fess up - how much have you spent on Christmas?

[TravelingGal]

Looks like about 600? My immediate family, TGuy''s fam and a couple of little doodads for some of my friend''s kids. I''m throwing a xmas party and will probably spend a few hundred on the seafood alone...so a bit more going out.

Not too bad...still only 3 digits!

 

[butterfly 17]

Date: 12/21/2009 2:48:11 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 12/21/2009 1:44:01 PM

Author: D&T

about $800 for the family (nieces, nephew, FIL, MIL, parents and siblings), then DH and I have separate xmas funds which ended up about $2000 on top of that

so approx $2800

and I hate spending this much on the ILs... as they aren''t terribly grateful

or genuine and really rip on gifts from FIL many times before on how ''cheap'' something is. I need to cut back and think of other ways, Its just obligatory gift giving and its not fun

I might have to opt to do handmade, homemade products by me next year. The ILs insist that everyone gives/gets a present

whatever budget we have, but then its like you don''t really have much of a budget when you have to shop for 23-25 people (includes step MIL and step FIL)... sorry for the mini rant and threadjack

I know what you mean. We used to always buy something for my ILs for their house for Xmas, example- last year the five of them ( my husband and his brother and sisters) bought them a new couch. This is in addition to a new wireless telephone system they asked for. We got them the telephone set first and then my SIL calls and asks us to chip in for a couch they had already ordered and received apparently. So, of course my husband gave her the money but it wasn''t really split fairly as the amount she asked for seemed more than 1/5th of the price, more like 1/4th.

His parents never called us to say thank you for either gift and they didn''t get my kids anything. i wonder if they even knew that we helped pay for the couch since my SIL asked us after the couch was already delivered. For all I know, maybe she miscalculated the cost and realized it was more and then decided to ask us to chip in.

They always seem to complain about whatever we buy, why this brand, why not the other brand, this is too cheap and why did we bother buying it. I think the last straw was when they asked for a microwave one year, so we bought them one. A few months later they call my husband and ask for another one. He asks them why and they say because they gave the one we gave them to my youngest SIL because it wasn''t a good brand and they wanted another one. So, it just so happens we had another microwave in the basement. The dish inside had broken and when we moved, we put it in the basement kitchen. So, my husband told them he would just give them that one. It was a perfectly brand new microwave, but the house we moved into had one built in, so there was no need for two in my main kitchen, otherwise I would just keep using it.
Oh, the complaints my DH got about the dish being broken, why couldn''t we buy them a new one,etc. Why should we? why didn''t his sister just buy herself a brand new microwave and why couldn''t they just stick a dish on the turntable in the one we gave them and call it a day?

This is really the first year that I have bought so little for other family members, though, not necessarily because of a budget, but I am just not in the mood.

 

[zhuzhu]

It is about $800, but that covered about everybody including DH and myself...

 

[D&T]

Date: 12/21/2009 7:03:11 PM
Author: butterfly 17


I know what you mean. We used to always buy something for my ILs for their house for Xmas, example- last year the five of them ( my husband and his brother and sisters) bought them a new couch. This is in addition to a new wireless telephone system they asked for. We got them the telephone set first and then my SIL calls and asks us to chip in for a couch they had already ordered and received apparently. So, of course my husband gave her the money but it wasn''t really split fairly as the amount she asked for seemed more than 1/5th of the price, more like 1/4th.

His parents never called us to say thank you for either gift and they didn''t get my kids anything. i wonder if they even knew that we helped pay for the couch since my SIL asked us after the couch was already delivered. For all I know, maybe she miscalculated the cost and realized it was more and then decided to ask us to chip in.

They always seem to complain about whatever we buy, why this brand, why not the other brand, this is too cheap and why did we bother buying it. I think the last straw was when they asked for a microwave one year, so we bought them one. A few months later they call my husband and ask for another one. He asks them why and they say because they gave the one we gave them to my youngest SIL because it wasn''t a good brand and they wanted another one. So, it just so happens we had another microwave in the basement. The dish inside had broken and when we moved, we put it in the basement kitchen. So, my husband told them he would just give them that one. It was a perfectly brand new microwave, but the house we moved into had one built in, so there was no need for two in my main kitchen, otherwise I would just keep using it.
Oh, the complaints my DH got about the dish being broken, why couldn''t we buy them a new one,etc. Why should we? why didn''t his sister just buy herself a brand new microwave and why couldn''t they just stick a dish on the turntable in the one we gave them and call it a day?

This is really the first year that I have bought so little for other family members, though, not necessarily because of a budget, but I am just not in the mood.

oh no butterfly! you guys are far more generous than we were, and for them to keep coming back to you with no gratitude

and this christmas seems exhausting even though we finished early, I know what you mean not being in the mood.

