How Are You Handling a Tight Money Christmas?

[urban escapee]

In past years I would lavish my kids with gifts and presents for the parents and my siblings(2) and something for the DH's family. Over the years as my husbands family seemed to spread like wildfire, (and their reciprocity and graciousness failed). I switched to baking cookies for the hubands family. Tiring of spending even $60.00 on the ingrediants for that I switched over to the oranges from my tree. Last year we got the comments that "Oh we have orange trees" so between that and the drought this year no oranges. On top of everything else, I lost my job back in May and just spent the last of my last unemployment check on grocercies and car note. So I got to thinking what are we going to do for Christmas this year. And I think that everyone will be pleased, if not, Santa may be crossing them off the list next year.

Son: going to make him something that he can wear to the Ren Fest (his passion every year)
Daughter 1: she is pretty urbain and just became a police officer, going to buy her a gift that she can use for work (50.00 limit). Learning to crochet so I can make her a blanket for next year.
Daughter2: Collects cows for her kitchen, so we are making her a Cut-out for her front yard a cow with "MOOO-RY CHRISTMAS" under it
Husband: I moved him to the country and he loves it, what more could a guy want? Got him some books that he will love.( that has been the smallest amount of money I have ever spent on him for Christmas)
So for the parents: still trying to figure these guys out, what do you get for someone who has everything and needs nothing (that I can afford). Last year it was tickets to go see the Oakridge Boys in concert, they loved it. Thinking of Tickets to see Carol Burnet, she tells stories and fields questions from the audience. (since the parents let me put my mobile home on their property and arent charging me rent, I think they deserve something nice)

The rest of the Family: Well this is the fun part. We are going to get some sachet bags, you know the ones you can see through and each person is going to get one of our eggs, with a little note with the symbolizm of the egg attached.

Its a tough economy this year and I am trying to minimize my cash outlay, my goal next year is to start a bit earlier and do homemade Christmas for everyone.

 

[Desirai]

Well, in August I started taking $25 out of each paycheck to save up for gifts. I spent most of it on gifts for my little sister but bought stuff for other people too.
I figured she'd prefer to have lots of little things to open as opposed to one or 2 big things.

Last year I wasn't able to buy one single gift for anyone.. so I made sure to have money this time.

 

[Avalon1984]

We just take time to acknowledge the accomplishments of this year and realize that success is a along process that takes commitment and sacrifice. I think in the long run a christmas without lavish gifts will be less important than the big picture. There are more things to happiness than christmas gifts. I combined all christmas and birthday gifts for everybody this year and between 8 people I spend $60.00.

 

[urban escapee]

Nice, I have been blowing and saving eggs to decorate, thought about giving them away, but dont have enough to give those out. This year has mostly been spent on moving to the country and getting set up. I got a late start on Christmas this year, but think I can swing it with out much more of a cash outlay. I am also using my fake tree this year. We used a real one last year because our son was home from Iraq for 3 weeks and he wanted a real one. He will be home again for Christmas this year so I think it will end up being our tradition to set up and decorate the tree together.

 

[featherfinder]

Having the same problem this year. Use to get lots and big gifts for everyone. This year everyone is getting 2 things and cheap things to. 1 gift at my moms and the other at my grandmas because that is where we have christmas every year. There was also a $20 limit put on each gift if that tells you how poor we are this year. We just want 1 thing for everyone at each place and then the rest is just family time and a great home made dinner

 

[TarainNC]

I try to shop yearround. On my side of the family, we usually do homemade or thrifty finds and we love it. My husbands side of the family is DEFINATELY not this way. We have 5 kids between us and our oldest two daughters are engaged. So we have decided to do the best we can. One of our future sons in law is in culinary school, so we are giving him a set of cast iron ware we have in storage.( free) The other future son in law is an emt and firefighter and we found a vintage brass hose fitting at an antique fair for $10. My sister just got a cow this year and I bought her a yougurt maker at a yard sale. My brother in law is getting some books and some horse feeding buckets ( also from yard sales).I think whatever you can do is enough. It really is the thought that counts.

 

[itsy]

I'm making quite a few fingerless mitten/neckwarmer combos and I'll have to buy the rest. I wish my family wouldn't buy anything for me for Christmas. I really do beg every year for them not to and for us not to exchange gifts. We don't have little children in the family and I'd rather us just pool a much smaller amount of money together and have another nice dinner at a different time of the year. I've asked my mom not to get me anything this year, but if she insists on giving me something, I'd like the old sewing machine that's been in the closet for 25 years. lol

Learning how to crochet or knit is really a great asset. Although - I recently made a pair of fingerless gloves for a cousin and when the other cousins saw them - they've all begged me for a pair for Christmas.

That's A LOT of cousins....

 

[EKC Farms in the desert]

I am making cookies and chocolates for our friends. I really only buy for my parents, my sister, and dh. Cookies is getting expensive though....

 

[BWKatz]

Last year I made cookies for my neighbors because my hens had just started laying. This year I took the little plastic containers from cherry tomatoes ,removed the label and put 4 multicolored eggs in green tissue paper in them Put a bow and label on them . Delivered to 2 couples in person with the comment "these are for your Christmas omelet. For my other neighbor who has company and gives a neighborhood party, I gave a whole dozen in reg egg container but w/tissue paper for ea egg and wrapped with bow. She told me she didn't use for party but was saving for breakfast.LOL. Our families don't exchange anymore as the children are all grown.We contribute to a charity and or take on a family in need. My husband received a new printer early as his broke and my son was helped with cash to fix his car's transmission.Under the tree they will get a $10 wallet and an alpupose knife..something they requested. His mother is the only other one I buy for and she is getting some comfy pants and teeshirt that she can wear around the house and still answer the door in...she's 80+ and doesn't get out much. We'll also be treating her to Xmas dinner. The family we adopted has 2 children that came over to help me decorate our tree and will also be coming over to bake cookies. I believe time shared is a gift to be treasured. Theywill take cookies home in addition to the Santa gifts to be received 12/25.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Things are tough for everyone. A couple of small presents for the youngest kids, everyone else gets a hug and my love until after the first of the year when I might buy a few more things.

To me it's all about love, togetherness and peaceful times anyway. I think we all seem to forget that sometimes and get caught up in the whole commercial aspect of the season.

I know I do sometimes.