I asked this on another board and I was shocked at how few people give on Christmas. So, then my over spending addiction really showed. So, I thought I would ask you wonderful ladies. Do you have a set amount of gifts for each person every year? Or are you a go all out it is Christmas? Now I will state that with me and my over spending addiction, I am proud to say I don't own a credit card, so it is all cash, check, or debit.
After much thought, we had decided on three gifts. We have gone back and forth over the last few days and have decided on three. Now we are talking about our three children and that is it. We do not trade debt with anyone else. However, the rule could be said to be broken when you factor in the stockings, which will be filled with some candy, and other dollar store trinkets.
We are scaling back this year, so what I put down here doesn't reflect past years. This year both of my kids asked for child size guitars, so that's what they are getting. They will get stocking stuffer candies along with a couple of books and maybe a board game of some type. We are making a craft type of gift this year for my in-laws. My mil and her husband are not giving/exchanging gifts with the adults in the family this year, which is just fine with me. The day before Thanksgiving my mother-in-law and her hubby found out that he was getting laid off permanently. My mother-in-law is quite the shopaholic, so she is still going to buy presents for the children in the family. As for my extended family...we do a gift exchange with an assigned person. Basically, I need to get 4 gifts at $10 each. Last year we spent $15-$20 on people, but that seemed like too much, so we lowered it for this year. My dh and I do not exchange gifts. We decided quite a few years ago to just spend money on the kids and our other family members.
I get each of the kids 1 expensive gift. This year 1 is getting a Nintendo Ds w/ game the other is getting a digital camera w/ case and memory card. Then its 1 together gift and some little gifts plus stocking stuffers. They get new pjs, shirts/outfit, books, board games. So probably about 6 each. My dh and I get a big gift for each other , then only a few relatives, and my dh's company exchange gifts. We spend about $600-$700 total ( including food items, like Christmas dinner and food we bring to parties). All cash also!!
We're about like Crystal. For the kids, they get one big gift each, then one or two small ones (like dvd's or books, or something else under $20ish) and then stocking stuffers. Then we only buy for the grandparents (so that's 5 others) and usually try to keep the price equal so it could be a few smaller items or one large item but definitely not that expensive. Then dh and I get something for each other but not really huge. I decided years back when listening to many kids talk about what they got for Christmas and they couldn't even remember all of it, that we wouldn't do that. They haven't complained
We usually do one MAIN gift, and one or two "support" gifts (that usually are on the same theme as the main gift.). And we stuff stockings (yes, we don't do Santa, but we do stuff stockings....I love stockings...don't know why....always have! Santa or not!). ;D
OH.,...for giving for family? Well, we buy for my parents, and we are involved in the pollyanna on my side...adults and kids do pollyanna. We also do gifts for my sister in law and all of her kids (they usually don't get much of a christmas, so we try to when we can kinda spoil them - seven kids). We do buy for my husband's one brother too, but he's really involved in our lives. And for my Grandma who comes on Christmas day. I do little hand made gifts for friends, etc. Usually an ornament, or a homemade bread or cookies or hot cocoa mix...something very homey from the heart.
My kids are getting one "main" gift this year from us. In addition, we have bought a used basketball hoop for everyone. That's pretty much it. We also buy for the extended family. My parents and in-laws wanted the "three gift" thing. They couldn't understand that three from one set of g'parents, three from the other, three from us, one from each of Carl's siblings...that's 12 gifts each!!! MY GOSH!!! What kid needs that much!!!
See yours sound normal to me. There is one family on another board that spends $20 per kid. Another that there kids only get 1 present and a stocking. Yet most are for 3 presents because that is what Jesus got.
We are spending $100 on each child (2). We get each other nothing. Our parents are getting a 8 X 10 picture of our family. That will be all from us. CHRISTmas has been getting too much without the emphasis on Christ. It's going to be back to the basics, maybe an orange for next year. My children has enough toys to last a life time.
We get 3 small gifts each, plus one from Santa. This year the Santa gift is for all the kids together. My parents and granddad sent money early this year, so I bought gifts for the kids from them, since we no longer get to celebrate Christmas with family. They'll get pj's form my grandad and a Wii game form my mom. None of my dh's family gives our kids gifts to open-they give a small monetary gift. My sister is the only family member other than us who actually buys our kids a gift. Other than that, we have one friend with whom our kids exchange gifts. They are more like family than friends, so I don't mind that. So, my kids aren't over-indulged at Christmas! I'm glad of that, but it is sometimes hard to explain to them why so-and-so gets EVERYTHING he asks for, plus his grandparents buy him hundreds of $$$ worth of stuff. Really, my kids are the more blessed ones. DH and I rarely exchange gifts. We do fill each other's stockings. Dh's company has a gift exchange and a donation to the boss' gift. Several of the SS classes at church have gift exchanges. DS12 is supposed to bring a $10 gag gift to the youth party. I think that's a waste! Wouldn't you rather get a REAL $10 gift?
