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Is taking care of an annoying neighbor a good anniversary gift?

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Hi everyone, thanks for reading. My boyfriend and I are about to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. We don't live together. His next-door neighbor is a complete jerk. One of the things he has done is put an object against his fence, blocking water flow from my boyfriend's yard into his own, which was the builder's intention. Now when it rains, my boyfriend's backyard floods a little. He's worried that one day it'll rain hard enough for water to enter his house (it almost has before). He's tried talking to the neighbor, and he's enlisted the help of the home owner's association, but nothing has worked. Meanwhile, I'm horrible at giving gifts. He ALWAYS gives me better presents that I give him. Plus, I have no money. But, I am really good at charming people and have often talked my way out of some tight corners. I'm thinking there's a fairly good chance that I may be able to persuade his neighbor to move the object, and use this as my anniversary present to him. It definitely couldn't hurt. My only trepidation is that if I succeed, my boyfriend may secretly resent me. He's very independent and likes taking care of his own problems. I'm afraid he'll see this as me meddling and even though he'll act appreciative, it'll always bug him a bit. If I don't talk to the neighbor, I literally have NO idea what to give him, and I get very anxious about giving gifts. I love doing nice things for people, but only if they see it that way too. How would you feel if your sig other did something like this? Advice and opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Is taking care of an annoying neighbor a good anniversary gift?

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If this were me I don't think I would involve myself in the problem next door - if I was living there too then that would be totally different. I've had bad neighbours in the past so I know how this can effect your life! You say your boyfriend is independent so I would definitely leave that issue in his hands, as you say I fear some resentment - even if you do manage to resolve. Regarding the gift issue, can you cook, or bake? That's always a good solution, you could use the local market and barter for good prices (use this charm you have maybe!) on ingredients. Failing this, are there any free local places you could visit together? Or perhaps something you could make to mark the 2 years? A photo album or something? There are loads of apps you can get that will print photographs and deliver them to you for a small cost. I did this with my holiday photos - 50 6x4 prints for less than £4! If you are struggling with finances I'd hope your boyfriend will understand and just appreciate you for being you. I understand the pressures though, but material things don't matter so long as you are both happy and having fun together. I'm not sure if this has helped at all but I wish you all the best and happy anniversary ;-)

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