How many gifts do you usually get your children, family....

[hsmom]

or whom ever? Do you usually have a set amount of gifts for each person? Or are you a go all out it is Christmas kind of person?

 

I tend to be the go all out, kind of person. Like this year each child is getting 5 outfits each, shoes, games, toys, and whatever else catches my eye. Now for nieces and nephews they get one nice toy/item each. Same for grandparents (our parents), my sisters, and his siblings.

 

So, what do you tend to do?

[newbie]

I have a budget for everyone, but I think I broke it on the kids and us. Oops.

[RebeccaS]

I despise clutter and so my kids will each be getting one toy, one book, a dvd and a frivolous shirt. My inlaws get them plenty of junk...er stuff.

[dhudson]

We are an all out Christmas Family however we limit gifts to 3 each (cause that's how many Jesus got) and have a budget for each child. For the first years we got our kids so many presents that they didn't enjoy what they got and had a "what else" attitude. We have started going on a family missions trip every other year during Thanksgiving and those years the budget is much smaller. This is one of those years but we usually enjoy these years better because we've all seen what others have and are grateful for what we have.

[PrairieAir]

I have a budget for each person that I try to stay within. The kids usually get one big gift each. I try to stay within $100-$150 for each kid. If I can do less, that's great, but it's not as easy as when they were all little. When they were little it was more like $50-$75. Parents is $40-$60, siblings $25-$30, and then $15-$20 for grandparents and the big family gift exchange. Dh and I usually do not get each other anything except maybe a stocking stuffer or two.

[CookieMonster]

We set aside a certain amount each month of the year to save for Christmas shopping. I use this money to buy Christmas presents for everyone - kids, grandparents, nephews, etc. I list out the names of all the people I'm buying for and divy up the Christmas Fund between them. The amounts are guidelines for each person, but if I "overspend" for one person I know I have to "underspend" for another.

 

If I did not have a budget to stick to, I would easily spend $2K a year on presents before I even realized it - and then go on spending more. It's just too easy to do. But spending several thousand dollars every single year is ridiculous for us. We don't make that kind of money. I totally get where you're coming from though, my parents did this sort of thing and I think it's a big part of why they were always in debt. My grandmother also was this way - no matter how large her medical bills were. But, perhaps you are more able to afford doing things this way.

 

If I bought each of my children as much as you are buying for each of your children, I would have next to nothing left for the extended family - and possibly none for my husband and I to spend on each other.

Edited December 7, 2008 by CookieMonster

[Jean in Newcastle]

We've never had a lot of money for gifts and this year is even tighter. The children get one gift from us and one gift from their sibling. They get some other gifts from extended family and friends. My dh gets one gift from me and one from our children. I get one gift from dh and one from our children. Our budget has always been around $200 for our entire family. I'm hoping to have it even less this year. I give small gifts to our extended family - one per family.

[Elisabeth in IL]

We get 3 gifts for each child. Why? Because Jesus received three gifts on his birthday from the wisemen. When they were younger and their gifts less expensive, we would bundle them in a box. This has been an effective way for us to keep our spending under control and keep our children's expectations at a reasonable level.

[TraceyS/FL]

We are going with the - "something they want, something they need, something to read" way of thinking again.

 

Their "needs" are clothes - and that is actually more than one thing. But it's stuff that i'd buy anyway (jeans) - they just get fancier ones when they get them for Christmas.

 

I have a budget - sorta - and the kids get shopped for first. Then everyone else... DD and I are making most of the extended family gifts. For my parents i'm going to bake some stuff to freeze too.

 

But if my MIL can tell my kids that their present is HER coming to visit, well then my present to HER is to not tell her to leave my driveway with her RV :D

 

Oh and the kids group buy with about $25 - A & B buy for M, B & M for A, A & M for B. I try to strongly suggest things for that excursion - and learned the hard way a few years ago to NOT send DH and the oldest.

 

DH actually asked for socks & underwear today :lol:

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

For the first years we got our kids so many presents that they didn't enjoy what they got and had a "what else" attitude.

