Holiday

[AJW]

Ive definitely cut down on gift giving, mainly due to less money sfter retirement.  But I like to shop, so I love to shop around for the best gifts at the best price.

[Catch71]

Definately cutting back this year.  Last year I went crazy with online shopping for my grands and it was just too much!  Between Santa and their parents gifts, they tore through my gifts to them and not sure how excited they even were.  My adult kids are getting a check and one gift this year.  I am retired now and have time to shop but I just felt like I spent a lot of money last year on the holiday that was unnecessary and I vow to buy less this year.  Also cutting back on decoration spending. 

[Mom2Dogs]

DH and I do a Christmas Club, not thru the bank....just the envelope method, every pay day I put the same amount in the envelope and the money adds up thru the year, everything is purchased with cash.

We have not increased the amount we saved in several years, even tho we have two new additions to the family....the grand kids get a lot of stuff from grandparents, step grandparents so we never felt the need to spend more money, we just cut back slightly on what we spent on everyone. I have been known to give some very sentimental, hand made gifts, I prefer that type of giving or making sure I purchase something that the recipient really needs, I don't buy just to buy.

I have always been uncomfortable with receiving gifts...I like to shop and give but receiving has always been difficult.

[RedTop]

My intentions are to give, and spend less this year.  

By mutual agreement my two closest friends and I decided to stop the gift giving; due to family obligations, we didn’t exchange gifts until months after Christmas.  

I’ve also made it clear to my daughters that I will only give them money, or gift cards, no more items that need to be stored, since their rooms and my basement are full of their stored items now.    

My family (mother and brothers, etc) want dinner at my house again this year, which is fine.   They specifically want non-traditional holiday food, so my current plan is to do pulled pork BBQ.   

I anticipate Christmas 2018 will be my most stress free Christmas EVER.    

[gidgetgh]

I've still been moving right along on my Christmas shopping, keeping with my "whatever I buy is going to be physically small" theme for this year.

I bought some things the other day and that finishes me up till Thanksgiving weekend, when I'll shop for my niece, two nephews and brother in law.

Other than them, I'm pretty much done.  I'm really pleased with the gifts I've picked out this year.

We exchange with our two neighbors.  They usually bake stuff for us.  I'm really not big in the kitchen so my plan is to get them something from Fresh Market.  Last year I went in there and they had really cute Ghirardelli gift box towers and I've kept that in mind and that's what I'll be getting this year.  I've baked for them a few times, but to be honest, I don't eat what they bring us and my husband only eats a little and then it all gets thrown away because it's just too much and so I give something else now that isn't so perishable.

And again, just because I or anyone else shops early, it doesn't mean we just picked out random "junk".