Spending at Christmas - what do you spend? Post #2

[Grendalynn]

Ok, so its that time.... we have booked out 4/08 WDW Vaca and are pinching piching pinching every penny and trying to cut every possible corner we possibly can to help save for our trip. S has a harder time with it than do and it makes me more and more aware what we are spening money on when I am watching it like a hawk. Iposted this on the Budget Board as well but had little interest , so here it i again!

With that being said - and the busy (and expensive) Holiday Season approaching - what does your family spend at Christmas time on average? What do you allot for each child, how much do you spend on your spouse/each other and extended family members? Do you buy for ALL the kids in your family (cousins, neices nephews...) or just your own? Do you buy gifts for couples, a family gift or individuals?

I ask because I feel like Christmas is getting so commercialized and expensive; its hard to keep up! I fully understand and agree that Christmas is really about the kids and the Meaning of Christmas (churchy/religious beliefs or not) as a whole; health family and being together and thankful for what you have (my view). But I have a very hard time buying crap just for the sake of buying crap. If my DSs have things on their list that have truely love and have talked about before it was flashed on TV every 3 minutes, than fine - i'll try to buy it. But I am trying to be practical, crap-free and keep within a budget this year. Christmas isn't supposed to be about who gets/got what and what it costs, but being with family and sharing gifts that mean something and are appreciated (Not tossed out and forgotten about hours after they have been opened).

Me "make" our boys every year buy things for other children who are less fortunate. They pick things out, wrap them up and/or deliver them to local toy drives and organizations. We let them know that Santa cant get ALL thethings on the list and or carry them in their slay. He picked the things tht he thinks the kids will like best and enjoy most.

With that rant being ranted: I am curious to know the approach that others outthere in our Dis Familys take, what their budgets avaerage and a few other views and pointers some might share!!

 

[badblackpug]

I don't allot a certain amount of money per person. I buy for my family as well as my sister, brother, mother, father, niece and nephew. I know I waaaay overspend every year. I don't feel bad about it, though. Do your kids know about the WDW trip? Maybe that could be part of their Christmas gift?

 

[Grendalynn]

I don't allot a certain amount of money per person. I buy for my family as well as my sister, brother, mother, father, niece and nephew. I know I waaaay overspend every year. I don't feel bad about it, though. Do your kids know about the WDW trip? Maybe that could be part of their Christmas gift?

We refer to it as - "If we go to Disney...", its already booked and being paid for. I thinnk that I will ask family members to keep our trip in mind when they do their christmas shopping - I.e. Disney Dollars, gift cards, cloths for the trip and whatever else. I am trying to be practical and crap-free. Which is SO hard!!!

 

[Temair]

We are a very frugal family, but also very into the real meaning of Christmas. We typically budget about $20 per person immediate family that will be together at Christmas, and then $20 for each grandparents, and siblings & wives. We also send a small token like a family portrait to all cousins and aunts and uncles.

The rest of the family is starting to follow our lead on this and keeping things small but meaningful.

 

[samsfirsttrip]

I got very lucky, my parents just took a 2 week vacation to Alaska...well, since they were so close to the North Pole, they sent my son a post card from Santa about the WDW vacation we are going on in December. Doesn't mean he's not getting anything else...he's the only grandchild...so super spoiled...but he's expecting WDW as his big gift this year

 

[momof1princess]

well, so far i've spent about $40-50 on my daughter and everyone else will get about $20 spent on them. i've only got my in-laws, mom and cousin left to buy for!

 

[Aliceacc]

Well, I completely over do it.

That said, this year we're going to try to contain it a bit to help fund next August's trip to WDW.

So far I've placed bought some Disney clothes on clearance and some fanny packs for each of us (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1576211) I figure that if I buy stuff we'll need anyway, it will seem like a lot, but eventually I would have spent the money anyway.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

We went overboard every year. So, last year was the first year I did something that I heard on Dr. Phil.
My girls got 4 things each.
Something they want
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read.

I'm doing it again this year. It makes the rooms less cluttered with junky toys and although sometimes it's hard for me not to splurge, it sure helps monetarily too!!
As far as the fam... I usually do about $100 for the parents, and I buy each kid in the fam a gift of $10 or less...

