Christmas Spending

[MrsDM]

Out of curiosity, with the way the economy is, are you planning on cutting back on spending for Christmas (less money per person, not doing gifts at all, etc.)?

*Poll coming

[MrsDM]

I voted yes - spending less on each person. Not only because of the economy, but we are trying to save up to pay off the wedding, for a new house and my family agreed to keep it down and just spend the holiday with each other with the exception of something small if somebody wants to.

[saltyveruca]

I am making DIY stuff for a lot of our family members.

Doesn't save a ton of money, and it takes up a LOOOOT of time (I spent all day yesterday working on an album for my father in law) but it's better and cheaper than buying one from an album company or a store.

[RosieAngel]

All of my local friends are getting homemade bread and jam this holiday season. It's a lot of labor, but it costs me next to nothing, and who doesn't like baked goods? :innocent:

I'm only buying gifts for out-of-state friends and the people I will be staying with for the holidays.

[NurseLau84]

The economy has not affected our decision to spend less per person, but being a homeowner certainly has. DH gets a xmas bonus every December and we usually spend most of it on presents for family and each other. If we can keep the holiday spending under $800 this year and put the other $1400 in the savings acct, I'd be happy as a pig in poo :bbmrgreen:

[horse345]

I voted other.

My family every year does a "White Elephant" for Xmas. Several years ago we all came to realize that we 1. Didn't need anything or 2. Ended up not using/taking back most of the gifts that we were given. I have a big family, mind you, so it was always a pain to have to buy a gift for every single person.

So we started playing the White Elephant game (the tackier the gift, the better)---if you don't know what it is, just ask!

We have a TON of laughs over the ordeal, and even gifts from previous white elephants show back up in the pile. We discovered that we would rather have fun and laughing with eachother than having the stress of buying several different gifts.

[KMS]

We aren't cutting spending at all. We have never been able to spend very much and this year is no different! :bbeek:

[neebelung]

We're cutting back spending on each other, not so much due to the economy, but just in general. I just bought the new bike, we've got a couple of vacations we're planning for next year, his truck needs brakes, etc... we've just decided to not get each other presents, but we're getting one "us" present -- a GPS.

[WebLady]

Yeah, a little; we are trying not to spend as much in general. There were a few people that got cut out and will just get cards this year; pretty much we are just getting actual gifts for family. We are trying to cut back a little on what we spend on them too.

We aren't really getting gifts for each other either. Normally we get a few random decor things (still did that) and get each other something too, but we are not doing the later this year.

The last few years I have gotten money for tattoos for a birthday/christmas present and we didn't do that this year.

[tootsie]

We're buying gifts for each other and our parents. We're definitely cutting back on how much we spend on gifts. I love Ross, Marshalls, Target, etc. because I can always find really nice gifts at affordable prices.

[*Lisa*]

We definitely are here. This year instead of buying individual gifts for people, we're buying gifts for them as a couple. My mom & Step-dad, Dad & Step-mom, FH's parents, my sisters (20 & 6 are individual) and then his sister & fiance. That's it.

We're trying to save for a house, have a cruise coming up, and bonuses just didn't come around at work like they have in previous years. It stinks, but its a must around here.

[tortoisegirl]

We're giving each other a date night (haven't decided but maybe a concert of other expensive activity). We're making those that we will see for xmas and our parent's gifts. I want to make washcloth snowmen. =)

For people we won't see around the holidays, only cards. I can't justify spending a lot of money right now because we need to save. I also feel neither of us have a lot of job security. Both of our parents seem in the mood to buy us big gifts though! I hear some talk of a Wii.

[mitch]

We've told the kids they wont be getting as much this year as previous years. They normally get X amount of money spent on each with stocking fillers etc. Then the balance is spent clothes shopping in the sales.
The Girls do love to dash around Primark and come out laden with bags for next to nothing.
This year they will be getting half of what We normally spend. They have all been understanding about it.

The Youngest Daughter even said She'd forgo Her Christmas Money and to add it to Our Grandsons instead. How sweet is that. :innocent:

November and December is when all the Utility bills come in and they all vie for payment.

Who is this Bill? And why does He keep wanting My money :rofl:

[ikkin510]

It has affected our spending. Instead of getting our parents and sibling each gifts, we are making gifts. One for mom and dad, one for sis and her bf, etc.

As for DH and I, we are holding off on getting each other gifts. We'll wait til the income tax check comes in the mail in February and spend a little bit then. Otherwise we just got a few small things from my son. He will only be just shy of 11 months at christmas so he doesn't know any better.

[Dani]

At work there are a few women in the office, we decided not to buy this year (hopefully next as well), they have added a couple more women, but its like when does it stop and who do you not buy for without hurt feelings....so we decided not to buy for one another.

I will probably spend the usual amount on Doug and our family. Though because there isn't a gift exchange at work, Doug and I decided to make a donation to the local golden retriever rescue.

[gwenshack]

I voted cut back a little.

My brother and I came up with a plan of attack for our family members gifts though - we're going to go out together and buy smaller denomination gift cards to places each person like to go/eat/shop and then make a little flip photo book of us in each place doing something funny (like posing with vegetables in the grocery store) and then make a book with the photos and gift cards called So and So's Day Out. We're going to take a small image of the movie poster for "Baby's Day Out" and insert each person's name and in place of "baby".

So we'll each decide how much we want to spend per person and then purchase X number of $20 gift cards. No chance of going over budget.

[EarlyBird]

you know, i have been shopping for the last couple months. i have all but my parents big gift (but i have decided on a new tivo for them) and fh big gift--- i have 6 birthdays in december for close family too and im pretty much done with those. --- Unfortunatley my older brother is having a problem right now and went and quit his job (mental breakdown) and my parents said he is really bummed about not having xmas gifts for people so i went ahead and bought a bunch for him to give too including his nieces and my fh and his other sis.. ugh.. looks like even in this terrible economy i will hav e to be spending more.. luckily with shopping little by little it hasnt been TOO bad.

[Fishlips]

I'm voted spending less for each person, but I feel bad because the reason is kind of selfish...I just signed papers tonight to put an offer on a house. It increases my commute pretty significantly but, I live 2 miles from work now. I'm trying to have the whole wedding paid for before the wedding, and I still want to be able to go out and do an occasional thing.

I'm not asking anybody for financial help on either the wedding or the house, because they don't have the means, or I don't want to feel obligated to them. But you can also get something that will mean a lot to a person even if you don't spend a lot of money...

[SerendipityCrafts]

So we started playing the White Elephant game (the tackier the gift, the better)---if you don't know what it is, just ask!

We have a TON of laughs over the ordeal, and even gifts from previous white elephants show back up in the pile. We discovered that we would rather have fun and laughing with eachother than having the stress of buying several different gifts.

I love it! That's a great idea!

I once got a toilet brush from an x-SIL. The brush sat in a base that looked like a pig sitting on a toilet and believe it or not ..... she didn't mean it as a gag gift.

This one is actually cute compared to the gift -

http://littlejackscorner.mrscoles.com/images/wfmw/pig.jpg

[SerendipityCrafts]

We've told the kids they wont be getting as much this year as previous years.

We have done the same. Two of our kids are working FT now and so they don't need as much as they did. We have a new house and I was laid off so we will definitely be cutting back on the spending this year.

[WBandMe]

I feel guilty especially with the wedding coming up and considering that I'm graduating in 3 weeks and still don't have a job lined up... but no, I didn't cut back at all. I love Christmas and have a hard time not going overboard... plus both of my parents' birthdays are within 3 days of Christmas... so, no, I bought a ton, spent a ton.... :bbeek: