Holiday

[Princesswife]

This Christmas is alittle different for me my only son is 17, the last year he will be a child. So my hubby and I mostly me want it to be an extra special Christmas for our son before he turns 18 and goes off to collage. I'm an empty nester before he left the nest. 

[Pook]

What I've noticed is that so many more have stopped buying gifts.  I know we have and now we have more time to spend just enjoying family.  What we do and many others we know is donate money we would have spent to a charity.  It started out as a way to help a co worker whose husband had cancer and we all found we didn't miss the gifts and the aggravation of having to shop and getting more stuff that we often do not use.  We all can afford to buy what we need or want and giving a gift from a list for a certain amount is kind of silly so why not just buy for yourself!!  After all it shouldn't be about gifts!

[crazycockermom]

Don't mean to sound like a Scrooge, but Christmas shopping is definitely not as fun anymore. This will sound selfish, but it's just how it works out - I do more shopping for myself during special sales this time of year. And I've had a lot of fun this year shopping for holiday decor. But I really do enjoy shopping for others. I miss shopping for others. Can't tell you how many times I've seen something that I would've liked to have gotten for someone that is no longer here.

It's definitely changed but that's also because as years have gone by, people have passed on, people moved away, and we have a small family to begin with. And for a time, DH and I traveled a lot for work so it was often just the two of us.

I have such fond memories of Christmas growing up. Mom and Dad always made it super special and spoiled us. Christmas was never the same after my mom passed away.

After my dad remarried, my stepmom worked to make Christmas really special too. Fortunately they'd give me a list so I didn't have to guess what they wanted or get something they didn't want/need. I appreciate a list. Now that she has passed away, there's going to be even fewer of us and less shopping to do. Kind of sad.

My late husband and I always got each other nice gifts, but the longer we were together, the less we tried to surprise each other. We'd give each other a list or go shopping together.

My new husband and I nipped all the stress of shopping in the bud. He knows what he's getting this year and I'll give him a list of things I'd like. Less exciting, but less stress.

At least I get to buy neat toys and treats for our furbabies.

I don't even know if I answered your question. Just kind of started rambling as I was reminiscing.

[kelsey17]

For years when we all got together we would buy presents for eachother...the cost was getting out of hand with the famlies growing.....so we decided to have a gift giving grab bag..........all the adults participate...and we all list THREE presents on a piece of paper that we would like to get from our Secret Santa...then the adults pick a name out of the bag and that is the person (and only person) who they buy a present for. They  choose one of the present suggestions from the list that the person wrote down as presents they would like to

receive..........not to exceed $75.................

so everyone gets ONE nice present and something they would like to get and would use............................When

it comes to the children....they usually get presents from various family members........................but we at least were able to limit adult exchanges to one per person...

[Snicks1]

A few years ago, we decided to stop exchanging gifts among those age 18 or older. The first year I just couldn't go that low, so I made it 20 years old or older, and it was still so hard for me to do, lol. I am retired, have 4 children (adults) with their associated spouses (2 of my own, 2 are hubby's from a previous marriage also), 7 grandchildren, 4 of those with spouses, and now 5 great grandchildren. It was just too much. We ALL have everything we want and need.

This year I have 3 grandchildren and 5 great grands that I will buy gifts for, but they will all get gift cards from me as I won't see any of them anywhere close to Christmas, except maybe 2, the rest all live far away, so it makes more sense to send gift cards that their parents, or they, can get what they actually want.

My family is scattered all over the U.S. and while I wish it was different, it is not. So I have adjusted to it.

My husband and I still give each other gifts although we have cut down, and fill stockings for each other also. The stockings are the most fun of all. We also give our little dog a couple gifts to tear open and a stocking too, lol.

[151949]

Frequently we buy ourselves something we need or want for our home as our Christmas gift to each other.

[Sooner]

Another thing that is out of control at some workplaces is the charity giving.  You have so many that are soliciting at work, and then the office gets involved. You have to participate.

Any group you belong does some kind of charity drive now days.  So in addition to the gifts for family and friends, you can easily spend hundreds on this stuff if you really take the time to add it up. 

I wish they would defer some of this to other times of the year--and I'll bet the charities would too.  

[Desertdi]

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@Sooner wrote:

Another thing that is out of control at some workplaces is the charity giving.  You have so many that are soliciting at work, and then the office gets involved. You have to participate.

Any group you belong does some kind of charity drive now days.  So in addition to the gifts for family and friends, you can easily spend hundreds on this stuff if you really take the time to add it up. 

I wish they would defer some of this to other times of the year--and I'll bet the charities would too.  

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@Sooner    Not to mention.....all the STORES that "get you" at the cash register..........some for charities I've never heard of.............

[granny me]

My family consists of DH and my adult daughter. Husband and I buy what we want or need at the time and my daughter I usually give her money. My buying consists of preparing Christmas Shoebox for Samartain's Purse and Toys for Tots.

I don't even put a Christmas tree up. We celebrate at church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we do our normal activies.

[traveler]

We only gift to sons and that's things they need.  After spending time & money for a gift just to hear it was regifted or that the recipients doesn't "do" gift cards and other nonsense we gave up gifting.