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TheLucille2
Yayicanpickmyowntitle!
Member since 6/11 1058 total posts
Name:
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Christmas gifts!
Do you set a budget for yourself or just buy freely? We don’t go crazy wih gifts but still spend a lot each year!
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Posted 10/17/18 1:05 PM  |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54921 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: Christmas gifts!
No budget I just buy what DD wants. I sometimes keep track of what I am spending but other times I don't because then I get upset with myself for spending so much! lol
I will say that DH and I no longer exchange and it's the best! It's so freeing. Not only to save money but more so the stress of having to buy more gifts. Best idea ever!
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:08 PM |
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TheLucille2
Yayicanpickmyowntitle!
Member since 6/11 1058 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
Posted by NervousNell
No budget I just buy what DD wants. I sometimes keep track of what I am spending but other times I don't because then I get upset with myself for spending so much! lol
I will say that DH and I no longer exchange and it's the best! It's so freeing. Not only to save money but more so the stress of having to buy more gifts. Best idea ever!
I WISH DH would abandon gift exchanges. He is like a toddler though and hands me his list every year.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:12 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54921 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: Christmas gifts!
Posted by TheLucille2
Posted by NervousNell
No budget I just buy what DD wants. I sometimes keep track of what I am spending but other times I don't because then I get upset with myself for spending so much! lol
I will say that DH and I no longer exchange and it's the best! It's so freeing. Not only to save money but more so the stress of having to buy more gifts. Best idea ever!
I WISH DH would abandon gift exchanges. He is like a toddler though and hands me his list every year.
LOL,mine is the opposite. He has always hated gifts. For a while we did do Xmas but he NEVER EVER wanted a birthday gift. He says gifts are a waste.
I am NOT going to argue!
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:15 PM |
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Momma2015
Mommax2
Member since 12/12 6656 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
Not on my DD or DH, but yes, I limit myself for other family members. But if I think they'll really love a gift and it's a little more than what I planned to spend I'll still get it.
Basically, yes, I budget but I'm also bad at keeping to a budget. 
ETA: I also hate that I'm solely responsible for buying gifts. DH and I don't always exchange (Not really in the budget this year so we are forgoing gifts for each other) so I spend time thinking of thoughtful gifts for our DD, my family, his family, and we also do a friend's white elephant gift exchange so I get gifts from the both of us. I also wrap EVERYTHING. And yet he had the audacity to b!tch about having to assemble her play kitchen last Christmas Eve.  
Message edited 10/17/2018 1:21:46 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:18 PM |
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WannaBeAMom11
LIF Adult
Member since 1/11 7391 total posts
Name:
Name
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Christmas gifts!
Prior years no budget then I would kick myself. This year I’m being very careful with money and I already told dd she is not getting tons of gifts from Santa because she has way too many toys. She’s ok and has only asked for 2 things so far and books. I honestly want to tell friends and family no gifts because it’s gotten out of hand and I don’t want to drop $3k on gifts no one needs.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:25 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54921 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: Christmas gifts!
Posted by WannaBeAMom11
Prior years no budget then I would kick myself. This year I’m being very careful with money and I already told dd she is not getting tons of gifts from Santa because she has way too many toys. She’s ok and has only asked for 2 things so far and books. I honestly want to tell friends and family no gifts because it’s gotten out of hand and I don’t want to drop $3k on gifts no one needs.
I agree. Nobody needs more shit. The holidays should be about enjoying time with family and friends- not stressing over what to buy this one, what to buy that one, and then dropping a ton of cash.
The only ones who really need gifts for Christmas are the kids.
To me, Christmas gifts are for the kids.
All the adults should cut the exchanging out and just enjoy the holiday together... that's what it is all about.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:32 PM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7274 total posts
Name:
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Christmas gifts!
No budget but luckily we don’t have many to buy for.
DH and I don’t exchange gifts. We get something small from DD for my parents and FIL. DH’s family is Jewish so just small gifts for his nephews so they don’t feel left out. I spend about $100 on my godson.