 

[4ever]

$55.76

No kidding.

I''ve just finnished uni and with no job money is tight. My two siblings are students and don''t have much money for gifts and I''d rather they have the cash when they need it than spend it on me. My sister and I have decided we would not exchange gifts this year. We have also gone 1/2s on a small gift for my brother. My siblings, my BF and I got some great gifts for my mum which were on sale which we all put money in for. BF and I have agreed to be more creative this year and see what we can get for each other with just a $20 limit (and I''m really proud of what I''ve been able to make him with that). My dad requested each of us kids plans an outing with him while he is on holiday (which he insists on paying for) so I have done so and made up a nice certificate with what we are doing on it.

We don''t do gifts for extended rellitives and I do some baking for my freinds (My xmas mince pies and gingerbread people are very popular).

Xmas on a budget demands a lot of time, effort and creativity.

 

[somethingshiny]

I think we''re around $500 for everything including each other and Santa. We did work in my mom''s house instead of giving my parents gifts, I found really great deals for my in-laws and I cut way back on my niece and nephews.

 

[VRBeauty]

I put a set amount per month into a Santa Saver account, and when all is said and done, that's about what will be spent on Christmas -- but that includes gifts for family, friends, and co-workers, and contributions to a few favorite charities. OK, I may exceed it by $100 - 200. Fortunately I'm not in a position to have to monitor my expenditures that closely.

I love my Santa Saver account. I started it years ago when the family was still going hog-wild when it came to gifts. Now that we're being much more reasonable, I use it for things like hosting nice lunch out with my staff, buying gifts for the giving tree and food drives, etc... all without having to worry about a bill-paying hangover in January.

 

[that_someone_special]

About $2k.

Half was from black friday. And at least half of that was for me

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 12/21/2009 3:18:36 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
We spent about 750 on gifts and also getting the guest bedroom and bathroom ready for the ils

HOLD UP!

You mean to tell us you spent $750 on Christmas when your car, the car your DH needs to make a living, is broken down? And then you post a "woe is me" thread about how you need dust because all of your money (including food money) is going towards the car and you''re going to have to take the bus to work? Do you see what''s wrong with this situation? Bring the stinking gifts back to the store and use the money for the car!

 

[Dandi]

Gifts for my immediate family and DH totalled about $1200. I'd add maybe $200 for food and decorations as it's our first year hosting Christmas for the family. Eeeek!

Oh the pressure.

Just so long as there's cupcakes everyone says they'll be happy.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 12/22/2009 7:15:43 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 12/21/2009 3:18:36 PM

Author: Smurfyimproved

We spent about 750 on gifts and also getting the guest bedroom and bathroom ready for the ils

HOLD UP!

You mean to tell us you spent $750 on Christmas when your car, the car your DH needs to make a living, is broken down? And then you post a ''woe is me'' thread about how you need dust because all of your money (including food money) is going towards the car and you''re going to have to take the bus to work? Do you see what''s wrong with this situation? Bring the stinking gifts back to the store and use the money for the car!

Um...ditto? And here I was feeling all bad for you

I''ve spent MAYBE $150, but I think it''s less - I didn''t include the flowers I bought at Trader Joe''s to make the calendars I''m giving to just about everybody but the kids this year. Money is tight with the baby coming and I didn''t want to spend too much.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Smurfy, I''d like to apologize for my last comment. That was overly harsh and unnecessary. I''d edit it if I could. Chalk it up to it being too early in the morning and before coffee time.

 

[monarch64]

I think I''ve spent $300. That''s for family and SO, we don''t do a gift exchange at work (which is nice, imo).

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Yea we don''t exchange at work either. I usually just bring in a bunch of goodies throughout the month.

 

[anchor31]

I made cookie-mix-in-a-jar gifts for everyone (7 in total) and also handmade the cards with giftwrap, so we probably spent 15$ in total. With the baby and the house coming soon, spending money on gifts for everyone was out of the question... Not to mention that the ILs are very ungrateful and usually get us something like a lottery ticket, so I''m not exactly feeling cheap.

 

[MissMina]

We call the things we need/want at this time of the year our Christmas gifts.
This year it was a laptop, a DS and an iphone.
It usually is something electronic.
About $1200

 

[tlh]

Ugh, every time I turn around they are asking for $$ for work... something or the other. I think next year I''ll just advise I won''t contribute in the group gift. It is sort of becoming a joke - like office space when he talks about having 3 bosses... yup. *bleh*

I tend to go crazy w/ christmas shopping, because I start in the summer... so I end up spending a lot- because it really isn''t any crimp on the budget since I start so early - so my amount seems to be much higher than the average. this year though I did start writing the gifts down, because some years I''ll actually FORGET gifts, and have to run to grab them to hand them out... sometimes on New Years!

