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How much do you spend on presents?
Old 12-12-2018, 10:03 AM   #1
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How much do you spend on presents?

Tis the season for gift giving. How much do you spend?

Luckily my wife and I do not exchange gifts. We buy what we want throughout the year and do not use the holidays as an excuse to spend for no reason. We also like to go on nice vacations each year, so that isnt always inexpensive.

I do buy for my parents, nephew and grandparents. Parents I spend around $300-$400/each. This year it was a total of $700. Nephew around $100, and grandparents $50.

Grand total of $850.
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Old 12-12-2018, 10:06 AM   #2
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DW set a budget of 5k for this year Not that she has ever stuck to her budget. That's a big reason why I'm not FIRE.
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Old 12-12-2018, 12:59 PM   #3
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I buy for 6 people (mother, father + spouse, sister + spouse, niece) and this year we all agreed to limit the budget to a strict $40 per person. So $240.
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:02 PM   #4
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Each of our combined 5 children gets $100 cash. Easy peasy.
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:04 PM   #5
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Kids (3), Spouses (3). GK (4), DW and I don't exchange gifts so approx. $600 - $700
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:06 PM   #6
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Most of our family is dead so list is very short. Exchange small gifts with a few friends. The 5 kids get 100 each. We don’t have any grandchildren. We don’t give gifts to each other.
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:07 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wmc1000 View Post
...Spouses (3)
Yikes!
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:20 PM   #8
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A couple grand.
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:29 PM   #9
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Zip. I love it. My family culture isn't into gift-giving among adults and my granddaughters get plenty of Stuff from DDIL's side of the family. I don't see them at Christmas- will be visiting Dad and siblings in SC- and they're too young (ages 2 and 4) to grasp that Grandma hasn't given them Christmas presents. I focus on experiences- took them all to a fantastic lunch with the Sugar Plum Fairy sponsored by the Ballet and to the Aquarium, when they were here for a visit. I'm also stashing money in their 529s.

I suppose as they get older I'll want to buy them something concrete, but more thinking and imagination than money will go into it.
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Old 12-12-2018, 01:41 PM   #10
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Both of my kids wanted something on the expensive side this year. Which is fine since I have the money now. So we will spend $2000+ this time. Probably the most we have spent for Christmas.
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Old 12-12-2018, 02:22 PM   #11
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Zero. Years ago my sister and I gave each other the same exact gift. That was the year we decided that any gift money we would have spent would go into holiday meals instead. My husband and I stopped exchanging gifts for any / all occasions after 4 or 5 years of marriage (we are married 34 years). We have everything we need and almost everything we want from our normal day to day budget. My close family are the only folks to get Christmas cards (husband, mom, sister). Jesus is the reason for the season - the gifts and cards are noise.
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Old 12-12-2018, 02:32 PM   #12
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Very short list...nieces/nephews get $1K each (hopefully some is put away for college!) and DH and I get each other something totally unnecessary. This year we're upgrading from iphone 6s plus to the XS max. Last year, it was the Apple watches; next year, probably a 65" OLED TV. Love Christmas .
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Old 12-12-2018, 02:37 PM   #13
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What Live and Learn said.

$0 for many years. Everyone in the family agrees. Makes for happy Christmases.
We help out our kids, 50's 60's, but not as Christmas presents.
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Old 12-12-2018, 02:37 PM   #14
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A few hundred dollars. It’s not a major expense for us.
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Old 12-12-2018, 02:56 PM   #15
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I love the idea of not spending a single penny during xmas. Its a lot of unnecessary stress. Every year myself and wife have to think of things for my parents to buy us. Its easier now since we have a house and are doing a lot of renovations...but in years past...I would just say "give us money, or dont get anything."

This will be the first year wife isnt mailing out xmas cards. It seems every year we would get fewer and fewer. Im 35 and she's 34...a lot of our friends have stopped doing it over the years.
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Old 12-12-2018, 03:18 PM   #16
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We budget a $100 per month for Christmas gifts I doubt we will use all of it, the boys really enjoy this time of year.
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Old 12-12-2018, 04:32 PM   #17
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Zero. I was born Jewish but have been an atheist for over 40 years, so December 25th has always been nothing more than the day after the 24th and before the 26th.


Like what some others her have written, I don't need a so-called holiday to buy something for my ladyfriend. If she happens to need something this time of year, then I buy it. Often, I buy her something extra special (and sometimes expensive) for her birthday which is in late March.
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Old 12-12-2018, 04:32 PM   #18
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This year a lot more than usual since I am buying the DW a new car. I guess if I waited until January I'd just call it a major purchase but since it's going to be bought and paid for late next week, I'm calling it a Christmas gift.


Most years it's between 2 and 3k.
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Old 12-12-2018, 04:40 PM   #19
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About a grand and a half. I will give my son a check for a grand to buy what he wants.
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Old 12-12-2018, 05:03 PM   #20
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Each of our combined 4 children gets $500 cash ($ from an inheritance paid in December) Then $400 on social friends, work friends, church gifts, and extra donation to 1 local NPO.

DH and I spend very little $ on each other. Mostly gifts that we find at thrift store or $1 store. We buy simple gifts that reflect trips we will take (Coffee from Kona - hint - trip to Big Island) .
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