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What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

Last post 11-08-2009 4:53 PM by Halfpint. 27 replies.
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  • 10-26-2009 10:06 PM

    What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    I haven't figured mine out yet. I had $500 cash last year and went slightly over. It was for dh, ds1,ds2, sister, BIL, nephew, neice, MIL, BIL, BIL, BIL, SIL, SIL. (The last 6 got small gift cards.)

    Michelle in Northern Michigan
    Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Self-Sufficient Living

    Michigan...Number 1 in Unemployment! (might as well be number 1 in something...)

  • 10-26-2009 11:55 PM In reply to

    • MarthaMFI
    • Top 10 Contributor
      Female
    • Joined on 04-16-2008
    • New Westminster, BC, Canada
    • Posts 4,257

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    Well we have a bunch of birthdays around xmas so kinda of all in one for us. not including eating out  $800 to $1200 dollars.  spent $130 on dh birthday gifts and $60 on dinner.

    I shop for everyones birthday at the same time as xmas. still have sil, dd, our students birthday before xmas, and fil,mil and my mom right after xmas.   not including kids birthday parties.

  • 10-27-2009 12:42 AM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    No more then 200 hundred dollars or way less this year my other sister is getting greedy ove3r presents and resents home made stuff so just a gift cad and thats it.

    cindy
    Work out your own salvation,do not depend on others------buddha
  • 10-27-2009 7:22 AM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    $100 for each child (3) - its going to be more of a "need" year for them 

    $200 to be split between 3 adults

  • 10-27-2009 7:31 AM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    Since I don't have to give any gifts to anyone in the family except for Mom (my aunt doesn't want any presents), I don't know if my widowed friend and I are going to exchange gifts or not. I'll give something to my nail tech and to my hairdresser.

    I'll make myself a nice dinner. Not sure of my menu yet. I have a $5.99 a pound rain check for a standing rib roast of beef. I don't know what I want to eat yet.

  • 10-27-2009 10:27 AM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    Generally it's $50 for friends' children and $75 for family members (both sides). There probably won't be friends' children this year. Two of them have reached 18 and the other we don't ever see, so they're not going to be invited for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. I have a new great(?) nephew this year (my nephew's first son was born the day after Christmas last year). So our budget will, on balance, be smaller than in previous years. I'm not confessing what DH's and my budgets are for each other. But it's the only time during the year we buy presents for each other.

    Jill

  • 10-27-2009 10:47 AM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    I'm trying hard to keep mine around $200, but won't be upset if it reaches $250.  This includes $ for the baked goodies, many of which go into gift baskets for the extended families.  I find a gift basket for the whole family with a variety of treats is the most inexpensive way to go.  This year I'm including candied pecans, some type of cookie (I have many to choose from), maybe some fudge, a couple of spice mixes, and a bottle of sparkling cider.  Since all the families have kids or under-age teens and 1 family member had a problem with drinking some years ago, I'm sticking to sparkling juice.  About $40 is for DD's gifts and I don't know what DH wants yet, but I've told him this will be a modest Christmas, so I'm hoping to keep his stuff to $75 or less.

    The whole point of turkey is to get to the pie.
  • 10-27-2009 11:17 AM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    Hmm. I hope to keep it around $200...$250. this year. That includes all food, gifts and extras. So far I've got 5 magazine discount inserts.

    My sister likes Martha Stewart, so I'm getting her a subsrcitpion to "MS Living". The 12-month subscription is  $15.00 for 12 issues.

    The others are for "Taste of Home" magazine. 6 issues are $10.

     For my oldest son, who loves AB, I'm getting the book, "Good Eats...The Early Years". It's around $25.

     

    I gave several magazine subscriptions last year and everyone seemed to like them.

    There are a couple friends and family for whom I might make gift baskets.

     

    bw

     

    Budgetwise!
  • 10-27-2009 12:09 PM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    Still working on my limit for dh, ds and ds.

    Just started shopping today!

    I found a special at Borders.com where you buy 2 - $25 gift cards and get a $10 gc free. So my Sis and BIL each get the $25 cards, my neice gets the $10 card. Shipping was .99...should have been free I think! I need to get a gc for my nephew yet...  they live a couple states away, and postage for sending a box of presents was getting expensive!! This way I can send them inside Christmas cards!Wink

    For the inlaws (err outlaws) that havent spoken or sent gifts in 6 yrs yet dh demands I send presents anyway...(Ive posted previous years on this issue)....  I found a great solution: Restaurant.com Gift certificates for a nearby BBQ place ....with a discount code ending this Sat., I got a $25 g.c. for each of them for $2 a piece!! I print them out myself, and now I can put them inside a Christmas card too and save postage for sending boxes of gifts!Smile

    So I spent $57 today, I have left: dh,ds,ds, nephew and MIL (she moved gotta find out where and I'll get her a restaurant g.c. too)!

    I have 2 special family of friends Id like to get stuff for too.

    Michelle in Northern Michigan
    Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Self-Sufficient Living

    Michigan...Number 1 in Unemployment! (might as well be number 1 in something...)

  • 10-27-2009 12:51 PM In reply to

    Re: What's everyone's Christmas budget this year?

    My goal this year is to obliterate my holiday gift "stash".  I want to use ALL of it, for pretty much all of my gift giving.  I will buy seperately for my kids, two members of my family (we draw names), my nephews and something small for hubby.  I want to try my hardest to buy all of those gifts for under $250, I think I can do itSmile

    Heather in CA
    http://storingupmytreasures.blogspot.com/
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