Ok you live frugal but Christmas is right around the corner. Now what.

[6chickens in St. Charles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYdpte1W0vk

If time allows, above 15 minute audio can really take the edge off of Christmas spending. It's called Six to Eight Black Men by David Sedaris (humorist) and its very funny about the unique interpretations of Santa from country to country. My kids have all listened to this, over and over and it helped breach the "Does Santa really exist?" subject.

But I'd warn anyone with younger children to listen to this without them around, unless you REALLY feel ready to 'fess up that you've been Santa all along........

 

[krcote]

I do baskets of canned goodies and the like each year for relatives and close friends. I usually make an ornament of some kind and a baked item to throw in as well. This year, I am also doing hand made dog toys out of used fleece blankets since most folks we know have pooches. I stop in at Goodwill every other week or so all year to get baskets. At $1 they are a steal!

 

[Kaitie09]

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1JkRNi/thelongthread.com/%3Fp%3D6993

I love looking at this website. There are thousands of crafts that you can do with complete instructions.

 

[nuchickontheblock]

One year when times were really tight, but I kept getting all those catalogs in the mail. I made my daughter (who was in her 20's) a "what I would like to get you" book. I cut out funny, weird gifts, clothes items, random strange things and put them in the book. Some items were things she had liked as a little girl too. I made up a poem to go with the items. It was fun to make and she enjoyed it.
I've also given a bag of microwave popcorn, big box of candy and a couple of video store coupons in a popcorn sized bowl as a gift for a teen. For a quick gift to make for relatives or coworkers, I have made honey butter or maple butter. mix 1 part butter with 1 part honey or maple syrup. beat until fluffy and place in a jar with a bow. Yummy, easy and not too expensive.

I've got 15 grandkids now, so just thinking about gifts, shopping for them, wrapping them, sending some out of the state to the APO adress etc. (let alone paying for them) can be tough. I try to be creative without breaking the bank! Thanks for all the ideas!

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Last year, my husband's family had a gift swap - we call it a Yankee swap around here, but I've heard it called a Chinese auction also, that was for regift and even used stuff that was still good ( or really quirky). Everyone brought a wrapped gift (even the 4 year old) to place into the pile. Each person took a number. The #1 person chose the first gift and opened it for all to either admire or make fun of. the next person opened one and could either keep what they got or take # 1's gift. We went in order like that, with each new person able to grab someone else's gift if they wanted. Then at the end, the #1 person had the chance to choose from all the opened gifts. It was so much fun - took quite a bit of time and even the youngest kids got into it! Lots of laughs and fun and didn't cost anybody any money.

It was a really fun new tradition for our family.

 

[HeatherLynn]

We call those White elephants. We also have some gifts like that set aside for games. We do one that is so goofy but everyone gets a package and then the reading of the grinch before Christmas starts. There are lots of lefts and rights added in. Each time either word is said thats the direction you pass your package. Eventually the story ends and you are left holding a totally different package. Then we open them up and the swapping begins.

 

[Rosaleen]

With all the eggs my hens are laying, most of my gifts are going to be baked goods. I have a relative who loves to bake so I'm going to give her a large jar of ingredients for a baked treat tied at the top with calico and ribbon along with a dozen eggs.

 

[Brad Adams]

In the end what really matters is that all of you are together. That is the whole point anyway. But if you feel the need to get gifts or would like to just to do so then I would say homemade is the best way to go.

There are many how to craft sites on the web, Instructables.com and youtube videos with tons of ideas on how to make something cool your family will like.

Have you heard of a yahoo group called Freecycle? They have branches in every city for the most part throughout the U.S. and they post free items and all you have to do is pick them up. Lots of times they are even new items and you can also ask the group for what you are looking for and if anyone has it they will email you and you can set a time to pick it up. Pretty cool and useful.

 

[Ema]

my kids have too many toys, I give in too easily and though I buy them toys regularly, Christmas time is the worst for me, because I go over board all the time. Last Xmas it took them over an hour to open gifts, tell me that is not ridiculous.

this Xmas I plan on going small, as it is I am already donating 3 large bags of toys to the toy drive, things my children barely even touched. So this year, I made a rule, things that can be used, and home made things.

