t extremely rich but they are well off.

I’m saying this to show you that he is under no financial obligation to provide for his family and only needs to take care of himself. But on every Valentine’s Day, while I rack my brain up to see which luxury gift I should give him, he always gives me cheap presents like knock-off clothes, shoes and watches.

He’s always been honest about where the gifts come from, and they are all from cheap stores. One time, he even gave me something he bought from a street vendor because he thought it looked nice.

When we first started dating, I didn’t mind this too much because I was focused more on the gifts’ sentimental value. But after a few years together, he still keeps giving me cheap stuff. I told a close friend about it and she said something that really got me thinking: “Is that all you deserve?”