For DD I have stacks of unopened toys from last Christmas. Her favorite things are a bag of colored rocks she got in mystic and making maracas out of boxes and raw pasta. She will occasionally play with her kitchen and Peppa house but that’s about it. I should just wrap the crap from last year and put it under the tree.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:40 PM |
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SusiBee
. . . . .
Member since 3/09 8268 total posts
Name:
S
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Re: Christmas gifts!
No budget.
I only buy for my grown up niece and nephew, some things for DH, and something small for the Cousin Christmas Bash grab bag.
My dad doesn't want any gifts, but sometimes I will buy him a new sweater or something that I think he may need.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:41 PM |
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jamnmore
LIF Adult
Member since 6/16 989 total posts
Name:
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Christmas gifts!
No budget, but I ask for more practical things. My DH asked for a lot of things just for him. This year I want a new fridge for Christmas. We don't have family to buy for. I want to limit what DS gets, DH gets him whatever he wants. so we argue a bit about that because DS is a spoiled brat about it.
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| Posted 10/17/18 1:54 PM |
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LSP2005
Bunny kisses are so cute!
Member since 5/05 19461 total posts
Name:
L
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I have a vague budget, which I try to follow. DH wraps e presents, but I buy them all.
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| Posted 10/17/18 2:52 PM |
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JandJ1224
Member since 6/06 5911 total posts
Name:
Jannette
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I don't have a set budget for my kids but I do keep track of what I'm spending.
I have a budget for everyone else including 13 nieces/nephews, parents (4 sets), and 2 siblings that don't have any kids.
Christmas is expensive
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| Posted 10/17/18 2:59 PM |
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lightblue
LIF Adult
Member since 1/17 2249 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I don't budget per se but I make sure not to pick up too much for my kids (from Santa) because family goes crazy in getting the kids toys (especially FIL) so I don't want to end up with a million toys in my house.
I really wish we could end gift giving with extended relatives and just buy for nieces/nephews but that's another story....
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| Posted 10/17/18 3:27 PM |
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tourist
Member since 5/05 10425 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
Posted by NervousNell
Posted by TheLucille2
Posted by NervousNell
No budget I just buy what DD wants. I sometimes keep track of what I am spending but other times I don't because then I get upset with myself for spending so much! lol
I will say that DH and I no longer exchange and it's the best! It's so freeing. Not only to save money but more so the stress of having to buy more gifts. Best idea ever!
I WISH DH would abandon gift exchanges. He is like a toddler though and hands me his list every year.
LOL,mine is the opposite. He has always hated gifts. For a while we did do Xmas but he NEVER EVER wanted a birthday gift. He says gifts are a waste.
I am NOT going to argue!
We don't exchange either--not with each other & not with our paretns/siblings.
We don't have kids or neices or nephews, but hre are a few kids unde 10 in our extended family.
We buy for 5 kids (1 guft each-~$30), Toys for Tots, and 2 people I work with, and we tip a few people in our apt. complex.
We don't really buget, but we ususally spend about the same.
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| Posted 10/17/18 4:06 PM |
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JME78
LIF Adult
Member since 11/09 3672 total posts
Name:
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Christmas gifts!
We've scaled way way way back on who we buy for.
We just give to our kids and our parents. I cut out everyone else - siblings, (have no nieces or nephews, I would buy for them if I did), and all friends, cousins, etc. It just was getting out of control and ruining enjoyment of the holidays stressing about what to buy and finding the time to do it all.
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| Posted 10/17/18 4:46 PM |
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PhyllisNJoe
My Box Is Broken
Member since 6/11 9145 total posts
Name:
Phyllis
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I budget for the nieces and my nephew (Most are older and get $ the little ones I ask mom what they had on their list and pick some stuff) We exchange with my BIL & SIL and we budget that at $50. I don't exchange with my siblings or we do something funny or small (I gave my sis a personalized ornament last year) Don't budget with parents. It's whatever they need/want/like. Never crazy expensive though
I don't budget for DH. He IS IMPOSSIBLE
His bday is in December too so it's a double whammy. This year is his 40th so it's an extra Pain in the Butt
I can't wait for January 2nd
Message edited 10/17/2018 4:50:19 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/18 4:50 PM |
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jeanyus27
Life is beautiful
Member since 8/08 2543 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I have 7 nieces & a nephew...so I set a budget for them. Everyone else I kind of know how much I want to spend. I have fun looking for deals & bargains!
