How much does xmas cost?

[BCHGRL]

DH and I are paid on a 26 week pay period, but our budget is based on two paydays a month. We get 3 paydays in December, so my extra paycheck becomes our Christmas budget.

My mom has always gone overboard for Christmas. Her gifts are always so thoughtful, but she spends way too much! This year she has agreed to a limit per person. I am very happy about it because we can get each other equitable presents within a reasonable amount. In the past, I would spend excessively to reciprocate her gifts. Otherwise, I'd be giving her a gift 1/8th the value of my gifts.

This is horrible, but for some of my aunts and uncles that I don't care for but have to exchange presents out of tradition, I am going to regift some of my wedding presents.

[rduell]

We spend about $650, but that money is money that has been set aside for that reason. We have 5 kids and spend $75 a piece for all 7 of us. We also buy for 3 other adults in my family and the rest is stocking stuffers for the kids.

[Elgin526]

Our budget is $500 this year, but we don't have kids or a large extended family. I budget a dollar amount per person and spend that, so if I find a good sale then I'll buy more gifts but spend the same amount of money. For example, a few years ago I decided to buy a sweater for each guy in my family, and I budgeted $25 per person. But I found such good sales, I was able to buy two sweaters per person instead of the one per person I had planed on, and I still spent a little less than what I'd budgeted (Penney's had a REALLY good sale on men's sweaters that year!).

[boomeyers]

We spend anywhere from $700-$1000 for us, three kids, and both of our families, siblings and neices/nephews.
Ways I would have a Christmas if I were Jean are to buy at the thrift store, trade in at resale shops and sell things on ebay to buy things off ebay. All things I already do, I guess its too late to start shopping in January! Also, focus on the family, not the gifts.
Ways I would not celebrate is to wring my hands and say its hopeless. I understand living with a financially tight person, but is there a bigger reason he is saying no presents? Is there another spending spree that has upset him? Does he think the kids are already too spoiled? There has to be some reason he is insisting a three year old have no Christmas. Just curious.

[Staceyy]

I plan on spending less than $100 this Christmas. I used to spend $1000. For my grown daughter, I will buy her two Yankee candles and a candle warmer I found for $4.99. I send for internet freebies all year and either use them for stocking stuffers or to make gift baskets. This year I received several tote bags along with my freebies so I will give her a tote bag filled with freebies.(She's a confessed product junkie). I will also bake a pound cake and cookies I will package in decorative tins. I am making her a box of all occasion greeting cards, I purchased a beautiful, new, hand-crocheted afghan on Ebay for $19.99, I'm sending her some photos in a photo album of the family, and my cell phone plan entitles me to a new free cell phone which I will send her.

Other members of my family are sending for internet freebies now also. There are freebies for children, women and men. I send for about 5 per day and have received a large number and some really nice ones as well as some junk. I throw them all in a drawer and use them for Christmas (except the ones I keep). I receive hundreds of dollars worth of freebies each year. L'oreal recently sent me a coupon for the foundation makeup of my choice up to a $13.00 value, I have coffee and tea samples, cosmetics, tote bags, 2 Swiffer dusters, a Schick razor, detergents, tooth pastes, calendars, coupons for free diabetic drinks worth $22.00, 6 tubes of deodorants,etc. etc. My point is, there are so many nice freebies out there that this could contribute greatly to your Christmas gift giving. I do not send for freebies for children as I have no little ones to buy for, but if I had little money, I would send for children's freebies all year long and have a nice little stash come Christmas. These could be used for their main gifts if need be, or as stocking stuffers.

For dh, I plan on using my Marriott points to buy him a gift. Last year, I used my points to buy him a Camcorder.

[Staceyy]

Jean, I just did a quick Google search for "children's freebies" and a large number of sites popped up. I quickly looked at a couple and saw free paper dolls, books, coloring and activity books,trading cards, free t- shirts, stickers, free games on CD Roms, free children's toothbrushes etc. Theres still time to send for these in time for Christmas.Skip the ones that charge shipping and handling or require you to buy something in order to get your free gift or sample. There are a large number that are totally free.

Another idea is to join Freecycle and put the word out that you need toys for your kids for Christmas. I'm sure you'll get a good response. Sometimes people have new toys that were not used for some reason and also gently used toys.

[simpleselu]

A whole lot of ZERO this year. I am not buying, cooking or making a thing.