How much will you spend this Christmas or Bah Humbug !

[Helen]

Less than $1k with a lot of it going to my niece and nephew via checks.

I am spending a lot of time on gifts this year and having fun doing it. I decided to create photo calendars for my Aunts and Uncles this year. My Mom was a real shutter bug and I brought back all of her photo albums after she passed away two years ago. I have been scanning in photos for the past week and used Walgreen's calendar software to build a calendar. I have my Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncle's birthdays and anniversaries on the calendar with their photo on their day (thanks to my Mom's detailed date book). I then started January with photos of my great grandparents, Febuary with my grandparents, then March with the oldest child (there were six of them plus a neighbor boy who was killed in WWII and was like a brother to them). I ended up with a photo of all the aunts and uncles and their spouses in a group shot for December. For Mother and Father's day I put a picture of my grandma and grandpa. I think my remaining aunts and uncles will really like this. They all are really close and love each other a lot, which is very cool.

My Mom also used to go roller skating and had a circle of friends from the rink. There are two of them that are getting up in years so I made them a calendar with photos of them at the rink and the associated parties they had. I hope it will brighten their days.

Christmas will be fun as I picture them opening their gifts.

-helen

[mugwump]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obgyn65 About $1,000 on my new girlfriend.

You can buy a girlfriend

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Dream "The entire institution of gift giving make no sense. Let's say that I go out, and I spend 50 dollars on you, it's a laborious activity, because I have to imagine what you need, where as you know what you need. Now I could simplify things, just give you the 50 dollars directly, and you could give me 50 dollars on my birthday, and so on, until one of us dies, leaving the other one old and 50 dollars richer. And I ask, is it worth it?"

Exactly!

[heirloom]

Well, I just finished today!!

Hubby and I decided not to exchange this year because we just buy when we see something during the yr.

Son and DIL....$300 each
2 grandsons.....$100 each plus we put $250 every holiday and birthday in their college plan. When we start withdrawing at age 70, we'll probably add more. Nothing will beat a good education in the future.

It was cute, today we took our older grandson(3 yr.) to his Dads Christmas party. Hubby works at the same place. When we were driving to the building, Lukas noticed it right away and told me when he gets big like Daddy he is going to work there too. Me, Pap and Daddy are going to work there. But I have to get big and go to school.

[brett]

We consider ourselves fortunate. We buy for son and daughter but virtually nothing for each other. We might spend at most $150. on each of them.

We stopped buying for each other several years ago. We make a donation to the food bank instead. Saves on the hassle of shopping for, and then returning gifts. Besides, others people in our community need this far more than we need Xmas gifts.

[panacea]

I think it'll end up something like this:
$250 for DW
$250 from DW (Hopefully she doesn't outspend me this year )
$275 for child #1
$275 for child #2
$150 for parents and sibs
$125 for friends, piano teacher, seasonal tips, etc

Looks like about $1,325. That was a good exercise... I hadn't really thought about it until just now.

[sweetana3]

We have probably spent around $100. We got our best friend's gift at an auction, the others on sale or at garage sales. Best deal was a new book I got as an online raffle on a blog. It goes to a sewing friend.

I dont think we are getting each other anything. But I did ask hubby for his clam dip, long island tea, and cheesecake as our Christmas dinner items. It is a family tradition.

[barnaby]

not as much as in years gone by--which still wasn't alot---but alot less than it used to be. $50 for each son and his wife (total of $300) and $100 for each granchild (total $200). DH and i do not exchange gifts. Mom gets magazine subscription (she loves Readers Digest) and total for some friends---$50. this year, gifts came from the local Habitat for Humanity thrift store. lots of beautiful candle holders which i will purchase candles for....very, very thrifty but helping out a terrific organization.
siblings---we do not exchange. one niece and one nephew, pajamas shipped free by sears (!) for a total of $40. grand total---about $600. yikes! i didn't realize it was even THAT high!!!!!

[Golden Mean]

Wife and I are a bit... different (luckily we found each other). We don't "do" Christmas, so $0.
We don't do Thanksgiving, Easter or birthdays either, really. We used to go to the casinos for July 4 (fireworks), and Christmas/Thanksgiving (buffet) but even that tradition has lapsed.


GM

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 ...so I am doing homemade bread and cookies as presents for his family and my local friends. I have all the ingredients on hand except extra butter. He will probably spend more on his relatives because it is expected of him.

I predict that very soon...one of his relatives will be contacting him about presents for the 2 teenagers who have their wish lists all ready but never contact us.
My proper place here is firmly on the sidelines, observing but not commenting.

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetana3 .... But I did ask hubby for his clam dip, long island tea, and cheesecake as our Christmas dinner items. It is a family tradition.

That's my idea of a great Christmas dinner--clam dip, long island tea, and cheesecake! I might add crackers for the clam dip, though.

[accountingsucks]

Wow, some of you spend alot on gifts. This year my gf and I agreed not to get each other a large expensive gift. Instead we are buying small knick knacks or gifts that will probably total under $100. I am spending about $50 total on my nieces who are under 2. For my parents, likely $100 total and for my brother and sister in law, likely $100 as well. So total about $350. Last year was closer to $1000 and after a couple months the stuff was in boxes and forgotten.