Do you buy for the whole family at Christmas, or just the kiddos?

[Ashncox]

My family is very close and we spend Christmas morning together every year. (Besides, my dad and his GF). Since I have moved out and gotten married in '01 we have always bought, for mom, dad, sister, niece, father's GF, SD and FIL. Everyone in my family shops for each person a gift. It tends to get expensive at times, but I always feel like Im not giving enough. I have always had a limit of 45 dollars for each gift other than my children and the DH. If not, I would spend and spend until the last day to shop.

I'm just curious how everyone else shops during the holidays. Do you have a limit when it comes to buying for family members outside the home? Or do you only shop for the smaller children?

[heavensnt86]

We get for our parents, grandparents and the small kids..We don't really have a limit we just ask what they want or what the kids need.

[Chandra034]

Aside from my son and SO I buy for my mom, brother, sister and my nephews.  My mom usually buys something big for my grandparents and aunt and just puts it as being from all of us.  My SO buys for his parents, sisters and neices/nephews and a few other random people if he finds something they'd like.

[BigMamaHeidi]

Last Christmas I had a ton of money, so I spent handsomely on everyone in the family, children and adults alike. This year, hubby and I even had to put a spending cap on each of our children ($100 each). Other family will probably get cards from us only. We dont even know if we'll have much to spend on each other, let alone anyone else in the family.

[mrsJLA]

No. DHs family does a Pollyanna for everyone who is out of college. Supposed to cut down on spending and pressure to come up with gifts. The polyanna is one gift that is $50-100 per person. Thank god.  Everyone else just gets something little (if they want to give it).

[Willowjade]

In our family, we buy for all the kids.  And as far as adults...at thanksgiving we put everyones name in a bowl and draw.  You buy a present for the person you draw.  That way everyone gets something, and we aren't breaking teh bank for adults. (Goodness knows we break enough banks with all the kids in our family, 12 in immediate family alone)

[knfisch]

We get present for our parents, for DD and then as a family we have a gift exchange type deal on both sides. So we have 6 others we buy for plus one of my BILs because we go over to MIL's on xmas day and since he doesn't have another family to go to (nor do we because we choose not to go see my family!) he's over there as well so we also get him something. We have a $20 limit and right now Dh and I can't afford to get gifts for each other this year. We'll be lucky if we can get gifts for everyone in both families and not have to give up groceries to do it. I'm hoping that I can talk at least one family into doing either a smaller budget gift exchange, a homemade gift exchange or just have a kids gift exchange. If not then we're probably not going to participate in Christmas next year other than our parents and ourselves. We can't afford to buy 10 people gifts plus DD. We've been shopping since October when we found out who we had and we alternate between gifts one week and groceries the next but we still may not be able to make the budget. It makes Christmas a dreaded event when you're arguing over money for 3 months only because of Christmas. I want Christmas to be a happy holiday and it's not supposed to be so commercialized and focused on presents, theres so much more to the holiday but everything gets lost in the anger and stress of staying under budget while finding the perfect gift. I don't want to do it anymore.

[tjroberts]

we buy for everyone besides my mom and stepdad everyone will gulit trip me if i don't get them something like one year i couldn't afford my grandparents anything and i didn't hear the end of it till teh next christmas  and if i don't show up for a holiday period i get gulit triped and never hear the end of it either

[gmorlett84]

 WE buy for our 2 kids. We also buy for close family, and we make sure to get the couples one gift.We buy for my mom & dad, my sister and her s/o, my brother, my sis in law and her hubby, my other sis in law and her hubby, my 7 nephews, my 2 nieces, my brother in law and his wife, my other brother in law, my mil and fil. It doesnt comeout to much. You just have to know where to shop. We shop at ross and spend so little...its amazinng!!!

[Not.So.Virginal]

I buy for my parents, my inlaws (MIL, FIL) and then my nieces and nephews.

Of course i buy for my husband and son as well.... but i dont usually buy for siblings. Occasionally, I find something cute for a friend, or maybe something small for a sibling, but i usually don't. It jsut gets too expensive

[Ashncox]

Thanks for all of your answers ladies :)

I might have to throw these ideas out there for next Christmas!! Next year we are hoping to spend Christmas at disney world with just DH, myself and the girls. He misses several holidays and almost every birthday due to working offshore, so this is something we really have our hearts set on for the girls. We have been married almost nine years and haven't spent a Christmas alone as a family yet. This is something we have had planned for two years. Maybe switching things up will make it allot less stressful on the budget next year. I LOVE giving and buying for my family, but at the end of the day I feel so overwhelemed. Sometimes I feel like I don't do as much as I should, and other times I look at our budget as a whole and wish I could have spent a little more on the kiddos.