How will you pay for Christmas this year

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2003
How will you pay for Christmas this year
11
Thu, 11-12-2009 - 1:29pm

Will you be paying cash or will you have to resort to putting things on credit?


Has anyone decided to not celebrate Christmas due to lack of funds?


This article on More Joy for Less Money had some clever ideas for gifts on a budget.

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Thu, 11-12-2009 - 1:52pm
I will proudly pay cash with my Christmas Club money.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Thu, 11-12-2009 - 2:37pm
Christmas will be small again this year for probably the 3rd year in a row. We have a relatively small group of people that we buy gifts for (immediate family only, so about
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2008
Thu, 11-12-2009 - 2:50pm

I adore the holidays and refuse to cut out fun things I love - baking dozens of cookies with my close girlfriend and kids. Going with my husband and kids and picking out a real tree and decorating it and giving my kids the best Christmas I can with what I have.


This year is no exception. I begin planning in August for the holidays.


I gather information and ideas for family members. I buy one gift per paycheck and around this time of year I am well stocked and almost done shopping.


This plan works for me and all my gifts are bought in cash. I refuse to put anything on credit anymore. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2009
Fri, 11-13-2009 - 12:42am
CASH! yep I'm done shopping and I paid cash:) of corse I went super frugal this 2 weeks on food
Photobucket
Avatar for cathiann
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 11-13-2009 - 8:42am
Cash--and the kids will get some gift certificates--paper certificates they can redeem in the next year.
Surviving Middle & High School
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Fri, 11-13-2009 - 9:48am

Cash here too!


I am kind of lucky because my property taxes are taken out 10 months of the year (Jan - October) so I have "free money" November and December. This year it amounts to $800 (if I spend $800 someone shoot me, lol). So this year I've put $200 of that aside into my gift/Christmas account for NEXT year since I know its going to be higher (I have at least one wedding coming up). BF and I try to keep it around $50. My sis split on my mom, dad and grandmas gifts keeping that under control. And this year I have to add my "in-laws" but generally they are just something small. I am hoping I can pull it all off for around $400 and keep the last $200 for anything that pops up (food, decorations etc).


Fingers crossed it all works out!


Bex -


"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift -thats why its called the present."


Bex -

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
Fri, 11-13-2009 - 12:56pm

Cash. And I am cutting back this year on bf and the kids. I don't know how much it cost me last year but it was a lot. I am also stumped on a few gift ideas. Oh well we will see. I have started and it is going well. I'd say I'm about half done.


iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2008
Fri, 11-13-2009 - 2:09pm

Looks like a cash Christmas here too.




iVillage Member
Registered: 07-14-2008
Fri, 11-13-2009 - 8:22pm
cash here, too. I save $25 per week in a Christmas account. Not only is this for gifts, but also for extra groceries, attending parties, new years, extra sitting for the kids. This is my second year doing this, and I love it. I am not stressed out about the extra expenses, and there is no need to consider using credit.
We have cut down, as well. Making home made gifts for many. Kids aren't getting much, as they don't really need or want anything. I don't want to get a bunch of stuff for the sake of buying gifts.





iVillage Member
Registered: 01-30-1999
Sat, 11-14-2009 - 12:30pm

Cash here too but I 'm thinking it's going to be our two smallest kids only(12 and 15).......my stepchildren are adults......we have too many grandchildren to buy for since hubby has been out of work the past few months. Don't know for sure yet though, maybe we'll come up with some $ for the grandchildren.....there's 11 !!!!!!


It's hard to buy for a huge family like we have! But no CREDIT CARDS for sure!!! Just can't do it!


Pages