Starting to think about Christmas

[wincrasher]

I know it's early.

Do any of you budget for Christmas? Do you buy things all year (at a discount, of course) and sock them away.

I generally shop after Thanksgiving because I don't really have a clue what people want, so working on it as the time draws near, I think I have a better shot at getting things that will make people happy.

This year, though, I have more ideas and am thinking about starting early and putting things away. One idea I have is that I know my sister would really love a memory foam mattress. So I'm looking for a sale on that. My brother needs a new laptop and has hinted around. So I was waiting on Windows 7 to come out and am shopping for a deal.

[Like2Plan]

We save starting in Jan each year. Most of the folks on our shopping list are out of state, so we send a lot of gift cards. For my young nieces and nephews, we make a contrbution to their college savings plan (I know-boring. ) .

Last year, we tried something a little different--we made a couple of trips up to New England in Nov to deliver gifts for Christmas. The weather was still relatively nice and we bought the gifts on site (we were flying, so it was easier).
This year we have similar plans.

[skydivingchic]

I have a sinking fund for gifts. This covers birthdays, Christmas, and other miscellaneous gifts throughout the year. This envelope gets funded every month with 1/12 of my yearly total gift budget. So yes, I do save for Christmas gifts well before the event.

I haven't started my shopping this year, but have been starting to think about it. We live half a country away from our families, so many gifts are physically small so they can easily be carried onto a plane or we order stuff online and have it delivered to our parents' houses. They know not to open any boxes which come addressed to us.

[disneysteve]

A mattress and a laptop. Wow. You do some major high end gift giving. Can I be on your list?

Gifts come out of current income for us. It isn't something we need to specifically save for as we don't spend that much. For Chanukah, we only give gifts to our daughter, our moms, my one cousin and our niece. I also give gifts to the women at my office and my wife gives to her coworkers. That's about it.

[cschin4]

I drastically cut down my Christmas shopping because it just didn't make much sense to continue to buy gifts for people that they don't need or want or vice versa. My sis and I decided to stop as all we did was send each other store gift certificates. And, I just quit buying for other relatives and started to just send cards. Somebody has to stop the chain somewhere and we decided too. I think everyone is relieved and instead we focus on enjoying the Christmas season, baking cookies, helping at church, making an ornament, etc rather than the gift aspect.
Also my kids are getting older and now they understand it is better to just get a few things of what you really want versus a bunch of presents they won't use or enjoy anyway. So, now it is mostly electronics, video games, etc.
I buy a small gift for my mom, spouse and my spouse likes to get some small gifts for his brother, sis and mom. We give our nieces money and that's it.

[wincrasher]

Well, I go thru the same phases every year.

Gonna cut back because it's getting ridiculous. One year, we all agreed that only would do gifts for the kids only. Everyone cheated! But I always end up going overboard because I enjoy it so much. I do draw the line at family and close friends. Don't do the folks at work, etc.

This year my budget is $500 per family member, $300 per friend. I deviate a little on a case, by case basis. I certainly don't expect reciprocation at that level. Most years I might get 1 gift that's around $100. I generally tell people not to get me anything and to spend their money on their own families, but I guess it's awkward not to give anything if you get a gift.

This year I think I'll be giving my sister some money secretly so they can have a nice Christmas for their kids. Her husband hasn't worked much this year due to the housing slump, so it's probably pretty tight for them.

[cschin4]

This year my budget is $500 per family member, $300 per friend.

Wow. That is pretty generous.

[disneysteve]

This year my budget is $500 per family member, $300 per friend.

Our budget is a lot smaller which is why we don't need to do any special planning. Most gifts are around $25. We'll spend more on our daughter, a couple hundred usually and I'll give more to my staff, but that's it. Our moms, my cousin and our niece are in the $25 range typically. My wife's coworkers are in the $10 range.

[wincrasher]

You should set a budget that you are comfortable with, without regard to what other people in your circle are doing.

