Christmas or other expensive holidays

[hurricanedrunk]

I typically try to pick up gifts during the year. It makes things much less stressful. I start getting serious late Nov/ Early December. Most of the people we exchange gifts with are adults who can be trickier to buy for.

Our typical X-mas budget for gifts runs in the $500 to $600 range. I try to pair back each year but my H's love language is gifts and each year we have more kids to buy for (not ours but friends kids,god children etc) so it's been a challenge. I pulled YNAB from last year and our overall spending was just shy of $1,000 which includes gifts, tree, other decorations, cards, & food for an event we hosted.

[Deleted]

My list is actually fairly small. DH and I don't exchange, on my side of the family the grandkids/greatgrandkids have a name draw polyanna and the adults do a Secret Santa. H's family is small and we only buy for SIL/BIL/FIL. We have a few other gift exchanges that we participate in seperately, but they have small limits like $25. The bulk of our spending is on the kids, and we spend about $300-$350 each.

We save for Christmas all year. We have a Christmas Club account set up through our Credit Union. Right now I transfer a set amount in manually on a monthly basis. I can't withdraw from the account before October 1st without penalty, so it keeps me honest. I think we usually end up spending about $2k every year, but that also includes our Christmas Tree and other non-gift Holiday items.

I usually start shopping in October picking up things here and there, and then create a spreadsheet so that I don't forget what I bought. Then the fun game is trying to remember where I hide it all LOL

[galaxy8227]

Oct 10, 2019 11:54:21 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

My list is actually fairly small. DH and I don't exchange, on my side of the family the grandkids/greatgrandkids have a name draw polyanna and the adults do a Secret Santa. H's family is small and we only buy for SIL/BIL/FIL. We have a few other gift exchanges that we participate in seperately, but they have small limits like $25. The bulk of our spending is on the kids, and we spend about $300-$350 each.

We save for Christmas all year. We have a Christmas Club account set up through our Credit Union. Right now I transfer a set amount in manually on a monthly basis. I can't withdraw from the account before October 1st without penalty, so it keeps me honest. I think we usually end up spending about $2k every year, but that also includes our Christmas Tree and other non-gift Holiday items.

I usually start shopping in October picking up things here and there, and then create a spreadsheet so that I don't forget what I bought. Then the fun game is trying to remember where I hide it all LOL

We do the same.  It's taken from my check weekly to my credit union and I get the check cut sometime in November.  It's for $1600-that covers everything for the holiday, DD's birthday (Dec 31st), and any Black Friday shopping I do for the house.  

I do also try to buy or make a gift a week starting in October so I'm not overwhelmed cause the fall is very hectic for us.  That really seems to help the December rush.  

[illgetthere]

I start shopping in October or early November. It really just depends on if I find a good deal on something I know I'll want to get.

Pre divorce, I spent
$125 parent set (3)
$125-200 each kid (2)
$25 niece/nephews (9)
$50-100 each other
$100 housekeeper


Post divorce
$75-100 parent set (2)
$75-150 each kid (2)
$100 housekeeper

Only 2 nephews are eon my side, and my sister and I decided not to exchange gifts for the kids and out the money towards our own kids

I use Ibotta and get $25-50 on an Amazon gift card plus I redeem any credit card cash back in December. Total outlay is $150ish

Kids get gift cards for a movie theater, arcade, ice cream, etc from me as activity gifts. I have also done concert tickets

Edit: plus $50 worth for toys for tots. I try to find b1g1 type sales and actually spend less than that though

[mbcdefg]

Last year my mom, two siblings (plus SOs), and I all agreed that in lieu of wrapped gifts we’d take turns hosting the whole family out for dinner. I still haven’t hosted yet (I was unemployed all summer, Sis’s SO has a tough work schedule, and my brother is basically estranged nowadays), oops.

I’ve picked up a couple things for extended family already, but they’re small.

I use my Citi Double Cash credit card for daycare payment and save the cash back for the holiday season.

MH and I only did stockings for each other last year and we set a price cap.

Our DD is the only niece/grandchild so my mom, sister, and other family members get her a lot of stuff, so MH and I try not to go overboard buying her things. Last year he made her an armchair from supplies he already had. He also made a doll bed for her Easter gift last year. My sister usually knits her something in addition to storebought things.

When we visit people for the holidays and need a hostess gift, I buy an inexpensive serving platter from a place like TJ Maxx or Marshall’s, and fill it with homemade desserts or I put together an inexpensive cheese platter.