What does your family do for Christmas gifts?

[MilkOnTap]

Our family is different every year and it drives me mad :banghead: I never know WHATS going on! One year we had a secret santa (I found out AFTER it was all drawn and AFTER I had bought everyone gifts) Another year we did 1 gift per family; and this year we are doing $5 max gifts per person. I think cause I live i'state they kind of forget to tell me what is happening each year...

I'm always ready in advance, have my cards ready to post on Dec 1 etc etc, so when they tell me 10 days before Christmas whats going on I'm usually ready to pull my hair out!

So that minor vent aside :rolleyes: what does your extended family do for Christmas gifts?

[Bubble*Crazy]

We always buy for each other in 'my' family - my 2 sisters mum & dad.

But as for DP's ... don't get me started :rolleyes: ...
it initially started as presents for all;
then the year after no presents for adults (fair enough);
for a couple of years we then divided the kids up and only bought for 3 kids each
and now being the tight ar$e$ (well, actually just 1 sister is so we all have to follow suit) they are we don't even buy for the kids at all :eek: :thumbsdown:.

And just on 'that' sister, for several Christmases when we were indulging in the spirit of Christmas she gave DD her daughters old (broken!) toys as gifts :mad:.

[Ana Gram]

We have around 30 odd gifts that we like to buy for people. But at least half of that is close friends. We only buy for immeadiate family, there are just too many otherwise!

[bekkyboo]

Our family does secret santa. It gets drawn each christmas ready for the next one. We have a $50 guideline.

DH family - well not sure what we will do there, its too damn expensive to buy all those gifts when money is tight anyway.

[~Chick79~]

In our family we buy mainly for the kids... but for example, my boys will buy one present for their Auntie & Uncle (but my darling sister won't be getting presents of me....).

the "adults" of our family just enjoy the company of each other.... My dh does have an aunt though who says she must get presents (did I mention that she is 40yrs old....), and they can't be gift vouchers (she is really hard to buy for - you have no idea!!!) well I am afraid she is in for a shock this year! I am sick of her not appreciating anything we get so she will get a gift card and she can buy something herself!

[sarah81]

We do Secret Santa for both DP and my family.

Dp's family is huge 10 brothers and sisters and 14 grandchildren. So we spend $100 per adult on your secret santa and the children are $30. Two separate draws one for the adults and one for the cousins. We tend to write a list of exactly what we want and it makes it easy for everyone.

My mum's family has finally caught onto secret santa. It will be $50 per adult no children included. As my 2 are the only kids and everyone wants to buy for them.

I will still buy for my dad, step mum and 2 sisters. Plus there will be little presents for DS's little friends that we are really close too.

I draw the line there otherwise it gets out of control.

I love Secret Santa, there is no overspending, you know what the person wants and it reduces the amount of socks and chocolates we receive!

Happy Christmas shopping everyone :tree:

[cwsmum]

I always buy something for all the kids...there's not really that many, about 10 I think...

For my family we don't really buy gifts unless we see something that suits a particular person. No one actually goes out searching for pressies for everyone, or expects anyone else to (mum and dad always buy us all stuff tho :D ).

DH's family are frustrating...well, to me anyway lol...I know that 'it's the thought that counts' but I always took that to mean the thought that went into what they gave you, not just the fact that they thought to buy you something. I'm really tired of having to pretend I'm excited to get yet another ugly, useless 'thing' to put on a shelf (or in a box). They also take the attitude that if someone doesn't buy them a pressie one year then the next year they get nothing.

I said to DH a couple of weeks ago that we are only buying for the kids this year...then last week he found something on ebay for his dad, which is fine coz it's something that suits his interests, but now we have to find something for his mum...either that or listen to her tell everyone who will listen that we didn't get her anything :banghead:

[Crazyfamily]

I am one of those people who decided this year to buy only for my children. I have 6 siblings who all but one have children and my dh has 5 siblings who all have children. Not all the normal 2 children either. There are number of large families therefore a lot of nieces and nephews plus a couple of great nieces also. Until this year I did try to buy gifts for all but it gets harder every year and I would only have $5 max to spend on each and that can't buy them something they will like. Also $5 x a lot = a lot of $$$. I would rather a nice day that is not about who got what and for how much. I won't be stressing after Christmas about where the money for 2 in High school and one starting primary school will come from.
I love Christmas but it becomes way too stressful if after the event I am left broke.

