Christmas gift giving

[Master slacker]

So, money is tight this year and will continue to be tight for as long as Mrs. Master is a full-time, stay-at-home mom. Up until now, our family has always done the traditional everyone gets a gift thing. Well, I'd like to propose going about some other method of exchanging gifts that is more affordable. However, one of my brothers is a hard liner when it comes to Christmas gifts and convincing him to come on board to something new will be difficult.

1) Secret Santa - one idea that has already been proposed, but it isn't getting too much support.

2) Family gifting - a gift to and from each family. Definitely more affordable, but how to define a spending cap. My number would be a low-balled approach and someone else's would be too high for us. Sticky point right there.

3) Festivus - Start celebrating this "holiday" instead of Christmas. More yelling and more upset family members, but, hey, there's an aluminum pole instead of a tree. Less messy.

In all seriousness, though, what has your family done for this season if you no longer do the one gift for all method? Thoughts?

 

[Supe]

A few years back, my aunt, who is a giant crackhead, sent our family a gift of an unopened calendar from the year before, and a necklace made from a discarded, previously eaten lobster claw (you could see where it was cracked open to eat) and some red and green yarn.

I am NOT making this shit up.

I would advise against outdated calendars and discarded exoskeletons, no matter how affordable it may be.

 

[Chucktown PE]

A few years back, my aunt, who is a giant crackhead, sent our family a gift of an unopened calendar from the year before, and a necklace made from a discarded, previously eaten lobster claw (you could see where it was cracked open to eat) and some red and green yarn.
I am NOT making this shit up.

I would advise against outdated calendars and discarded exoskeletons, no matter how affordable it may be.

Holy shit man, that's straight out of National Lampoons, similar to Aunt Bethany wrapping up her cat and a jello mold.

In all seriousness, we're running into similar issues. Mrs. Chuck and I each have two brothers, and when you throw in gifts for them, their wives/girlfriends, our nephew, parents, grandmothers, etc. it get veeeeerrrrrryyyyyy expensive. After adding in the kids I think we probably spent $1500 on Christmas presents last year. I would really like to figure out a way to get it cheaper.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Jelly of the Month.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Uhhh....it's September. Jumping the gun just a bit I see?

 

[OSUguy98]

"Dirty Santa".... Everyone brings a gift ($20 cap,etc... and for those who wish to participate), wrapped, unmarked..... and you draw names from hat, #1 Pick opens a gift they select from the table... #2 pick has option of taking #1 pick's gift or selecting another..... #3 pick has option of picking any already opened gift, or unopened... and so on..... let the fighting for the "good stuff" ensue....

or

play Bingo... same as above, but you have to bingo first..... (and you can win multiple times)

 

[FusionWhite]

My wife has a big family and we do a seperate Chinese Auction for the men and women on Christmas eve. In addition people buy gifts for other family members as they see fit (we usually only get gifts for one or two of my wifes cousins). As far as buying presents for each other my wife, my FIL and myself just buy each other stuff so we keep it small. I usually send my brother a gift card and my parents some framed pictures (which is what they really want).

 

[picusld]

So, money is tight this year and will continue to be tight for as long as Mrs. Master is a full-time, stay-at-home mom. Up until now, our family has always done the traditional everyone gets a gift thing. Well, I'd like to propose going about some other method of exchanging gifts that is more affordable. However, one of my brothers is a hard liner when it comes to Christmas gifts and convincing him to come on board to something new will be difficult.
1) Secret Santa - one idea that has already been proposed, but it isn't getting too much support.

2) Family gifting - a gift to and from each family. Definitely more affordable, but how to define a spending cap. My number would be a low-balled approach and someone else's would be too high for us. Sticky point right there.

3) Festivus - Start celebrating this "holiday" instead of Christmas. More yelling and more upset family members, but, hey, there's an aluminum pole instead of a tree. Less messy.

In all seriousness, though, what has your family done for this season if you no longer do the one gift for all method? Thoughts?

My wife and I have never done chistmas presents. This year though we have already anounced that we will not be accepting nor buying anything for anyone. Our reasons though are purely related to the "stuff" issue and not the financial.

After watching hoarders on TLC and my wife having to clean out one of her parent's home's due to a medical issue with her mother, this was kind of a no brainer for us.

Little picus has a birthday in Jan so he can get presents from the family then. Other than that, he will get one thing from the wife and I.

I am just at a point in my life where I am done accumulating stuff. If I want something, I will go get it.

Plan on doing dinner with both sides of the family and that will be our christmas present.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

After watching hoarders on TLC and my wife having to clean out one of her parent's home's due to a medical issue with her mother, this was kind of a no brainer for us.

I heard a bit on Opie & Anthony about that show that got me interested. Sounds like a real train wreck you can't turn away from. But sadly I have class on Tuesdays so I doubt I'll be able to watch anytime soon.