 

Same here, and it is just sad. When you have to coerce your kids to stop playing with something that they just received and loved to open up the many other packages that are waiting, something is lost. Appreciation? Humility?

 

We now do one big gift and several stocking stuffers from Santa. Then the kids get one big gift and a classic/heirloom quality book from us. The grandparents luckily buy from the kids' wish lists so even though they give too much, at least it is stuff that is welcome. (I'm a big fan of shared toys also. One Christmas the kids got a big play kitchen from Santa and then they each got a medium present and their small stocking stuffers.)

 

In order to encourage appreciation and humility and because we're incredibly blessed to be in a position that we can afford to buy our kids more than we actually do, we now adopt a family from the Salvation Army Christmas Tree program every year. Every year we find a family identical to ours (boy/girl/boy, same ages) and I ask the kids to think about what their favorite toys are and what they would like to buy for the family. It is very important to me that my kids see that we outfit the family with the same quality and number of gifts that my kids get, from big gifts down to stocking stuffers and, of course, books (usually an anthology of classic stories, poetry, etc.). They get so excited when we drop off the gifts and that, to me, is so much more precious than the excess we were experiencing in our own home on Christmas morning prior to this change.

 

I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with going all out at Christmas, especially if you're one who doesn't buy a new toy for your child every time you go to the store...although we don't do that either. Toys are received on birthdays and Christmas. (I won't comment on how often books are received...) I wouldn't say that kids are destined to be greedy if they receive a lot of toys at Christmas. I just know that I wasn't happy with having to drag the attention of a perfectly happy child away from a toy he loved and was 100% happy with to open up 15 more that were waiting.

 

Kristina

[Prairie~Phlox]

Between my three, they will be getting a t-shirt each, Fusion Frenzy 2, Viva Pinata Party & Narnia's Prince Caspian, several books that I got free from ordering Scholastic for our co-op and a Webkinz. They will also have a few odds and ends in their stockings. Everything that I've bought, I've gotten on sale, with coupons, etc. We just don't have the extra money to go all out. This is the choice that we've made. Our family gift will probably be a new receiver for our entertainment center.

 

Dh is getting a shirt with his business log on it and I'm not sure what else. Everyone else will be getting gift baskets this year.

 

Phlox

[Blessedfamily]

But if my MIL can tell my kids that their present is HER coming to visit, well then my present to HER is to not tell her to leave my driveway with her RV :D

 

 

:lol:

[Jami]

We give each child 2 or 3 gifts each. Usually one large gift and then something smaller that goes with it, jammies, a book...that sort of thing.

 

For our extended family we give a gift to each of dh's family (parents, 3 sisters, one BIL), usually less than 20$ each. And for my family we've drawn names amongst adults in the past, and then just given cousins gifts from the kids. This year I have a framed family picture for my parents, still thinking for my brother and his wife, and a few family gifts (game and DVDs) for my sister's kids. That's about it. It feels pretty manageable. :001_smile:

 

ETA: This year we're letting the kids pick out stocking-sized gifts for one another. So each child will get two small gifts from his/her siblings. They're having a lot of fun shopping for each other.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Jami

[PariSarah]

We usually spend up to $20 a person for immediate family (the kids, my nephew, and our parents and siblings), and up to $10 for extended family (cousins, friends, grandparents, aunts and uncles) and friends. Dh and I often spend a little extra on each other, just because this is one of three times a year we spend money on each other.

 

The grandparents are definitely all-out kind of people, although this year my mom very sweetly told me that she was going to do less (only three or four gifts per person :D), and that one of our presents was going to be a donation in our honor to Heifer International.

 

Who knows what we'll do when we're at full employment :), but I think our general preference would be to keep things simple. If I were going to go all-out, I think I'd rather do it at birthdays or graduation or some such.

[Blessedfamily]

We have a cash only Chistmas policy, and I buy throughout the year. I don't set a budget. They always get more than I planned, but I don't feel bad about the $ because I've shopped wisely.