I often buy items in the $25-$50 range and give them without really a reason. I'll see something in a shop, or online, and think that a particular person would really like this, or could really use it, so I buy it and just spring it on them.

Yesterday I bought a oil-free turkey fryer for $139 on Amazon and sent it to my sister. Just for the hell of it, with the hopes that she'll fry me a turkey on Thanksgiving.

What good is having money if you don't enjoy it? It's just numbers on paper otherwise.

[buildmybudget]

So you're going to give your sister a $3k memory foam mattress in addition to a $139 turkey fryer? I must say, that is very generous. Being one of ten kids and part of a large extended family, both of those gifts would be difficult to fit into the budget.

[wincrasher]

No. You can get a nice memory foam mattress at Costco for $500 in a queen size. I have the $700 king in my own place. It's heavenly, to say the least.

[snafu]

Our family tradition requires we make gifts as it was decided many years ago...'any fool can go buy stuff you don't need, don't use or don't want.' Several years ago a 'draw' was instigated for adults but kids who are young enough to believe in Santa get fun stuff.

This year is a challenge for us as we are half the world away. We have made arrangements for gift cards and will bring/ship stuff when we return. It's like Xmas in July without the dinner!

We certainly don't spend the kind of $$$ many of you spend. I think the biggest sum we ever spent on an individual gift was $100. we each kicked in to send grandparents to 'old country' for a family reunion.

The maufacturers in China will be thrilled to discover Americans are spendy again.

[MTLaura]

Now I Can

Up until Aug 2008, we lived on my husband's Social Security Disability and whatever odd jobs I could find in a town of 350 people. What I did to change our finances was not what I intended but got anyway. I wrote to Worker's Comp to ask why I was paid to care for him while in outpatient rehab when he suffered his Traumatic Brain Injuries (2 accidents 40 hrs apart in 96). I also wondered if there was ever a time they would pay someone to watch him so I could get more full time work.

Next thing I know, I was told that if his neuro doc felt he needed the caregiving, I would be paid. He does pretty much need full time care. When I have to go to my own doctor appts at the VA, I hire someone and pay them to care for him. Going from about $1100 to what I make now is just amazing! Of course, we also incurred some expenses as we moved from s.e. Montana to south-central Idaho and bought a house along with my pickup. What I make now is far more than I have ever made in my life! Last year, I went nuts buying for all the grandkids and his daughters and my kids. There were very few Thank You's from the adult children, so I'm rethinking Christmas this year.

I went shopping at the "After Christmas Sales" last year, so have half of the grandkids stuff already bought. I am also making goat milk soaps in funny molds for them. I think the adult children will also get some handcrafted soaps and I'll see how they respond to that. I was taught to write Thank You notes. An email or phone call would be sufficient. Just cause I can afford whatever I can get for them, doesn't mean I have to. Since it takes 4-6 weeks for soaps to saponify (fancy word for "cook"), I've started making my soaps already. It sure smells nice around here
IDLaura

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

You might do your adult children an actual service to remind them that thank you calls, emails, or letters are still appropriate in this day. If they thanked you in person though, when you gave the gift, I think that would be sufficient.

To answer your questions, wincrasher, I don't normally shop for gifts early. I get tried of hearing, seeing, even reading (on internet) all the holiday hoopla, So I don't want to get into it early.

[lovcom]

Here are my thoughts on Christmas:

1. Don't get sucked into feelings of obligation just because it is Xmas. We're in recession, so act accordingly!

2. Keep it cheap, thoughtful, and sentimental. A good book, DVD, or CD can do that.

3. Love does not equate to the cost of a gift, or the number of gifts, so don't go overboard.

4. If you have to charge the gift, you can't afford it.

5. Don't be a lemming. They're the ones that fight the traffic, the long lines, the parking headaches, the late night shopping....they represent the moral bankrupt, the materialistic, the ones that spend big for one day, and spend the entire coming new year paying for it.

6. The financial health of you and your family must come first! Don't let a holiday impact that prime directive.