$10 for a GAG!!! I'm with you! A total waste of money! Though I DO enjoy White Elephant exchanges! It's so much fun to see the crazy things people can come up with to bring. And occasionally you get something good...last year I got a Fondu Set. I haven't used it much, but I HAVE enjoyed it on occasion!
My kids are getting three each, plus a filled stocking; my spouse I'm not sure yet. My mom gets something helpful, like a meat package from the butcher, or a case of coffee. My sister also gets helpful things, because their money is tight. Ditto my mil. My fil is in a home, so we'll give him money to spend. My husband's gma is well off, so I get her something pretty she wouldn't pick for herself. My youngest niece will probably get money, and my middle niece with the 1 yr old will most likely get a big box of diapers and wipes, like from BJ's.
We have only given our boys three gifts for Christmas from when they were babes because that is what baby Jesus got. Three gifts!
We use to..until last year. Last year we started to scale back. Each child had only so much spent the girls we combined their main present which was a wii. There is a family present of a bag of dvd's (we don't watch much t.v. and are more movie fiends and most I picked up for 2 bucks each at the walmart black Friday sale). My dh got a pool table ( it was for his birthday as well and on sale) I got a new laptop since our desk top computer died (this was my birthday present as well) and my whole family uses it. We have never used credit to buy Christmas, everything is always paid for in cash. The gifts for my dh and I were I guess more family presents than anything since we all use them. This year..I'm not so sure it's going to be a small Christmas. The two older kids want new racing gear and bike parts for their race bikes. My ds wants a Christmas tree and a racing bike. What they get..I'm not sure since that still depends on the bonus my dh gets. We'll see I guess. I've picked up some clothes for them as well on black friday for low prices. For my dh's family we have to buy each and every person a gift. It's a pain because if my inlaws want it they buy it so what do you buy someone that already has it? This year we're making a scrapbook for them. My family we pick names and buy for that person. We are only obligated to spend what we can, and not go overboard.
It differs each year for us. We decide on a limit to spend on each of our kids (2). Sometimes is $100, sometimes $50, depending on how early I start shopping & what finances have been like that year. Dh & I usually set a spending limit for gifts for each other as well. This year, it's $50 per kid, nothing for dh & I, and 1 family gift. Finances have been tight this year with the new dishwasher, new furnace, dd's gigantic library fine, lending money to my sis, buying a new car, and fixing the car dh's parents gave us. So, we're skimping on gifts this year. We generally get one small gift for each of our nieces & nephews. They have to be small gifts, because we have so many nieces & nephews. We try to get something for our parents & occasionally siblings. Last year was the only year we bought for everyone - parents, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, siblings, and the gift exchange at extended family Christmas on my mom's side. This year, we aren't doing any of the family celebrations, so we aren't buying for anyone. We do a set amount of money instead of set amount of gifts, because I see that as being more fair.
Ok, I'm a bargian shopper!!!!! My dad sends $100 for each of us, we use the money to buy the kids gifts FROM HIM and my dh and I buy gifts from him but to each other (I buy DH's gifts and he buys mine from my dad)............ but shhhh we had to pay a bill and we used some of the money so over all each kid is just getting $75 worth of gifts.... same amount of gifts though........ but I got some awesome deals so it went pretty far!!!! we were offered some help from the children's wish foundation for chirstmas......... we did not know and had put some items on lay-a-way at k-mart, sice we do not know what the children's wish foundaton will send I will fill in with some of the stuff from the lay-a-way and the rest I will be putting up for birthdays so that when it comes to birthdays I will not panic (3 of the kids are in one month!!) dh and I get stuff from the kids (either we buy 4 things and each kid picks out what they want to dad-- DH does simular with them for mom but he likes to have thier input while shopping)......and we do get the kids one gift from US...... and fill stockings. I am thinking this is the last year that Santa will be a surprize. we will still do Santa but it will be less stuff.
I spend $100 on Cameron for gifts and $5 for his stocking. However many gifts that equals is it, regardless. This year it equaled 7 gifts because of the half price book store and resale shops and ebay. I got his stocking stuff from the dollar bin at Target. For family, we draw names on both sides (except for the kids, which we all buy for). We also buy for our parents. Each of these get one gift of course. For each other, we either do one big thing each or 4 or 5 small things. We don't really do stuff in terms of quantity though, it's the amount limit for us that dictates how many presents we get.
For my own two--this year it is one more pricey gift and a few smaller items plus stocking stuffers. For dh --I haven't decided yet but all he asked for is $50.00 worth of new socks (he would have hated that as a kid! LOL!). I know I'll get him something else also but not sure what. We also buy my parents something--usually my sibs and I all go in on something and then I will get them something else from the kids. I buy for 8 nieces and nephews (15$ limit each) and small gifts for my dh's parents and the great grandparents--though they insist on nothing. The kids will also buy for each other and a couple of close friends....these are always inexpensive but they get such a kick out of giving gifts to people. We will of course buy a couple of things for "toys for tots" and "buy" one family Christmas dinner off the Angel Tree at our local grocery store. My parents always went all out on Christmas and I have tended to do the same. This year is going to be smaller because we are saving money to move back to Fl.
