When money is tight for the holidays?

Do you and dh (dw or so) exchange gifts?

What about if there's children in the mix?

How do you celebrate?


ETA: Last year dd was 6 days old at Christmas so we didn't do anything. Our families just got her stocking stuffers. DH and I haven't exchanged in years but what can I do.

We get for our parents-usually something small.

Usually don't exchange with dh's bros/sisters bc there are 5 of them and they all have grown kids-with the exception of a 3 year old.

If we exchange with my bro/sister it's something incredibly small.

this year-dd will be 1-we will just get a few things because she won't realize.

Dh and I don't really celebrate anything anymore. Times are tough and it suckssss

Message edited 11/4/2010 10:42:07 AM.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

Money is ALWAYS tight for the holidays. Especially for both our families. Everyone is out of work.

We don't exchange gifts with each other. If we REALLY want to, it's something VERY cheap and thoughtful and only 1 thing. We do have 2 boys so for Xmas I ALWAYS make sure they have gifts under the tree. Cheap or not, they come first. When they were really young under 2, they either didn't get anything as babies, because they didn't know what was going on, or maybe 1 gift. As they got older, I always found a good sale or cheaper things to make it look like a lot. You don't have to spend a lot to make it a special Xmas. We have done without many times and it's been nice. They're still young, so enjoy it while it's cheap. Now, with a 4 and almost 7 year old, all the things they want starts at $40.00. This year Xmas is tight because of money with the baby coming soon and I'm on maternity leave without full pay so I haven't figured out what to get the boys yet? I'm not buying anything for the baby since she'll be 1-2 months old. Good luck and don't worry it'll always work out!

ETA: We started doing gifts for kids only a few years ago. We don't have money for everyone and if they don't understand that, too bad! It's also helpful that we live OOS and stay home for the holidays so it keeps us from exchanging gifts. Nobody sends us anything either. I guess that's good and bad!

Message edited 11/4/2010 9:15:11 AM.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We usually set a low limit and just get each other a few small things.

I have been shopping the clearance racks since July for DD.

I think I did pretty good this year - so far!

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

money is tight this year.

For any friends/cousins that have kids also- I'm saying gifts for kids ONLY.

DH & I are not sure what we're doing for each other yet.

DD will only be about 9 months old, I'm getting her some toys & we got her SafeTSwin lessons. I know everyone else will spoil her and she won't know the difference

I'm shopping sales/coupons and the outlets.

I think last year we spent maybe $1500-$1800 and I bought gifts for probably 50-60 ppl. Dh & I did buy gifts for each other last year, but we put a limit on it.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We always exchange for the holidays but when money is tight we stop spending on other days, such as birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversary, etc. We buy smaller gifts for our children because they do not know any better, as they are young. If money was very tight I would not buy any gifts for my husband and would only get small toys for the children. We have a fake Christmas tree that we decorate every year and we see our families for the holiday. In my opinion, I would rather sit and watch The Grinch with my kids than get any gifts if it meant that money would get "tighter."

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

this yr things got very tight so our budget for each other 40-50 each. Thankfully i bough all the xmas toys for nieces and nephews when target had the big toy sale in august

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

This year things are extremely tight. DH and I prob are not exchanging at all. And we are buying our DDs some small things. They are young and don't really know the difference and will get a ton of stuff from our family members. We live with my ILs so they will have gifts for the girls under the tree so they will still have a bunch of stuff to open.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

I started shopping for this Christmas last winter. Seriously. I got most of my shopping done by July. I look for things on sale all year and pick things up then.

I cut out gifts with my siblings and SIL. We are exchanging gifts only for the kids.

DH and I probably aren't exchanging gifts.

Any spare money we have will be spent on the kids. Kohl's has their 50% off toys sale often this time of year and I'll get most of their gifts there.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

If money is tight like last year when we were hip deep in wedding planning, we get each other very small gifts.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

shaun never buys me stuff...

we decided not to give to all the little kids last year... hes got about 15 little cousins and we usually give $25 each... but last year we only gave to the two new born babies...

