XMAS spending limit?
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XMAS spending limit?
| Fri, 11-30-2007 - 4:41pm |
Hey Ya'll,
You know most of my story, so, what should I spend on SO this year?
Points to ponder with your recommendation:
1.
| Fri, 11-30-2007 - 4:41pm |
Hey Ya'll,
You know most of my story, so, what should I spend on SO this year?
Points to ponder with your recommendation:
1.
Pages
Hi Rose - I love the 'sponsor a family' idea.
Christmas shopping...*ughhhh* Good Grief.
I'm so struggling with money that I was just going over a very limited budget about how much I have to spend this year. It's quite depressing. I will have to be very creative this year, because I am strapped. My DD is 10 so she is really the only one I really don't want to disappoint. Darn it if she hasn't already asked for that American Girl doll, it's the only thing really has her heart set on...it's 89 dollars and the clothes are extra!! *I'm sweating*
Zen- It's too hard to tell you what to spend. Your SO's personal tastes and your budget come into play. But I agree with the consensus here...thoughtful gifts are what we love. Price does not matter. When my guy picks something that is meaningful to me, I am touched. It means he cares to know me and what I love, he's paying attention and going out of his way, instead of picking up just anything.
BTW I love that White Elephant game. It's sooo fun! We do this every year with the doctors we work for. We get the wine flowing and you would not believe some of the crazy insane things doctors can come up with, put in a box and wrap up. You would never guess that behind those while lab coats and specs they have raging ridiculous senses of humor! LOL...gotta love office parties.
Hey Moon, thanks!
I've been reading the response trail for your family's "draw a name" process of gifting. While my family doesn't do that, I do know of other families who do- especially BIG families, where buying a gift for each person would require taking out an equity loan!!! So they limit the spending burden of the holidays by saying that the little kids get gifts, but the adults... they do the name draw. And for them (and you), it works for the whole family.
For our family (mine)- we just don't do official Christmas gifts. If we find something that someone might like, we might get it- and give it to them WHENEVER. Or we might hang onto it and then say it's "for Christmas" (or "for birthday"). But if we don't give anything, it is simply not a bid deal. We know that being family isn't about the GIFTS. It's about spending time doing things together, or spending time just connecting by keeping communication and caring lines open.
For my ex's family (the in-laws and extended group)- we all agreed about 3-4 yrs ago, that we won't bother with having to gift every adult. But if someone wants to, and finds something that is fitting... it's not frowned upon as "breaking the rule". It's just not going to be something that is EXPECTED and not something where you might get a "junky" gift just because someone felt obligated to buy a gift. So far, it's worked well... and no one is getting feelings hurt, no one is finding their house filling up with unnecessary or unwanted items that are "not them", and no one is having to overspend in any way.
But for the kids... it's still cool to buy gifts for the kids. Because sometimes Christmas is "for the kids" anyway. But it's gotten to where there are
~shrimpy
"A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse." ~Stephen Dolley Jr.
~<
"I agree, its not about the money. But to a certain extent it always is. If you know a SO can afford a certain level, and they spend very little, it always
~shrimpy
"A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse." ~Stephen Dolley Jr.
~<
I would like the weekend getaway or concert for sure!! What is a white elephant gift?
The only comment I have about the name draw debate is that in exh's family - they did this - and for me it was disastrous. It seems that his sisters always chose my name and bought me really cheap crummy gifts because they didn't like me whereas I would go out of my way to buy someone in his family a nice gift. I think we would have been better off not to do that at all. I like the idea of just buying for the kids in a large family.
I wonder how many of you out there have to buy for an entire sibling's family - as I do for my sister, her 2 kids and her husband. They only have to buy for me and DS and yet they have a lot more money - it is just one of those things that is a strain for the holidays so I try not to think about it.
Right now I am happy about this Xmas - I have bought a lot of nice things for DS and some for me and am very happy about that. It is so simple this way!
Zen will have to keep all of us posted as to what he chooses - I bet if he goes around the mall he will think of something. There is stuff galore in the stores now.
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