 

[Master slacker]

"Dirty Santa".... Everyone brings a gift ($20 cap,etc... and for those who wish to participate), wrapped, unmarked..... and you draw names from hat, #1 Pick opens a gift they select from the table... #2 pick has option of taking #1 pick's gift or selecting another..... #3 pick has option of picking any already opened gift, or unopened... and so on..... let the fighting for the "good stuff" ensue....
or

play Bingo... same as above, but you have to bingo first..... (and you can win multiple times)

Those have already been poo poo'd. We like to make gifts personal for the recipients.

 

[humner]

We adults would draw names for those who were interested in participating, limiting the price mutaually. We always got something for each child, however simple. My wifes grandmother started taking certain dishes, platters and such that she had sitting in china cabinets and giving them as gifts. She would pay attention to what different people were interested in and see to it that they got that item. I achieved two things, cleaned out her house as she was getting older and she was sure that people were getting what she wanted them to get before she was gone.

 

[Peele1]

My family has switched to only kids under 21 get presents. My wife's family doesn't have many kids, so this hasn't worked... however, this year, wife's making a career change with school and all, so our rule is no presents at all, other than for kids. We'll see how well it works.

As for being "only September", we have to implement Christmas buying rules in the spring-time. This year's no presents was decided in June. Some people start early, finish early. Wife's goal is to be 100% done by Thanksgiving.

 

[MA_PE]

"Dirty Santa".... Everyone brings a gift ($20 cap,etc... and for those who wish to participate), wrapped, unmarked..... and you draw names from hat, #1 Pick opens a gift they select from the table... #2 pick has option of taking #1 pick's gift or selecting another..... #3 pick has option of picking any already opened gift, or unopened... and so on..... let the fighting for the "good stuff" ensue....

we do the same thing but at the end, #1 gets to pick from all the opened gifts. #1 is the number to get!

On my side of the family, for adults in the extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) we pull names out of a hat and each person buys for the name they picked. We all buy something small for all the kids.

 

[Paul S]

Dirty Santa has been working for my side of the family for a few years now. At first we all thought it was stupid, but after the first year we all loved it, and it is way less expensive.

I like the #1 option to get the last pick, I will have to bring that one up this year.

 

[snickerd3]

I only do firsts with my cousins kids (1st bday 1xmas etc) we never exhanged presents on our level, that was always my moms job since they are her neices and nephews. My Aunt buys minisnick something in the $20 range. and mr snick and I get something for the both usImmediate family is different though.

 

[MA_PE]

I only do firsts with my cousins kids (1st bday 1xmas etc) we never exhanged presents on our level, that was always my moms job since they are her neices and nephews. My Aunt buys minisnick something in the $20 range. and mr snick and I get something for the both usImmediate family is different though.

yeah we exchange with immediate family, too.

 

[MGX]

We attend Christmas Eve services at 11 PM, sleep in and have a huge meal to celebrate.

We also cap gifts at $20; gift giving isn't the point of Christmas.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

gift giving isn't the point of Christmas.

That qualifies as economic hate speech. You better watch yourself.

 

[Dleg]

When I was growing up, we had a deal with my father's side of the family because it was so "large". They would put all us kids' names in a pot and then draw names, evenly distributing the number of kids to the number of adult uncles and aunts. When I was small, there were few enough of us that I would get a gift from two uncle/aunt combos. By the time I was bigger, it would just be from one, and my parents would be responsible for sending gifts to two or three nieces/nephews. Within our own family, we gifted to everybody liberally, but we were the "remote" family, so perhaps that was easier since there was no one there to watch us get more presents than they did. Grandparents would send a little money (like $5) to each kid.

Now, as an adult, my wife's family has even more little nieces and nephews than my parents did, and a LOT less money, so we do things a little lopsided, and it's not working out: NO adults get gifts. It's purely a kid's holiday. I personally buy every niece and nephew a gift, because their parents often don't have enough for even a reasonably priced toy. But the problem is, that even though I insist they not buy anything for our kids, they always do. So this year I am re-thinking my strategy, and we're discussing going with the names in a hat thing. It sucks because I want to give all the other kids something nice, but it seems to be precipitating a gift race, and the rest of the family can't afford it.

 

[Dexman PE]

Basically we give gifts to each of the children (they're all under 6, so it's easy to keep it under $10 each), then we do one gift for each sub-family (ie one total gift for My brother, his wife and their kiddos, one gift for my parents, etc). Don't be afraid to give the "made at home" gifts either. Last year's sub-family gifts were small tins (bought at the dollar store) filled with home-made cookies. The year before we made a rag garland with family tree ornaments (something we saw in one of those arts & crafts magazines)