What'd ya get for Christmas?

[Texarkandy]

Best Item: AC/DC "Back in Black" CD !!!!! (thanks DD)

(been missing that one for years)

 

[DangerMouse]

Nada - in this household we do not spend money on Christmas presents. We figure we get what we want when we want, so we refuse to play the game and waste money on presents that we may not want or need at this time. Of course it is easier to be like this when you don't have kids.

 

[deepc]

Nada - in this household we do not spend money on Christmas presents. We figure we get what we want when we want, so we refuse to play the game and waste money on presents that we may not want or need at this time. Of course it is easier to be like this when you don't have kids.

Bummer. Sometimes it's not what you get but what you give.

I recommend a dose of the Christmas Carol.

 

[bbbamI]

A Tempur-pedic mattress and foundation, flowers, wine...and an orange beanie baby kitty. Not sure how the last one will come into play.....

 

[Purron]

Nada - in this household we do not spend money on Christmas presents. We figure we get what we want when we want, so we refuse to play the game and waste money on presents that we may not want or need at this time. Of course it is easier to be like this when you don't have kids.

Same here. Instead of gifts, we treat ourselves to a nice meal out on birthdays, etc.

 

[Lakedog]

My furry kid got some new chew toys......

 

[Janet H]

Snow
Licked awake by Border Collie
Fresh coffee delivered bedside
Gypsy Kings blasting through the speakers in kitchen

And there's still packages -

 

[Khan]

Nada - in this household we do not spend money on Christmas presents. We figure we get what we want when we want, so we refuse to play the game and waste money on presents that we may not want or need at this time. Of course it is easier to be like this when you don't have kids.

Same here.

Though there tend to be some good deals on higher end items at the grocery store.

Will do end of year checks to charity tomorrow.

 

[Sue J]

We are religion free so we don't exchange Christmas gifts between the four of us. But DH's side of the family is Christian and his Mom insists that we need a box of gifts, so she keeps sending to us. This year it was 2 calendars, each grandson got a check and a LED lighted key ring, DH and I got Land's End gift cards, he got a box of herbal tea and she sent me Olive Oil soap.

Has anyone ever used this "Olivella" soap? * I tried to just link the video but it embedded*
YouTube - Olivella QVC.mp4

I have no sense of smell (MIL has known me for 36 years and keeps sending scented stuff) and I only use Ivory. Is there a reason that I'd want to smell like Italian food? I'd never use this kind of thing because I wouldn't know if it was a mild pleasant scent or an overwhelming offensive odor.

Usually when she sends scented stuff I send it allong to DH's office where all the women seem to love this kind of stuff. After watching the video, maybe I'll try this.

Every year we make a photo calendar for MIL and 2 of DH's sisters. The photos are contributions from the 3 families with kids and we include pictures from throughout the year. It turns out lovely and this year we even got it done in time!

 

[simple girl]

Nada - in this household we do not spend money on Christmas presents. We figure we get what we want when we want, so we refuse to play the game and waste money on presents that we may not want or need at this time. Of course it is easier to be like this when you don't have kids.

Same here, but add in the additional reason that we just both plain hate to shop, especially in the pre-Christmas crowded stores. Our tradition is that we go shopping together in the mall the weekend after Christmas. We buy whatever we want and actually enjoy shopping since it is "our day" together. We plan to go this Saturday. Looking forward to getting some new clothes!

MIL sent us a very nice gift - a Bunn coffee maker. We were raving about her coffee last time we were back. She's a smart one and remembered that!

 

[laurence]

Some puzzles and books for the kids. We decided to not do presents this year and gave to our favorite charity which builds houses and pays for schooling for kids in our sister city, Tijuana. We know the family who started the charity. We adopted a family for Christmas this year. Their wish list was so humbling (for example, the 14 year old girl wanted hair ties - in the age of the IPhone!). We got them everything on their list plus a few throw blankets, etc.

I did give DW one present. We take a ton of photos but then never see them, so I put together a photo album with pictures through the years for the coffee table. I left a bunch of empty slots throughout so she could pick pictures that were her favorite and order them through snapfish to finish the album.

 

[Texarkandy]

Nada - in this household we do not spend money on Christmas presents. We figure we get what we want when we want, so we refuse to play the game and waste money on presents that we may not want or need at this time. Of course it is easier to be like this when you don't have kids.

Bummer. Sometimes it's not what you get but what you give.

I recommend a dose of the Christmas Carol.

I was going to add more in response to DangerMouse post, but suffice it to say - Ditto.

 

[calmloki]

Some new lowtop Chuck Taylors in blue & grey for dress wear and Badcat, the book.
Some excerpts: MyCatHatesYou dot com

 

[Frugality_of_Apathy]

A tin of Scottish tobacco from Austria from my boss.

My packages delayed in the mail until new years.

 

[Goonie]

I got my Mom a very nice Citizen Eco Drive Watch....'Solar' powered...actually natural OR artificial light!!! No batteries to go dead...No winding. It'll keep running for up to 6 months without being exposed to light. Also got her a couple of books....the 2009 Old Farmer's Almanac, and a Cryptogram puzzle book (she LOVES Cryptograms!). She collects rooster decor, so I picked up a small 'cowboy' rooster while we were in San Antonio...wearing a cowboy hat & saddle.....when she opened it this morning she Oooo'd & Aaaaahed over it! And we went to the local 'monument' (a.k.a. 'tombstone') shop yesterday, and I bought her a big iron butterfly (not the rock band) for the patio.

