Pointless Poll: Saturday -- Christmas Budget

Replies:

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• by
  • Jambo4
  on Nov. 7, 2009 at 10:22 PM

• You're supposed to make a budget?  lol

  Honestly... I have no idea.

  I was just thinking about doing a pointless poll on how much a family usually spends on a Christmas tree.  Mostly I am curious about what the maximum is that a person has spent on one.

  Usually extended family gets shorted.  There just never is enough money for them.  I think we average about $50-100 bucks a kid.  The younger ones tend to get cheaper gifts and as they get older, they get more expensive so my 14 year old will probably get the "left over" for his presents.

    Amber

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• by
  • TXmomof5cubs
  on Nov. 7, 2009 at 10:53 PM

• We usually have a cash budget of  $1000 max. We spend about $125 each for the older three kids and about $75-$100 each for the younger two. That includes gifts from us, small gifts from Santa, name exchange for the kids and stockings. Santa will usually bring one large item for the whole family. Our nieces and nephews (there are 10 of them) get a small gift for about $10 .  We buy for my parents and my husband's mother but we don't usually spend very much. Last year I noticed that my MIL's suitcase was falling apart, literally. I was out shopping and came across an average sized, rolling designer suitcase, normally $179 but it was 90% off! hee hee! she'll never know I only spent $17.90 on it! My husband and I don't ever really need anything so we will spend about $50 on each other just so the kids can pick something out for us. We don't buy anything for our siblings or any other extended relatives. We just have fun getting together for food and watching the kids open gifts. 

  We purchase food out of our regular grocery budget. I used to make gifts for my extended relatives before I was in school full time. Now they are lucky to get a Christmas card! Our budget might seem like a lot compared to the other choices on the poll but we do have five kids and we don't usually get them much throughout the year. 

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• by
  • ReesesPieces
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 12:09 AM

• Ours is $100 but I've always come in under budget.  Our tree is artificial (we bought it half price after Christmas a couple of years ago and it's AWESOME!).  We have the 3 kids - we spent $60 on them.  Then we spent $15 for the gift for my side of the family (we draw family names and just do a family gift), and so far nothing on his side because we are not be going up during the holidays, and therefore not participating.  For hubby's co-workers I made a cute little craft (clothespin magnets that are decorative and cute).  For 25 sets of 9 pins, the total cost was less than $6.00 and it covers all the gals I visit teach, hubby's co workers, neighbors, friends, etc.  They are REALLY cute and the costs are minimal - just some nice scrapbook paper, Elmer's glue, clothespins, and magnet sheets. Oh, and hubby and I do not exchange gifts - the greatest gift we could ever give eachother is to be debt free....so that's why we dont' exchange gifts. 

  We usually make the mashed potatoes and a green bean casserole for our part of dinner with my family, so the costs there are less than $10.

  So we're all done, and we came in under budget and all is good in our world. We shop early, shop when things are on clearance or on sale, and I've even gotten 2 really great gifts for FREE because I found coupons for them and they just so happened to be on sale. 

  One thing we're planning on doing this year is taking what the extra part of our Christmas budget is and using it towards our 25 days of service project.  It won't be much, but it's nice to have a little extra cash just incase you see someone who could use a little.

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• by
  • MamaOf3Ms
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 2:11 AM

• I am a Christmas Junkie.  I was raised by Scrooge so being eccessivley festive seems to be my form of rebellion.  I would love Christmas even if there were no gifts.  As long as there's a twinkling tree, MoTab sining carols, and my Grandad reading the Nativity from luke, I'm a happy girl!

  The city my husband works for has a wonderful program.  For holidays he works he gets paid time and half, however his paycheck only reflects a normal wage.  The extra half goes into a holiday account.  We ger a checj in December for all the Holidays he's worked.  I LOVE it!  Instead of being a stressfull time of year like it is for so many parents, we get to look forward to shopping, paying off extra bills etc.  We try to spend around $50-$100 per child, which is easy because they're so little and don't ask for much.  I usually make gifts for my family so the cost stays low.

