Is your partner pants at present giving?

In the run up to Christmas I'm trying a different approach to presents this year. Rather than being annually disappointed with what friends and family choose to give me I'm dropping hints like there's no tomorrow and I'm actually researching what I would want.

I usually just sit and wait to see what people will come up with, but being quite a thoughtful present giver – well, I'd like to think I am – I was getting a bit fed up.

My husband Mark tends to be the worst culprit, and while it certainly gets more difficult to buy for your partner after years of present buying.

But last year's coffee machine really was the last straw!

This year I've been extremely unromantic and given him a list of options.

There's still a slight element of surprise as he has to pick something from the bunch, but he can't go far wrong with things I've already highlighted I would like.

A new study from Gift Card and Voucher Week found that more than half of women have been disappointed with the presents bought for them by their partner.

Apparently one in six couples have had a full blown row over this, while one in 20 have even split up!

But it's not totally the guys' fault, especially as 49 per cent admit to hating shopping and 80 per cent of ladies understand that their partners are genuinely trying hard to get it right.

The gifts we hate the most are inappropriate underwear, poorly chosen toiletries, kitchen utensils, cheap jewellery and exercise DVDs.

Meanwhile the gifts we get wrong are supposedly clothes, cheap gadgets, man bags and new aftershave.

The easiest way to get round these problems is simply to sit down and chat to each other I think – that way you both get gifts you're happy with.

What's the worst present you've ever received?

Posted by Elsa Pienaar