 

I only have two, but I still like to keep things a little under control so that they don't get the wrong priorities. It's just that, like someone mentioned, you have to pull them away from one toy to open the rest of the pile. My dd is very appreciative, and I'd like to keep her that way.

 

ETA- Also, I don't care for it when my mother goes overboard with them, but I don't like to spoil anyone's holiday.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Blessedfamily

[Dayle in Guatemala]

Ours is cash only. NEVER do we go into debt for gifts.

 

We buy each dc 3 things. This year it's books, a movie, and a magazine subscription. We don't buy for anyone else, we just can't afford that. Our dc get one gift each from their grandparents and my brothers each give the kids something as well. I buy all of that since they send us the money and we get what they need. It works well and it stays simple.

[Jenny in Florida]

However, my husband is definitely the all-out, anything goes type. So, we "compromise," with him getting his way just a bit more.

 

The bone he throws to me is that most of what the kids get is stuff we would eventually buy for them, anyway. And that is mostly true, I suppose.

 

Anyway, this year, our daughter (14) is getting: a karaoke machine and CDs to go with it; an iPod Nano; a bunch of snarky t-shirts; several soundtrack CDs featuring her current favorite Broadway performer; a few books; personalized PJs; and a Snapfish photo book documenting her theatrical experiences.

 

Our son (10) is getting: a sewing machine and accessories; a large-scale building set my husband created; a LOT of books; some DVD movies; a board game; his own personalized PJs; and his own Snapfish photo book of his performing experiences.

 

I also make each of them an ornament for the tree, but they get those on the night we decorate. So, I put them in a different category. And stocking stuffers, of course. I think my son is getting food/cooking gadgets, but we're still brainstorming for our daughter.

 

We don't really exchange gifts with anyone else. I have no family to speak of, and my husband's family never does much. My father-in-law died last summer, too, and he was the only one who made any effort. I usually send some baked goods and photos of the kids and sometimes a craft or two that they've made to my brothers-in-law. But that's about it.

 

Edit: I should say, too, that we can afford to do what we do. We use credit only very rarely and never for this sort of thing. And, while our kids certainly have more stuff than many people, we don't even begin to compete with most of the folks we know. So, I guess it's not terrible to indulge them (and my husband) once a year.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Jenny in Florida

[myfunnybunch]

We buy three gifts for each child: Something from his or her wish list, something we've chosen for him or her (these are the most fun to buy and often the favorite or longest-lasting gifts because we choose these very carefully), and a smallish gift from Santa.

 

Santa also leaves a gift basket on the hearth with books, a family movie, a family game and sometimes a toy or craft item for all to share.

 

We don't have a set budget, nor do we try to make the dollar amount come out even. We do try to choose carefully and thoughtfully, and I have a rough estimate in my head. All told, book basket, stockings and all, I think we spend around $100 per child.

 

Cat

[LisaKinVA]

We have a list of present categories for our children. I am buying throughout the year, so that makes it easier budget wise. We also get gifts for the grandparents, and family gifts for aunts/uncles/nieces & nephews... we have way too many nieces and nephews to buy something for. I expect we will probably begin crafting some presents, though, as my children have gotten old enough to do some things like that.

 

The categories we use are:

 

Book

Game/Video

Wish List Item

Outfit

Crafty stuff.

 

The grandparents usually get them a book, game and outfit. My parents send money, with which we use to get them something from their wish list.

 

I used to buy jammies for them every year, but Nana has been deciding to do that -- so I dropped that from our list (my children Don't need that many jammies!!!)

 

Stocking stuffers are mostly things we'd buy for them anyway (toothbrush, paste, shampoo, cereal, a few pieces of candy, apple, pencils, crayons, and right now, some $1 junk) -- the $1 junk will probably begin dissappearing next year for the oldest two though, and be replaced by things like batteries, a calendar, stationary, etc.