[Melo]

Secret Santa for my step dads side of the family with a $30 maximum. We buy presents for DF's brothers ($30 limit) or give them money and then give $50 to each of his parents. Usually we buy presents for my parents and siblings.

Ooooh I LOVE Christmas :D!

[MumsieMel]

Hey ally

Well i buy for all our friends and families children, and for the close famliy (my step bro and sis's and DH bro's) i buy for kids if they have them or just for them.

We also buy for all grand and great grand parents, as well as all god parents.

[drewid]

For the last few years, my immediate family have been doing Secret Santa for $50. Then with the extended family we have a lunch time Secret Santa for $10.

It certainly keeps the cost down. But we usually buy an extra something for our parents as well, just cos we feel scungy if we don't!

[my_lot]

can someone tell me how secret santa works? is it that you buy for one memeber of the family only but everyone gets something?? is it just for big families?


i only have one nephew and we spend about $100-$150 on him. we get something like books or book vouchers for cousins children age 8 and 12 and thats it for the kids in our family. mine are the only other children...but there are a few adults to buy for so id love to hear how secret santa works.

[dannii]

if were all feeling rich enough we will buy for eveyone :D but we usually all make a deal to just buy for all the kids in the families.

the secret santa is a good idea.. i might have to pass that idea on :thumbsup:

[Mikeswifey]

Well, with my side of the family, its just me, DH, dad mum bro and our DD.

SO we just by them all presents.

With DH side, everyone is partnered up, and last year it cost us an absolute fortune, and I told my hubby there is no way I am buying everyone a $30 buck pressie next yr(meaning this yr) so we are doing Kris Kringle - thankgod.

So I am organising it and everyone will pick out a name, and its a $25 buck limit, so thats means each couple only has to pay $50.

Everyone was happy with it because I dont think they wanted to spend hundreds either.

But for the parents we will buy presents.

And DD is the only grandchild/neice, so she will get presents off everyone.:xmas: :tree: :reindeer:

[KarniF00l]

We have a christmas sweep so we are only allowed to buy for that person and can't go spending over $50. I think it's a great idea.

Children on the other hand (under 18) we buy pressies for them.

[purplerose]

we do secret santa which work really well we have a $50 limet . also i am a twin and our birthday is on christmas day too . so it can be really good or really bad if ya know what i mean lol.:reindeer:

[Clarielle]

can someone tell me how secret santa works? is it that you buy for one memeber of the family only but everyone gets something?? is it just for big families?


"Secret Santa" or "Kris Kringle" usually works like this: everyone's name goes in a hat. Everyone pulls out a name from the hat and buys a present for that person.
So, every person buys only one present (often with a limit on how much to spend), and come Christmas, everyone receives one present.

[~mia&ryan~]

We buy gifts for my ma and her partner, my dad and DF's parents (about $50-$100 each sometimes joint gifts if they want them). My sisters just want to buy for the kids so we are just doing that now around $50 each for the 3 of them.

DF's sister (her boyfriend around $30) and bro around $50 each. Then there is grandparents who get around $30 each on them. Oh and a couple of aunts that we see alot $30 each as well.

Christmas really adds up!:xmas: :tree: :xmas:

[*~alegna~*]

My side is not real big on pressies, never really has been so we buy for all the kids ($50)& joint pressies for Couples. ($50)

Oh we buy for our Grandies too. DH's side we buy for DH's D&SM & same as mine for the rest.

I really think its more important for the kids. I don't mind if I don't get anything...give it to DS :xmas:

[melbryan]

We buy mainly for the kids even though mine are the only ones in the family so far. I buy for my girlfriends as they usually buy for the kids. Mum and dad get pressies from the kids and i make some momentos for the wall and the fridge.:tree: