Any 19-year-old who spends that much on a present is already the best aunt ever!

You can’t expect a young adult who has just started working to afford extravagant birthday presents for their relatives. They might choose to buy things beyond their budget because they live at home and don’t necessarily «need» the money to support themselves. At ages 18 and 19, most young people with jobs use their funds for gas, car insurance, and «fun» things. If their fun stuff involves buying elaborate gifts for all their friends and family, I think that’s wonderful! 

When someone gets you a gift, no matter how old they are or how much money they have, you should show your gratitude. If your aunt gets your son a nice gift for his birthday, you shouldn’t criticize her and tell her that she should’ve gotten him a «better» gift. It’s completely inappropriate, even if the gift isn’t right for the occasion! If someone gives you a butter dish from Target at your wedding? You’d better say thank you! You have every right to judge them for that gift for the rest of your life, but you should never express your lack of gratitude to the gift-giver’s face. After all, they did not have to come to your wedding, and they did not have to buy you a butter dish! They did those things out of the kindness of their heart, and you should be grateful for that!