Holiday

[Mominohio]

than usual on Christmas gifts?

We are cutting back for two reasons. Money is a little tight this year, had some unexpected things pop up, and there just isn't the money to buy like we used to. We all have more than we know what to do with, so we are being very selective about purchases, and I'm giving especially my mom, things that are needed, or things that are consumable. No more 'things' to sit around or take up space. 

We are also gifting to fewer people over time, due to people passing, and moving on from others in our life in the past.

So, how is your year shaping up? Do you plan to spend/buy more, less or about the same as in the past.

[Snicks1]

Hopefully about the same, wishful thinking would be less.

[Shogirl]

According to my husband, my Christmas mantra this year must be -

I will not buy as many gifts as last year...

I will not buy as many gifts as last year...

He retired a year ago and I'm not long for retirement myself, so that is definitely something to think about!

[aggravated]

Our gift giving is down to the bare minimum.  We give a few small things to each other.  If invited somewhere for a party or holiday get-together, husband usually picks up something at the alcoholic beverage control store to give the host and hostess.  I give my boss a token gift each year from the same store.  Cookies in the mailbox for the postal carrier because she brings things to the porch and rings the doorbell if she can see that we are at home to deliver packages.  Hairdressers gets a small cash gift. Husband went through school (from kindegarten) with a fellow that became a priest (they are now both in their 60s); he gets a cash gift because he really has no spendable cash provided for his services 24/7.  That's it.

[GCR18]

My list was down to the bare minimum.  This year it has tripled.  I've been sick this year and had to rely on friends and their husbands to do basic things that I couldn't do.  I'm starting to get my head around the list of people, then I'll brain storm things they'd like and i'll start looking for them.  

[Nomore]

Same like for the past few years...nothing. My family decided no more gifts, only good food, so my money goes to the holiday foods instead.  At first, it was sad to see our little tree with no gifts, that's when I stopped putting up the tree and focused on other decor and pretty tables.

[StylishLady]

About the same. We never really went hog wild. It's the touhght that counts, don't you know. 

[Lipstickdiva]

About the same.  I don't have a lot of people to buy for.  On my side, we only buy gifts for my sister and my husband.  On DH's side we buy for his brother, sister, cousin, aunt and uncle. 

I have an account set up at my bank that I deposit X amount into every week so when the holidays roll around, the money for x-mas shopping is there and I don't have to worry about it.    

[stevieb]

Quite a bit less. I'm not doing nearly as much gift shopping this year and given the volume of decorative items I already have, am not planning many, if any, new purchases. I've also decided I'm not doing much decorating this year either. Every year, it seems Christmas becomes less and less of a blip on the radar, so, for me, there's no reason to keep behaving as though it's more of an 'event' than it actually is.

[Winkk]

About the same.  I have a budget that I try very hard to stick to.  I don't buy  doodads or stuff people can't use.  I give a lot of gift cards because it seems as though that's what they want.