 

[nessz79]

Good post as we are really restricted this year in our budget!

Typically we try to be conservative. Ususally $100 for each DS (sometimes including stocking stuffers, sometimes not). Then $40-50 each for moms, dads, my sister, and my grandmother. A few $25 gifts for my uncle and cousin. A few very inexpensive gifts for friends, co-workers, etc. I also try to make cookies and snacks and things for gifts, depending on time.

Typically, we are always budget-conscious due to a big mortgage payment and high cost of living where we are. We usually keep the whole thing around $500.

 

[blana]

Last year, my brothers & I decided that it made no sense to keep buying for each other, and that all of our kids had WAY too much stuff. So, we decided to start drawing names for the "kids" & not get anything for each other. This year, we've set a strict $20 limit for the kids gifts. And since we draw names, we all only have 2 or 3 kids to buy for. DH's family decided that the adults should stop buying for each other, but we would still buy for all kids, but since there's only 3 kids at this point, that makes things easier. We still buy for all parents (generally a $25-$30 gift each.) DH and I usually set a limit on our gifts to each other of about $50, including our gifts from DS. As for DS, I always feel guilty about not spending enough because everyone I know spends more, but he doesn't NEED more than he gets. So, we've been under $100 so far. And this year I can't come up with ANYTHING he needs....

 

[bebelle]

I love this post. This is my first Christmas as a SAHM. When I quit my very lucrative career we lost more than half our income. Now I have to use a budget for Christmas. Other than our family, we are planning to only buy for neices, nephews and parents. Our limits will be $20 each n & n, $50 for each set of parents, $50 on each other and $150 on our son. We are believers in what Dave Ramsey "preaches" and will not go into debt for anything. I am going to have to get very creative especially for n & n. I am looking forward to the challenge! IT'S ALL GOOD!

 

[MS_mom_1965]

I have a $500 Christmas club savings account, and we try not to go over that, including the tree and all gifts.

The past couple of years, we have stopped drawing names except at my MIL's house. I have two adult, and two child gifts to buy for that, with a limit of around $30 each. The remainder is pretty much all spent on our kids, especially my older DS - 16.

That looks like a lot per child, but we don't buy any toys for them throughout the year, except birthdays, which is usually around $30. They get small allowances weekly, and have to save for their own toys.

 

[Eviie]

We love Christmas. Each year our family always says that they will budget the spendings every year. Of course that has never happened

This year they are dedicated into spending less money then the years before.

Spread out like this:
$15 for Grandma
$15 for Grandpa
Total for that = $30

$150 for me (Daughter) - $50 in stocking stuffers - $100 in presents.
$150 for son (Brother) - $50 in stocking stuffers - $100 in presents
Total for that = $300
that's the dent in the budget
but thats were the most money goes from my parents in x-mas

$25 for Nephew - usually a Visa Gift Card (10y/o)

So far all that is about $355, am i right?

Then for my mom's Brother and SIL is just 1 gift together
(She doesn't celebrate x-mas or any holiday at ALL no birthdays, NADA)
So that's just maybe at most $20

My mom gets some sort of gift basket found at wal-mart* that has
home needs.

All that equals to 375, not bad. Hoping to spend less though

ONE year when i was in 6th grade (2 years ago) i spend $300 on 42 OF MY FRIEND!!!!!!! HOLY SMACKAROO - i was so hardheaded then now this year only 4 of my friends will get something from me.Spending no more than $30 FOR ALL OF THEM. And what did i get from those 42 people maybe, 8 of them gave me something. That's a lesson learned.

 

[dreamn_Disney]

I try to not over spend and it can be hard to stick to a budget. I purchase for very few people and that helps. I buy a gift and stuff a stocking for my mom. I buy for my 2 children and also stuff a stocking for them. I have an in home childcare and I buy a small gift for each child and an ornament. Other than that I give out baked goods to a few people: teachers, mail carrier, daycare families, brother's family, and my one Uncle that we spend Christmas with. To help with next years trip spending money for my ds and dd my mom is giving them Disney Dollars for Christmas and birthday.
Money wise it breaks down:
Stockings:
Dd $30
Ds $30
Mom$25
Presents:
Dd $100
Ds $100
Mom $50
Daycare $15 each including ornament