She got me a scale steam locomotive that I've been wanting for some time....but was to cheap to buy for myself. It's a very handsome looking model...complete with 'on-board' sound.....bell, whistle, chugga-chugga synchronized with the loco's speed...Neato!!! I also received a really cool wind-chime (also from the tombstone shop), as well as a new pair of quality garden pruners! And last but not least....a 'care package' loaded with some of my favorite candies & snacks....Gummies....both regular and (my ultra-fave) SOUR, and some white chocolate-covered pretzels, and a bag of yummy trail mix!!!

My brother got his wife some sort o' video/computer game system she's been wanting (he said she was splaining to him what it was she wanted, and he said he gave her the money and told her to go buy it, and that he'd wrap it for her). She bought him a replica 1840's Army black-powder Colt pistol that he's been wanting.

So we all got just what we wanted, and don't have to bother with returns/exchanges or re-gifting later.

(and NOBODY got any clothes for a change!!!)

 

[Midpack]

We have more "stuff" than we know what to do with, so we don't exchange gifts either. In fact, we've spent the past few years decluttering, just selling, trashing or giving away stuff - so it wouldn't make sense to add to the pile at Christmas. Like others here, we subscribe to LBYM, and if we need something we just go buy it. FI is nice...

 

[guest]

The best gift ever is mine this Christmas .....my retirement day!

Then of course, the company of family to share with!

Merry Christmas

 

[Alan]

Yesterday morning DD and SIL took us for a walk and stopped in front of a house and said TA-DAAAAA!!!!

They've been married 7 years since their 2nd year at college and always lived in rented apartments but they are now 2 weeks away from buying their first house. It was a lovely surprise and we are so pleased for them. Their agent met us and gave us a good tour.

It's a 3 bed 1850 sq ft house in the neighborhood they have lived this last 3 years (in NW Austin) and they have a really good price at $176K. Mortgage of $126K at 4.6% fixed 30 year, well within their means to pay.

We are more excited about this news than the gifts we exchanged.

 

[bubba]

Congrats guest; you most certainly received an excellent gift. Goonie, I love the watch; good choice. Alan, very happy times for your family; congratulations to you, wife and daughter/son-in-law. I received w*rk clothes from DH (hey, I asked for them), perfume from my wonderful son and scented bath gel and socks from my sister. Very Merry Christmas around here today. Oh, by the way, not all gifts take up space. What about a trip to a day spa or a wonderful dinner or wine tasting or a trip to Disney World. Watch The Christmas Carol and get creative.

 

[Rambler]

DW got some clothes, an iTunes card, an electronic photo frame (that constantly shows photos stored in it). I got a shirt, and some books from DD and DS. DS and DD each got an iTouch and some items of clothing. Kids are older tee, early 20s now, so a lot lower key on the presents this year than in the past, except for the itouch.

Not necessarily for Christmas, I also got DW a quilting machine. In a few days, I'm getting a triple burner Camp Chef (have a two burner that I enjoy a lot), and a griddle to top it. Griddle is 3' wide, 17" deep and 1" or so thick including the skirting. I can cook up a passle of pancakes on that one, along with bacon and eggs. These are more because we are beginner level - going on intermediate level FI, and we pretty much buy what we want/need when we want to. These items are more for our FIRE hobbies than for something we NEED right now.

DW and I were talking the other day about doing our christmas shopping either earlier in the year - before thanksgiving - or after christmas, as we like the bargains, but hate the crowds. Going forward though, our christmases will be much lower key. As our kids will both be going away to school this coming year, we have told them that our celebration will be lower key, and with presents that are more of the useful/necessity variety than the high-end "toy" variety. For better or for worse, they have lived a bit of a priveleged life, although always way below our means.

R

 

[Khan]

The best gift ever is mine this Christmas .....my retirement day!

Then of course, the company of family to share with!

Merry Christmas

The gift that keeps on giving.

My official retirement day was 31 Dec 2004.

 

[TromboneAl]

DD made me the glass. She bought etching cream, and stuck letters on the glass, then put on the etching cream and waited. It says "Al's Beer Glass."

DW knitted me the arm warmers -- they are for biking.

Love the homemade presents!

 

[crazy connie]

My 2 young adult kids and I enjoy a moderate gift exchange. Through the year the kids get almost all of their clothing from the thrift store or freecycle. So at Christmas I splurge on socks and underwear for them. I got my son his own new suitcase (so he can quit borrowing mine) and daughter got a couple new silky soft underwear tops for winter work travel to snow country. We have a lot of laughs from silly inexpensive gag gifts. My son made a potting table for his sister which she is crazy about as she is getting into the plants and garden hobby. She got him a baby shop-vac which pleased him immensely. The little bulldog seemed very happy with her new bed and some of the burger style dog food which is a change from her basic kibble.

The most important thing is spending the time together. Last night we all made appetizers and played a few hands of cards. Right now they are all napping and a standing rib roast is cooking. I may have to open a bottle of wine up shortly. For me the presents are nice but their presence is the best part of the holiday.

 

[FurBall]

My best present was that all six of my Mother's children were there for what may be the last Christmas she will recognize us. Three days of 25-35 family members laughing, talking, eating, marveling at the grand children, reminiscing about our own idyllic childhood, and more laughing.

We fill stockings for each other and some participate in a $15 exchange (Max $15 from a couple to a couple). Many gifts are packaged in reusable fabric bags. Oohs and ahs are all about how much people can do with $15. My favorite this year was in a tiny bag that contained: homemade earrings, eyeglass repair kit, softlips chapstick, blank 3x5 cards, and an assortment of sewing machine needles. Doesn't sound like much when I write it, but it felt like a little bag of teasures.

 

[Ronstar]

Black and Decker Alligator chomper