[Desert Rat]

We have a budget per child and try to keep it even in terms of amount of gifts. Of course it's getting harder now with my ds8 wanting more expensive things than his 5yo brother. We always have a cash Christmas and like to give the kids lots. They are good kids and aren't greedy or snotty about what they receive and as long as their attitude is good they will receive. My dh and I don't exchange gifts (we count the new fridge as our "gift" for each other this year) but the kids got their dad a fishing book, a few lures for his stocking, and a movie.

Other family member are usually $25 a person or couple.

[tinkgumby]

I'm not necessarily proud of it, but I'm in the "It's Christmas, go all out" camp. I don't plan a budget, but I do keep track of what I HAVE gotten/spent on an Excel spreadsheet (because otherwise I'd lose track). I love Christmas, but I wish I could pull back a little from the "spend spend spend" mentality. I do love giving gifts, though!!!

[muffinmom]

We are an all out Christmas Family however we limit gifts to 3 each (cause that's how many Jesus got) and have a budget for each child. For the first years we got our kids so many presents that they didn't enjoy what they got and had a "what else" attitude. We have started going on a family missions trip every other year during Thanksgiving and those years the budget is much smaller. This is one of those years but we usually enjoy these years better because we've all seen what others have and are grateful for what we have.

 

We do 3 each also for the same reaseon. Makes me have to choose the best ideas. Plus we add a book and little stuff in the stockings.

 

For the rest of the family, just one gift for each person we buy for.

[Melissa B]

One gift each for all children, our parents, grandparents, and 2 younger siblings (but none of our siblings close in age to ourselves.) Our children choose their gift from us.

Christmas cards are given to everyone else.

We also buy a few small stocking stuffers for our own children. (They don't get to pick those, but can offer suggestions. :))

[cin]

Dh is an all out Christmas guy, and is wrapped around his little princess's finger. Gifts is my love language, so my kids get too much stuff. ALthough I do try to get stuff they want, and they need. And toys that are worthwhile.

 

DD7 is getting a big dollhouse, a balance board (she canNOT walk and chew gum at the same time!) A dress up dress (I found a bridesmaid dress in her favorite color on ebay for less then $10, including shipping) and a couple of brain-type games, and a rock tumbler. DD4 is getting a new kitchen (Not the retro pink!) A cute pots 'n pans set that matches my creuset, and a pizza food set. A dress up dress, Diego outfit, bilibo, and a few miscellaneous items. Oh, and she's asking Santa, for orange sleeping bags for her 9 stuffed animals she sleeps with every night. Yeah, I'm excited about that one! Fleece and a serger baby!

 

Oh, to show that we DO have some sense. She wants this new cupcake maker that is $39...DH and I both have said she's getting a cake mix, cupcake cups and a spatula. To make WITH me. (I need to be with her if she makes them with that machine, anyway!).

 

I got a new laptop. DH is getting a knight in shining armor statue, if I can find one.

[Pretty in Pink]

Our boys each get one purchased gift from us. This year the oldest two are getting a joint gift because it was so expensive (a Wii w/ games and accessories). We enjoy gifting handmade and do not limit the number of handmade gifts that are given.

 

We do not spend a specific amount per child.

 

The children make gifts for one another. They usually save up a little bit of cash to shop for one another as well.

[Jeanne in MN]

$40 for each of our kids, $15 for nieces/nephews whose names we've drawn, $30 for grandparents, usually nothing for each other.

[hsmom]

I guess I should have stated that we don't even own a credit card, so credit is out of the question. Now if it is not in the account my debit does not work, so then I am out of money...that said I am amazed at the thought out and budgeted most of you are. That is so awesome. My dh would love it if I was like that. He would jump for joy if I only bought 3 presents per child, well he would be happy if I bought less than 15. I love giving! So, this time of year I am a maniac about shopping, making stuff, wrapping, you know the whole works.

[TraceyS/FL]

We buy three gifts for each child: Something from his or her wish list, something we've chosen for him or her (these are the most fun to buy and often the favorite or longest-lasting gifts because we choose these very carefully), and a smallish gift from Santa.

