Christmas Gift Budget....What's yours?

[thebeesknees]

Our budget is about $100 per child, although with the youngest, I usually spend less because he is only 4 and doesn't really understand cost. My big kids know there is a budget, and have already put in their requests for this year. DD wants an American Girl doll and DS asked for a couple of Lego sets. They know that if they get those items, that's it from us. "One big thing or a few smaller things, right, Mom?" They get so many presents from Grandparents and aunts/uncles that they have never felt deprived. DH and I exchange small gifts like slippers, "snack-y" stuff, etc. And then I have a budget of $200 for all the extended family which includes parents, nieces & nephews, and siblings. There is really nothing we absolutely need or want so right now we are trying to throw any extra $ at our mortgage to give ourselves a bit more breathing room in a few years when the kids hit high school and college. We are blessed that our extended family is trying to rein in spending, as well, so they all understand the smaller gifts with thought behind them. We have fun coming up with homemade items like favorite cookie platters, homemade jam, etc. for everyone. Last year after my MIL passed away, I went through all her photos and made photo books for each of her kids so they all had copies of everything. Total cost was $40 (and many hours) for 4 books, and they all said that was the best gift they could have gotten.

 

[CammelleandBre]

My budget is $800-$1,000 for my daughter. She's an only. $100 for my niece she will be 4, and $500 total for my cousin, sister, and brother in law.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We also have an only child. We never have a firm budget so the amount varies, but probably averages about $750 each year on him alone. 3.5 weeks later, he celebrates his birthday (January 11th).

Last Christmas, we did a very small traditional Christmas at home ($100 spent on each of DH and me, and $200 spent on DS) then took a family vacation New Years week (December 30 - January 7).

DS got an amazing first job at the YMCA this past summer, worked full time from the end of June to the end of August, and now works part time during the school year as well (about 15 hours a week or so). In early July, he mentioned that in lieu of Christmas again this year (since he has so much of his own spending money and doesn't "need" anything) that he'd like to take another trip. So for 2012, we are returning to Orlando for Christmas week (December 23 - December 30). There will be no gifts at all.....trying to pack them and fly them would be way too much work....and we always do a ton of shopping on our trips anyway. So the little "extra" that we added to the trip as our symbolic family Christmas gift are courtside seats to the Orlando Magic / Toronto Raptors game. DH and DS are huge basketball lovers so they were THRILLED about this.

We stopped buying for nieces and nephews several years ago. On my side of the family, there were just too many to buy for and everyone was in agreeance to just get together to celebrate the season without the presents. On DH's side of the family, there were too many snippy remarks about the quality of the gifts (the last time we bought presents, we gave each child a $25 Chapters gift card to buy new books, and one sister in law complained LOUDLY and REPEATEDLY that they kids didn't know pieces of plastic were presents. Then the kids....ages 3, 5 and 7 at the time, started wailing loudly that they didn't get presents from Aunt Gina & Uncle Steve as they tossed the gift cards into the mound of wrappings on the floor.....yeah, it was a GREAT scene around the tree).

We will spend $100 on my mom, and $100 on DH's parents. And $50 on our god-daughter. But the rest is the trip. Easy shopping year for me!!!

 

[aprilgail2]

I don't really set a budget for the holiday- I have one child (12) but buy for my mom, uncle, 8 cousins, 3 neighbors, my other mom and her husband and my 3 siblings, then random people like coaches, mailman, garbage men, poland spring guy, my boss, a co-worker or two etc.... I have already ordered 2 new laptops, one for my daughter to replace her old one and a new one for my mom who has an old desktop and I bought a new pair of Uggs for my daughter. Other than that haven't done any shopping- I guess I really should get moving but I usually wait for my flex spending money to come in Nov and then start. I pay her summer camp off in cash and then file for the flex spending rembursement early Nov and use it for Christmas.