 

[Cind11]

I think we''ve spent about 1K. I didn''t realize it was that much until just now when I added it up in my head.

 

[gemgirl]

When my husband and I first met seventeen years ago, we spent on an average of $1500.- every year. I''m not sure what that would equate to these days.

This year I spent forty seven cents on gifts. I bought exactly one shirt for my FIL at Macy''s and I had a refund card in my handbag for forever. So I used that refund card and I still owed a whopping 47 cents. This year is one for the books

.

 

[MustangGal]

We''ve spent about $600 total. I did spend more on my sisters than normal, they got plane tickts to come see us for Kyle''s 1st b-day in February (when Southwest was having the $50 sale), and we''re also going in together to get my parents a new TV for their bedroom. DH''s side isn''t doing gifts at all this year. They were drawing names the last few years, but SIL has decided that their broke and didn''t want to (but we all still have to buy something for her 3 year old

). DH felt so bad about not getting his parents anything so we bought them stocking stuffers. I also got my sitter a $50 gift card. For my co-wrokers I made beaded bracelets, spent $3 on enough beads for all of them.

I''m getting diamond hoops I found on ebay cheap

, and the baby is only getting a few small items from us, since I know the grandparents will be going crazy.

 

[partgypsy]

Well confession. I went through my records at past months for gifts I bought earlier and double the amount I spent (1400). That includes their school photos as we included those in the gifts. Hmmm. Maybe it''s best just not to total it up after all

. On the bright side from what I can tell (unless my husband goes out and buys me a tiara or something) we will be able to pay off our cc bill this month (barely).

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 12/21/2009 4:12:16 PM
Author: NakedFinger
Wow is it bad it never occurred to me to keep tabs?

Nope, I wasn''t keeping tabs. I had to add it all up specifically for this thread

 

[lucyandroger]

As a couple we''ve spent about $1,000 so far and still have to buy for my parents and my aunt who is hosting Christmas dinner. We''ll be those procrastinators at the mall tomorrow

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I think all told, under $300 a piece for each other, about $150 for my niece, $75 for my nephew, $50 for my parents (and the offer to come stay with us in our villa in the south of France in April), $50 for my sister and brother-in-law, and probably what will end up being $200+ on my in-laws. So, just a hair over $1,100 for everyone.

However, W and I are treating our trip to France in April/May as our Christmas gift to each other and costs are still accumulating for that.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 12/22/2009 2:36:06 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
I think all told, under $300 a piece for each other, about $150 for my niece, $75 for my nephew, $50 for my parents (and the offer to come stay with us in our villa in the south of France in April), $50 for my sister and brother-in-law, and probably what will end up being $200+ on my in-laws. So, just a hair over $1,100 for everyone.


However, W and I are treating our trip to France in April/May as our Christmas gift to each other and costs are still accumulating for that.

Ooh - but that trip sounds AMAZING

We are spending exactly what we budgeted. That amount varies every year depending on our financial situation, but as long as we are within $100 or of what we budgeted, I don''t stress about it very much

 

[Dancing Fire]

ZIPPO!!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 12/22/2009 2:25:50 PM
Author: lilyfoot

Date: 12/21/2009 4:12:16 PM

Author: NakedFinger

Wow is it bad it never occurred to me to keep tabs?

Nope, I wasn''t keeping tabs. I had to add it all up specifically for this thread

I hope not-I didn''t even think about it until I saw this thread! Budgeting is not a strength of mine.

I think we''ve probably spent about $800-$900 total. (That includes our gifts to each other.) Plus we spent about $300 on top of the gift $ on Christmas tree stuff since this is our first year in our house and we finally got a Christmas tree!

 

[iheartscience]

Oops, double post!

 

[Elmorton]

We budgeted $600 to go toward gifts for family (5 parents, 4 siblings, 3 grandparents) + friends (2) + godchild (1) + baking supplies for coworkers and other friends + gifts for each other. I think we spent around $800, NOT including the vacation we took to buy the remainder of our gifts and get some time together before the chaos begins. Still, for the amount of people that covered, I feel like we were pretty savvy.

Early in the week, I was really bummed out - we did a lot more list shopping this year, so gifts weren''t as creative. Last year, we did TONS of home-made and "outside of the box" gifts, and I felt really proud of what we gave. It wasn''t until this weekend when we bought little stocking stuffers and random smaller things (and had a chance to make some gifts) that I got excited about gift giving. I guess what I''m saying is that I''d be perfectly happy to spend less next year and give better gifts.

 

[princesss]

I spent about $300, spread out over about 2 months of spending.