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| Posted 10/17/18 5:16 PM |
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Christmas gifts!
I have a Christmas “sinking fund” that I put money into each week starting in June and I aim to finish shopping by end of November. I plan out who we need to buy for and look at my previous years list and then I go from there. I do budget. I refuse to go into debt for Christmas. I allocate how much I spend on each person and go from there. I spend about $1200 a hear roughly especially now having my kids
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| Posted 10/17/18 5:55 PM |
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MarathonKnitter
HAPPY
Member since 2/07 17374 total posts
Name:
EMBRACING CHANGE
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Re: Christmas gifts!
since i coupon and deal hunt like crazy, i start christmas shopping december 26.
i try to keep it to an out of pocket expense of about $15-$20 pp. throughout the year, i'll score clearance deals, website glitches, use points to reduce the cost to my "comfort zone."
for example, one of the items i bought my sister is a personalized mug with pictures of us. i only paid for shipping. this will be added to the other items i'm getting her.
also, there was a $10/$10 coupon earlier this year. i bought 12 pretty lotion in a gender-neutral scent. i'll put a cute bow on them and they will be my coworker gifts. they ended up costing me a total of $0.74... for all 12. yay.
but to answer the actual question... i guess i do have a budget. i do keep track of how much i actually spend per person.
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| Posted 10/17/18 9:36 PM |
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LIRascal
drama. daily.
Member since 3/11 7287 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Christmas gifts!
No real budget, but I agree that the number of trinkets things is out of hand. DH grew up with 1000 gifts under the tree, which we both agree is awesome-until it's time to clean them up. We are starting with bigger presents and fewer now, like bikes, leap pads and toy drones. Instead of 20 things each, they will get 3.
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| Posted 10/17/18 10:36 PM |
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klingklang77
kraftwerk!
Member since 7/06 11489 total posts
Name:
Völlig losgelöst
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I do not budget because I don’t buy anyone gifts anymore. I usually just get money from my parents toward a plane ticket. That’s it. It was getting to be ridiculous because all we were doing was exchanging gift cards. When I am home for Xmas, I usually bring a lot of chocolate. That’s enough for them.
For my niece and nephews, I try to take them to do something—bowling or something fun like that. Last year we went to the Jones Beach light thingy. I did the city one year with my niece.
SO and I do not exchange. Instead we have a day where we go to the Xmas markets and just pig out on food and then come back home and watch movies until like 3 AM. We like that experience more than gifts.
With my close friends we get together and have a nice dinner.
Luckily, people in my family are not big on gifts. Also I am their gift, lol. I see them once a year.
Message edited 10/18/2018 3:56:52 AM.
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| Posted 10/18/18 3:55 AM |
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MissJones
I need a nap!
Member since 5/05 22150 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
Posted by TwinMommyToBoys
I have a Christmas “sinking fund” that I put money into each week starting in June and I aim to finish shopping by end of November. I plan out who we need to buy for and look at my previous years list and then I go from there. I do budget. I refuse to go into debt for Christmas. I allocate how much I spend on each person and go from there. I spend about $1200 a hear roughly especially now having my kids
This! I have a holiday fund that I like to put money into and it helps tremendously! I use capital one 360 and set auto transfers. Best thing ever!
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| Posted 10/18/18 5:22 AM |
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pumpkinmom
LIF Adult
Member since 5/12 2912 total posts
Name:
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Re: Christmas gifts!
I don't keep to set budget, but I don't go overboard spending either.
DH and I don't exchange.
For my 3 DDs, their toys aren't crazy expensive. They aren't asking for big ticket items yet. I just try to keep it so they have a sort of equivalent number of gifts.
For other gifts, I either have an approximate amount I'll spend in mind, or it's a secret santa exchange with a set price range.
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| Posted 10/18/18 9:39 AM |
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