  We also do alot of secret santa type things for families who we know are struggling, Salvation Army & Church Gift Tree, Toys for Tots etc.  I love seeing the look on my 7yr old's face when she chooses a toy for someone else and I know that she is learning the spirit of giving and just receiving. We probably wouldn't be able to do all these things if were not for the Holiday Account  his job offers.

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• by
  • PhoenixFire
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 5:07 AM

• We usually gather gifts throughout the year to help lessen the burdon of Christmas shopping, so I don't really know how much we spend. I do know that it isn't very much. 

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• by
  • AngelPuff1012
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 11:06 AM

• Depending on the year and how we are doing financially, we try to keep it under $1000. We both have family out of state, so we have to mail their gifts usually and we try to keep it around $30 a person plus the cost of shipping. I honestly don't know if we'll even  be able to do that this year. I always feel like I spend too much on Christmas so I asked my mom if we could do a "drawing names" thing with our family and she acted like she hated the idea. I am the only child in my family who has been married and is starting a family and I feel it is SO unfair to me to have to buy presents for everyone and still my husband and also my son, and now we have another one on the way. And my husband will never suggest such a thing to his family, he thinks they really go all out for us then we should for them. It's just getting to be too much. This is not what Christmas is about. I'd rather spend money on making goodies for neighbors or doing something charitable, I hate the pressure to buy presents for all these people and I feel like I'm the only one in my family who feels that way. I'd rather make the present buying about my son (kids). The other people in my life can get nice things for their birthdays.

  Last year we spent well over $1000 on Christmas. We both bought laptops. I discovered that my husband should never have something like that of his own though, he totally didn't take care of his, put anti-viruses on it, download updates or handle it with care. He hadn't even had it a year and it's already unusable, I feel like it was just a big fat waste of money. Now he's been using mine and it's been driving me nutso.
  

  Come join my new group: Politically Concerned LDS Moms. For an opportunity to discuss politics, or anything like it, with sisters in the gospel.
  

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  • MissRobn
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 11:28 AM

• I put $800-900, but I'm not sure if that is doable. I have 3 kids.  One has moved out of the house, but is hoping to be home for Christmas.  Not sure how I am supposed to handle that.  I was thinking I could cut way back on their gifts once they moved out of the house.  Now if she is here for Christmas, how can I get lots of stuff for the other 2 and only the 3 gifts for that one? My kids usually get one expensive present, a couple outfits, and lots of small gifts.  We don't generally do gifts for extended families and we're the only ones here in AZ.  I am doing gifts for my nieces this year though.  They are homemade, but the fleece material was expensive, even at 50% off it still added up.  I'm a little worried about the cost this year since our income went WAY down.  Hopefully, I will get a decent cash award from work to help offset.

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• by
  • julipickle2
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 1:25 PM

• I put $100-$200.  We would have be able to do more, but we have too many unexpected medical bills because of Clark's (place a certain 4 letter word here) jaundice. 

  We draw names on both sides so that helps out a bunch!  Tom and I are spending $35 on each other.  He wants the new Zelda for the DS (yes I married one of those guys) and I want super cute pajamas.  So that was easy.  Then $40 shared between the kids (probably mostly clothes for Clark since he won't even notice) and I'll make a big batch of pumpkin cookies to take to the neighbors and ladies I visit teach.  We'll spend about $5 on each of our parents, usually chocolates for the moms and a can of peanuts for my dad.

  Honestly it doesn't feel like we're missing out on much, but I usually use Christmas to get me the things I kind of need but put off buying. 
  

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• by
  • ellasmomma2009
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 2:44 PM

• Not including shipping then $100 or less, including shipping then closer to $200. Most of my siblings are in other states so I have to ship their gifts, and we have to send gifts to his family which is out east.
  

  
  

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• by
  • jwaren
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 4:40 PM

• We are usually around $1000, but that includes 3 plane tickets to visit family (this year we are going in Feb). We have spent so far around $100, and are over halfway done with actual presents. So for presents I would say under $300, but we choose to do without other things so we can afford to go home and visit my family.
  

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