 

Santa also leaves a gift basket on the hearth with books, a family movie, a family game and sometimes a toy or craft item for all to share.

 

We don't have a set budget, nor do we try to make the dollar amount come out even. We do try to choose carefully and thoughtfully, and I have a rough estimate in my head. All told, book basket, stockings and all, I think we spend around $100 per child.

 

Cat

I love this idea/way of doing it!!! I'm going to try to copy it.... thanks for sharing!!

[Murphy101]

one santa gift per child

2 other gifts from us

 

figure even jesus only got 3 so that's enough for our children too;)

 

this year we broke the rule and they are also getting a small fourth gift

 

stockings are usually a few candies, and 1 or 2 little gifts like a hotwheel car, small action figure, lipgloss, simple earrings... The stockings are only about 6 inches long, so they won't hold anything much or big.

 

 

ETA: dh and I rarely buy for each other, maybe 3 times over the 18 years we've known each other.

Not much family to buy for other than his parents. On an extravagant year we'll spend $50 on them combined for either one gift each or one shared gift, but many years we don't buy for them at all and are fine if they don't buy for us. Actually, I'd often prefer they not buy for us.

I have a few god-children that I try to get one little something for them and their siblings (b/c it'd just feel bad to buy for only my god children and not their siblings that aren't my god children). I know their parents wouldn't care or even notice probably if we didn't, but I enjoy doing it when I can.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Martha

[Perry]

A few years ago, after a particularly profligate Christmas, I got disgusted with the overindulgence and wastefulness. Ever since, we've done one large family present (last year it was a foosball table) and 3 presents for each child. Usually one of those presents is something substantial (ipod, phone, etc.) and the other 2 are smaller- books, clothing, or a game. They each get plenty of stocking stuffers too. It still feels like too much at times. The grandparents and an uncle still get the kids several gifts each, so they have plenty of things to open on Christmas morning.

 

I give mil a gift card to a clothing store she likes, and dh gives his dad some sort of tool. Otherwise, we don't buy for any extended family.

 

I'm not a big gift giver, and don't especially enjoy receiving gifts. I already have everything I want and need, and anything else is just clutter. My dad and his wife feel the same way- they are very well off and if they don't already have it, it's because they don't want it. I used to feel bad when they said they didn't want gifts, but now that I am in that position I finally understand. More stuff is just a burden to me at this point.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Perry

[dragons in the flower bed]

We don't exchange gifts amongst our tribe. I'm lucky to be part of a small local community that is bothered by the materialism of the winter holidays. So, I only get gifts for my kids and those three people in my extended family who would not understand our philosophical stance and would be hurt if I neglected to send them anything.

 

My kids get one gift under the tree on Solstice morning, little gifts in their socks that morning too (mostly candy to share, Play Doh), and one gift each night of Hanukkah. That's about ten things altogether per kid.

 

It's not out of control pleasure shopping, either. They get pajamas, clothes, books, craft and science stuff I'll later record as part of this year's homeschooling, and only a few toys.

 

We're not misers, though. We are always careful to get Godiva gelt.

Edited December 7, 2008 by dragons in the flower bed

[Guest janainaz]

We only have two kids and we pretty much focus on them at Christmas. We don't buy for adults in our extended family - only their kids. My husband and I don't buy stuff for each other. My kids do get a lot, but I am very careful in what I buy and make sure it's stuff they will actually play with. I buy stuff that we can do together.

[lynn]

It changes year to year. No dollar amount or # of gifts. This year the older 2 are getting wallet, $50cash, a book and one will get a book light and the other clock radio. My 8 year old hess truck, uno attack game, nerf target thing, lego thing. rocketand a hot wheels track and baby girl will get baby alive, sleeping beauty purse set with "makeup, glasses etc, Hello Kitty painting thing, puzzle, drs kit, playdough and maybe some "princess jewelry if I can find a set.

Edited December 7, 2008 by lynn