I already know that my children love to colour and paint and those things never go out of style around here, so finger paints, crayons, pencils and markers, blank colouring books and notebooks, as both my kids can spend a whole day doodling, these things are cheap and I know they love it. Play dough, though it ends up all over my carpet and stuck to my dogs, its a wonder toy for my kids.

both my kids love pajamas and soft blankies, and my little guy is in need of a new cuddle blanket, since he has put 4 holes in his current one. Soft fuzzy socks for my dd, cause she is always stealing the ones my mom in law sent me last year, I will likely purchase a few crafts for them to make on the weekends, lip glosses and tiny lotions for the stockings for my dd and a few dinky cars for my ds. a few small puzzles we can make together as a family. I cannot go wrong with this for my kids.

But mostly I am doing it this way for me, because I need to learn self control, and because I need my children to know its not about the size of the presents or how much we spend.

Ohhh and don't forget reindeer food on xmas eve for each child, made at home. And a candy cane hot chocolate recipe made in individual little baggies for xmas morning. This is something we do every year, and my kids loveeee it.

I always get the same thing every year, and I am quite happy to get it, bath soaps and salts, pajamas and fussy socks, cheap and easy and makes me happy. For my Dh, my kids have a tradition which is funny and cute. they both find the dorkiest and funniest pair of boxers and buy them for dad, I buy him his cologne and some mint chocolates. But the only reason we get anything is because the kids want to shop for us, it makes them happy to spend a few bucks on mom and dad and though its the same thing every year they still get the best smile on their faces xmas morning. Its my dh and I, we just love to see their smiles to the things Santa, mom and dad brought them.

last year we spent over 700 dollars on just the kids. This year for the four of us we are not going over 100 bucks.

that is my plan and we are sticking to it!!!!!

Ema

 

[nop169]

I feel your pain... we have been blessed in that in this 4th year of bad economy, we have not gotten behind on any payments & DD gets to stay in her Christain school & still got to play Vball & basketball... but that is all we can do. Local economy is still very shakey and my business has dropped off the last 2 months. Wife is a RN and has a stable job but hours are being cut back due to state not paying normal rate for uninsured patients that they are required to treat. We both pick up extra work to try & get ahead but now those extra shifts are gone. I sold some livestock to pay for winter hay. Will probably sell the last cow (hand raised orphan pet) in the next week in order to pay the house taxes due in January. DD and our family of friends have been told 3 years ago that we just can't afford Christmas like we did in the past. Instead we have been cooking a big spread (thank God for the garden & home grown beef/mutton) and inviting everyone over for fellowship & a fine meal. DD we do get a few gifts for but they are not the type she had grown accustomed to over the years... but she is 13 now and we sat her down & explained that she could choose extras or stay in her school. She chose her school.
We are not desperate although at times we have felt desperation! We live week to week now & that was a new experience for us.... but God has blessed us & we have learned to have more faith. Somehow, someway what is needed tends to show up by the time it is needed. Not without sacrifices (like selling the last cow on the farm) nor without hard choices at times... but the mortgage gets paid, utilites get paid, DD gets her schooling & there is something good to eat. It is a new & unsettling experience to go from having extra & work available if we wanted it to having hard choices but we have adjusted. We always thought we were frugal but we learned that we could be much much more frugal. As you see I still have internet at work!
As to Christmas, we enjoy the fellowship of close friends & DD has learned the valuable lesson that more is not necessarily better or important. Changed her attitude about life, love & giving. We no longer buy for each other, DW & I now simple try to spend more time together... or I paint that room she wanted painted or clean her car or whatever to show I still love her!
I have learned that if I never have more than I have right now - I am blessed... and I discovered that I am willing to work the rest of my life for no more than we have. And if God forbid, something occurs & we lose it all... as long as DW & DD are healthy & with me... the rest is really just dross anyway. The important thing is family, friends, health & having a full belly & somewhere warm to sleep... I, being human, want more - but in reality that is the bottom line.
Heatherlyn, I can't tell you where to find good PJs at a good price - I am a guy after all

, but I can tell you you are blessed already and I can encourage you to have faith... what is meant to be will be. A way will be found if you trust & are diligent. Hoping you find all your wants & needs & that your family is blessed, that God will shine His face down upon you and cup your family in His hands & give you hope & peace.