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DS is still young enough that this plan of ours shouldn't bother him in the least.
DH and I have decided to slash our Christmas budget this year by buying only items that are CHEAP! Clarification: ebay, half.com, craigslist, freecycle, etc. If we buy something from a store, it has to be something on deep sale, like clearance.
My hope is it not only will save us some $$, but force us to be a little creative in the process. Of course, homemade gifts are thrown into the mix.
Granted, this plan doesn't really apply to extended family members or teachers unless we can do it and get alway with it, but we have a short extended family list this year.
We'll see how this goes....
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That's been our plan every year...
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I am so not ready to be thinking about christmas yet! Our extended family is doing something different this year each person has to buy a gift costing about $150 ( hasn't been determined yet) and we play the gift game, like they played on "The Office" show. I have no idea what I should by. I am so one who does my christmas shopping early because both my kids have there birthdays during the holidays, but this is making it difficult.
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Our plan is to go cheap, too...and always has been!! I shop clearance sales year round..and when my kids are real little, I don't mind buying a like new toy at yard sales, etc. and wrapping it without the box. They don't care, and I have gotten some CUTE stuff like that. I got a Barney dance mat last year that was from SANTA, and I paid next to nothing for it on ebay. It is the only thing she asked for, and I just couldn't see spending the $75 new!!! My kids know they will get a few nice nice things...usually also bought on sale, though, and then the rest is little. They LOVE Christmas, so I must be doing something right! Six kids...four parents....five nephews/nieces...five siblings....and usually a gift here or there for an odd relative (no pun intended!) that comes over during the holidays, and we budget $850 a year...taken out in installments each month! I know that sounds like a ton, but when you divide out the "others" that aren't our kids....it leaves them with under $100 a piece spent.
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I am glad to hear it works for others. Last year, DH and I did away with gifts for each other entirely. Wasn't that big a deal. We usually don't spend a whole lot on Christmas anyway, and I have bought garage sale gifts before, but this is the first time we have decided to stay away from brand new, overpriced items on purpose!
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We are cutting back this year too. I am going to make a lot of the gifts and the stuff for DS is going to be mostly clearance and maybe one bigger item. He is still young and doesn't know. I also figured that the grandparents and aunts get him enough that he will be fine with that. I got a really cheap pattern at walmart for cute purses and I am going to make one for all of the "girls" in my family and personalize it to their style.
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Simon is so little so I'm going to pretty much shop clearance. He also has his 1st birthday two days after Christmas and I am going to splurge a bit and buy him a nice riding toy. Of course, if I find that on sale all the better.
Jason and I decided to only do stockings for each other this year and to get a babysitter one night and go out for a nice romantic dinner and movie.
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We have 4 children, and we have gotten SO fed up with how much crap they have, and do not use, nor appreciate. It is a blessing to cut your shopping down to size early on in their lives, because as they get older they want more and more. This year is going to be very eye-opening for them. I plan to have them volunteer in some fashion so they can know poverty. If I can't get them into volunteering, I don't know what I'll do, but I'm hatching a plan.
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We try to go cheap every year but of course my mom has to top everything that we do and then making a fuss about how we arent spending enough on the kids or that what we got for them isnt nice enough. So, then of course dh and I go out and spend another $100-$200 trying to make up for not spending enough. This year we though we decided -no more- we are getting what we are getting and that is that. Plus, if she doesnt like it she doesnt need to come over for christmas. lol
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My ds (11) has already started asking for stuff. I've told him this year is going to be tight. I'm only going to spend around $120 on each child (dd is 4). I plan on doing ebay, and working a just between friends consignment sale and getting to shop early. Last year they had some pretty cool toys. So, we'll see. I'm also only going to do stocking stuffers from the dollar tree.