Christmas - OK...don't throw things! ;)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Christmas - OK...don't throw things! ;)
11
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 5:28pm

Since it's Back to School time in my little world (I know in some of yours too) and I have a *gasp* Middle Schooler this year, my brain started to think of how things might be handled differently there and Christmas came to mind.


Anyway, that made me think of everyone here and how a lot of us are guilty of "EGADS, It's the holiday season and we have 50,000 people to buy for with no money" ;)

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Registered: 01-06-2005
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 5:34pm

Becky, the only thing I have done so far is to purchase some $1.00 DVDs - really awful-looking movies (Christmas related) that I can use for our "White Elephant" gift exchange. :)

Also, DH and I put some new wedding rings on layaway in April for our 1 year wedding anniversary, but we have a long way to go before they will be paid off. Well, our GOAL is to pay them off before Christmas. So they will double as an anniversary gift to each other AND a Christmas gift to each other! :)

Not sure about anything else just yet!!! YIKES!
Jennifer

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 5:41pm

I have actually started shopping. This is my sons first Christmas so I know we will spoil him like crazy. I have walked into a couple of deals. I have him 4 gifts already, and one on the way.

We also have to buy for 5 other kids. Every year I try and cut back on what we get them. Sometimes I think they forget that we (were) only a family of 2 (now 3) and that we buy for a family of 4 and a family of 5. I was in walmart a few days ago and they had this neat bath paint set for $4.50, coloring books $1 (really thick books), and Target had crayons for 9 cents a box. A little something else and they are done!

I have also started thinking about what I want to buy for other people. I am going back to England in Nov so i will do some shopping then.

I unfortantely don't set monet aside eash month, I just buy when I can regardless of how early it may seem.

Nicola

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Avatar for mommyof2grlz2boys
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Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 7:47pm

Hello

I have a dd who will be off to midlle school too this year :) I havent started actually shopping but I must be thinking about since I was at the store today and saw some gift sets I thought wow that wouyld be good for christmas :) it I think I will probably pick up a few things soon so Im not so overwhelmed in dec.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 08-14-2005 - 11:33am

I set aside $25 each month for Christmas and then supplement that with my Dec. 1 paycheck. I just returned from a short vacation trip and did some early shopping at Mall of America. I also have plans for what I'm getting DS so I need to keep an eye out for sales.

Taleyna

Avatar for sohappilyme
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 08-14-2005 - 3:45pm

Actually, I posted this idea a few weeks ago, but I'll share it again since you asked!

Sarah
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Registered: 09-20-2004
Mon, 08-15-2005 - 9:15am
Must we think about Christmas already? OK, it is very, very true for me that for the past several years running, everything around here goes haywire financially from October through mid-January. It is not all Christmas related...last year, we moved in October and bought a new washer and dryer. The year before, I spent ALOT on Christmas for my brothers and parents, because I knew it might be the last one they would have together and there literally would have been nothing under the tree, and then bought plane tickets in January so that I could go see them all. Etcetera..my point is that while all of these things happen, it is very easy for me to tack on another $1000 in unnecessary EMOTIONAL spending. This year, I am just going to assume that my bad month was July, and that's that.
I figure we can keep it under $600, and i will start saving hopefully when I pay off my hospital bills. I don't buy for everybody anymore...if I buy for brothers and sisters, I will limit it to $15 each (we have seven siblings between me and dh.) Usually, though, we all just agree to buy for the kids of the family. I try to get my Dad here for a few weeks over Christmas...he has dementia, spending money on him is not important, spending time with him IS..I will probably just frame a picture of my girls for him. We do get presents for our niece and nephew, averaging $30 or so, if I start looking around, I could probably get off much cheaper.
I know this is sad, but the holidays are extremely difficult for me....last year I was such a mess that I almost sought professional help..it was the first Christmas without my Mom, my daughter was having problems, I just couldn't handle things. Anyhow, I figure the best I can hope for is that I don't start thinking about Christmas too soon, and that when I go into the stores I have a plan so I don't just aimlessly throw things in the cart. Saving would be nice, too.
So anyway, i am just going to bank on July being my awful month, and I got through it!!!
(Sorry for rambling....sheesh!!) Heather
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-16-2005 - 9:13am

I shop all year - just picking up stuff when I see it.

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Registered: 12-05-2004
Tue, 08-23-2005 - 10:57pm
My husband and I have been picking up discounted items here and there. For example, my MIL loves anything having to do with the Civil War. We visited a Civil War gift shop near our home and found they had brand new (but discontinued) items for as low as .50 cents and $1.00 each. Things like pewter busts of Generals, Shadow box pictures of Civil War scenes...just beautiful items for next to nothing. My parents love nautical themed gifts, so I am doing a nautical cross-stitch for them. It will probably take me from now until Christmas to finish it, but it only cost me $9.99 for the entire project, including floss/thread. So we're trying to save money by doing things like this. :-D
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Wed, 08-24-2005 - 1:31am
Hey, Becky---Christmas Club--Signed up a few yrs ago, had amount debited to it. Had tidy $800 by yr end. Saved time. Didnt do it this yr. We have gift exchange and limit it at work and with family, just to little ones nieces and nephews, and/or go together for one family (gift card, etc). Have been doing the gift card thing for awhile. Much easier for us. Have a single mom GF who works two jobs so that her kids can have a nice Christmas. She got all of the shopping done in July. Do you limit what you buy your DH/kids each yr? WE stopped the gift-giving thing to extended family/nieces, etc, as it just got too unwieldy, expensive, etc. I think this yr I am going to gift card to restaurants. WHiz.
Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 08-24-2005 - 10:12am

Ours is really limited.

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