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

I buy things for DS whenever he needs them, so I won't be going crazy for Christmas. DH and I will go pick out a big toy for him and that's it.

DH and I are likely not exchanging at all

And we won't be going crazy on parents/siblings/grandparents. Last year we spent $75-100 on each

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

Not that money is tight for us, but we really do not exchange gifts. My birthday is in December, so I get gifts anyway. we usually just take the money and do something to the house. For example, we just remodeled our half bath.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

Growing up I remember some years my parents not receiving gifts from each other. They always made sure my sister and I had gifts.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

All in told we have approximately 30 people to buy for every christmas.

This year that just is NOT happening.

It's not that we don't have the money, I just would feel better saving it for both our upcoming new addition, and possible house. We told family that Christmas is cut dramatically this year.

I told DH that I think we should put a limit on our gifts to each other, no more than $50. The whole aspect of Christmas is fun for me -- doing the tree and wrapping gifts. So being able to do all that with him is good enough for me, I don't need crazy $$ gifts.

Having an awesome husband is gift enough.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We have very small families, so we tend to spend about $100 on each person on my side. Now I will be spoiling my nephew rotten. His side does a Secret Santa, but everyone always goes overboard as it is. We are able to enjoy Christmas and make sure people have nice. I am in INSANE sale shopper.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We set a limit this year (for the first time) but after talking about it a lot, i think we may skip the presents. We are trying to save up for a baby and that is the best gift we could give each other, so in the grand scheme of things, although the presents on Christmas morning are nice, I'd rather put that money in savings and be able to try a little bit sooner than give each other gifts and have to wait to try a little bit longer.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We decided to stop exchanging with siblings and do small parent gifts. We are buying for neices and nephews but have a small limit for those gifts.

DH and I have a set amount each year that we exchange gifts but we stick to practical things we need to buy anyway. (like new sneakers)

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

DH and I wont be exchanging gifts. Our birthdays are right before Christmas, and we wont be exchanging for that either.

We buy for our nieces & nephews (9 in total) plus for our DS.

We also buy for our parents.

Since money is tight all around, we probably wont be doing the secert-santa thing with my sisters/BIL's.

And gifts to all the kids will be less $$ this year than in years past.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

this year we have agreed to not exchange between my siblings. We're only getting our parents & our DS. Might get something small (ie stocking stuffers) for each other.

Plus, we're on a budget. I'm sticking to it!

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

we try to set a $50 limit on everyone in our family, knowing it might go over a little. we don't have a huge family, so that works for us. we really don't shop much during the year for ourselves, so we do buy each other things for xmas.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We get each other little things, I give him photos ofnthe baby for his office, last year he got me a book. We are good to ourselves all year, we just focus on ds. With family we only buy kids, and my graNdma.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

No extravagant gifts.. we never really did for the holidays anyway.. birthday/anniversary things like that, we do stuff.
You can set new traditions with children, they don't have to get a ton of gifts, a just a few.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

This year things are extremely tight for us. We won't be buying for each other and have already told family that we cannot exchange gifts this year.
They all understand.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

We don't exchange gifts that cost money. FOr example... last year, he gave me a "Date Night In." He picked a date and he cooked dinner and we ate it by candlelight after the kids went to bed and watched a movie on Demand afterwards. I made him a CD of all of "our" music.

We do our best by our children for the holidays... this year they will be getting some small things for them, not a whole lot.

We only give presents among the family to the kids in the family. Everyone is in the same financial boat as we are, and the last few years it has become more of a Dollar Store type of gift exchange. The kids don't know the difference.

Re: When money is tight for the holidays?

Usually we just buy for our DC and nieces and nephews. We save buying each other gifts for when we get our tax money. It's a longish wait but its ok. Besides I never really ask for anything for xmas anymore. i feel like its more for the kids. I am happy shopping for my kids. That to me is gift enough.