If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

[Thrifty Ray]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

[Broken Arrow]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

Way to go, Autoxer!

DEATH TO DEBTS!

[PrincessPerky]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

Way to go, Autoxer!

DEATH TO DEBTS!

Ditto!

[lillyb]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I tried doing a Christmas fund thing, but found myself dipping into it too much. So now I'm just to put an amount into the budget closer to Christmas.

Last year we spent maybe $200 total, most of the gifts were homemade, thoughtfull, and meaningful. I found a lot of things at the thrift stores (basket for gift baskets) and a few items at garage sales. Even my husband was baking in the kitchen to help fill the baskets. We didn't go all out like Christmas pasts, where we'd spend into the thousands. Everyone loved the gifts. Our greatest gift was to ourself, we took a huge Christmas bonus and put every cent onto debt, and I gotta say, it felt great!!!

[Ima saver]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I like the ideas of making up stuff like christmas cookies or fudge. I put $30 a week in my christmas envelope and put it in savings once a month. My savings account has several sub accounts, like "new car" "land pymt", christmas, "retirement", medical" spec house" etc.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I always make pumkin bread and several kinds of fudge..sometimes I think those are the best gifts! I know gma likes it better than a niknac!

[tgavin71]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I only have to buy for a few people which is lucky. Unfortunately some of those people are "Joneses" who say things like "hmmm doesn't look like you spent much this year". Thought it was supposed to be the thought that counts.

[tgavin71]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

It Christmas was tommorrow I would have about $2500 cause that is left in my account after all my bills have been paid. Not that I would spend that much on christmas though

[Ima saver]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I will take chocolate homemade fudge over any other gift! (except maybe money!)

[PrincessPerky]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

remind me at christmas Ill send you some

[laceshawl]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

Home made jam is a gift I always give to my neighbors. They love it. I find people prefer edible gifts to "stuff", in fact a number of peoplw have recenrtly told me they're not giving gifts. A lot of my family live overseas, and for many years I recorded a tape with me talking about what had happened in our lives, ds singing a song, etc. For ds, I told him I would double whatever amount of money he saved during the year, then we would go and buy whatever he wanted at the New Year sales.

For groceries, I buy vouchers at a 5% discount from the supermarket during the year, redemmable in December.

[akaivyleaf]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

Not a really big Christmas shopper. I think its become too commercial, so I rarely participate. If I had to give gifts to loved ones today, I could go in my gift closet, and it might be the same answer on Dec 24th.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I happened to be cleaning my closet a bit this past week or so.

I have one stocking stuffer for MIL and mom, and DH, and a toy for DS (might be in stocking, might be his gift)

Plus some leftover toys for a kid under 2 if I have one. Oh and a couple books...agiabn for a kid, 5 and under.

that is it..which is a bit sparse, I think I will have to pester DH next time we are at a store to look in the clearance section, we have been in a hurry to get out the past few visits.

[Ima saver]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

i would much prefer getting food for christmas. Or a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant!

[debtfreeme]

Re: If Christmas were tomorrow, how much would you have??

I would be fine. I have had the same account and put the same amount away each month for the past 6 years or so. I never come close to using the full amount that is in the account for either christmas or birthdays throughout the year. One such plus of having that account.

I only have to buy for my nieces and nephews, my sisters and their husbands (one gift), and my mom. For everyone else we each draw one name, have a dollar limit and that is it.

I have decided that this year i am going to give a gift to myself. I never got to celebrate finishing my grad program and really want to go someplace. I am looking at visiting my sister in Europe for a week or so in the fall. I have a vacation account all set up and ready but might be a couple hundred short. Here comes the gift account money to the rescue!