Most of what I spend (and it's considerable because I really love Christmas) is for kids and grandkids and now even a great-grandkid. Husband and I buy each other a whole bunch of lottery scratch-offs. Something to do Christmas morning now that the kids are gone (sniff) and who knows, we might hit.
I love Christmas for the non-commercial reasons. We don't need anything. Throughout the year we buy the things we want and think we need. I am making a very conscious effort to not buy anything just to have things under the tree. As nice as it is to buy things we want, I will admit it's no fun that our 14 year old son can't think of a single thing he wants for Christmas. Though that does reflect favorably on him because he is a nice practical kid and knows he is very fortunate to have everything he needs.
Every year we give a lot of very usable things, things we thought we needed, to the Rescue Mission (a charity that helps homeless people), the Goodwill, and the Animal Rescue Thrift Shop. I think next year I will just donate the money to them instead, and work harder to curtail my impulse spending. Guess I better stop my Meh VIP!
My total always seems to creep up more by virtue of number of people more than amount per person. But then again my Christmas logic is really and excuse to buy things that I think are funny/interesting/wierd for people that they may or may not agree with my opinion. But being Christmas they are socially obligated to accept it, the poor bastards.
I try and stay around 100 per family member. Some years one person will get a little more because of the nature of the gift, like a case of wine at 170, or two months of cell phone bills at 150(or whatever).
Then there's the GF. That ends up being about 500 if I'm lucky.
Extended family is typically 25-50, depending on the item.
Then I keep a couple of bottles of wine and liquor on hand for randoms/friends that bring me something. If they don't, it's almost like free booze. I don't really count this towards my total, since they'll usually get me booze too.
all in all I'd guess I'm around 1000 when its all said and done. +/- 100$ maybe.
Over the last few years, i cut off all ties with some of them. 1 of them ruined a book series for me, 1 of them kept on slandering me and verbally attacking me, and 1 was just a moron.
This year not much, it's been a crappy year financially so, My wife and I have agreed not to buy anything for each other so we can make the kids happy first and make sure we take care of our parents too, they have always done so much for us we want to make sure we let them know how much we appreciate what they do for us.
Don't spend much. My family is all gone (parents passed away, no siblings, never really kept in touch with extended family) and his mom doesn't do Christmas, his local brother and sil we've never exchanged presents.
I do have a couple of friends I buy for and I get stuff for our vet's office. I do make cards and send those out, people really seem to like them.
@MrsPavlov set a limit on how much we can spend on each other for Christmas. It's $50 on me . . . and $5000 on her.
@Pavlov As it should be.
@Pavlov This would be Monopoly money on her - right?
@Pavlov Why not buy her that thing you've, err... she's always wanted.
@cinoclav What's she going to do with a red-haired eighteen year old exoti . . . . . . Wait a sec. This might actually work out in my favor.
@Pavlov Nice to know we have the same taste.
It depends, how much are aluminum cans selling for?
I have kids, so usually, it's far more than I plan on spending.
Do I count shit I buy myself with the excuse that it's a Christmas gift?
Most of what I spend (and it's considerable because I really love Christmas) is for kids and grandkids and now even a great-grandkid. Husband and I buy each other a whole bunch of lottery scratch-offs. Something to do Christmas morning now that the kids are gone (sniff) and who knows, we might hit.
Ooh. I'm going to find some new friends in this thread, I just know it!
@KDemo That depends on just how much YOU spend on presents...
@cinoclav - Um, about tree-fiddy. You can't put a limit on the price of friends.
@KDemo
Sure you can. I don't like financing friends for more than $35/week
$40 if they meet certain criteria.
I love Christmas for the non-commercial reasons. We don't need anything. Throughout the year we buy the things we want and think we need. I am making a very conscious effort to not buy anything just to have things under the tree. As nice as it is to buy things we want, I will admit it's no fun that our 14 year old son can't think of a single thing he wants for Christmas. Though that does reflect favorably on him because he is a nice practical kid and knows he is very fortunate to have everything he needs.
Every year we give a lot of very usable things, things we thought we needed, to the Rescue Mission (a charity that helps homeless people), the Goodwill, and the Animal Rescue Thrift Shop. I think next year I will just donate the money to them instead, and work harder to curtail my impulse spending. Guess I better stop my Meh VIP!
I usually spend a few hundred on myself around Black Friday and then give less than $80 worth of gifts. Fuck yeah.
My total always seems to creep up more by virtue of number of people more than amount per person. But then again my Christmas logic is really and excuse to buy things that I think are funny/interesting/wierd for people that they may or may not agree with my opinion. But being Christmas they are socially obligated to accept it, the poor bastards.
I try and stay around 100 per family member. Some years one person will get a little more because of the nature of the gift, like a case of wine at 170, or two months of cell phone bills at 150(or whatever).
Then there's the GF. That ends up being about 500 if I'm lucky.
Extended family is typically 25-50, depending on the item.
Then I keep a couple of bottles of wine and liquor on hand for randoms/friends that bring me something. If they don't, it's almost like free booze. I don't really count this towards my total, since they'll usually get me booze too.
all in all I'd guess I'm around 1000 when its all said and done. +/- 100$ maybe.
Hey, @TaRDy - This poll thread has no header image. Your fault.
@KDemo Fixed it...well I mean someone must have, it looks good to me.
BAAAAHH (humbug!)
Promise I wasn't just trying to goad the goat! But whatever happened, it's fixed now. Great job, @TaRDy!
Is this where I link my Amazon wish list?
@matthew
Sure, but I'll go first, and this is from my private list, not my wishlist. I'm more serious about buying stuff when they're not on public lists.
@KDemo I know there's a thing about not "buying friends", but if I got this in the mail, I'd gladly overlook someone who makes that mistake.
I don't celebrate this anyways, so it wouldn't be a gift for that...
@sammydog01 This is what i was looking at.
@FroodyFrog - Who said anything about not buying friends? How else are we supposed to get them? ;-)
@KDemo
True.
Like i said above, I finance my friends. Although now that i think about it, i should stop financing them and start renting them.
@FroodyFrog - Really, leasing is the way to go. You can trade them in for new every few years.
@KDemo
Over the last few years, i cut off all ties with some of them.
1 of them ruined a book series for me,
1 of them kept on slandering me and verbally attacking me, and 1 was just a moron.
So i need to find new friends to lease.
@FroodyFrog You're right, I never would have guessed that.
To be honest, I don't spend that much, but by the end of December, I see that my wife has spent a couple of grand.
This year not much, it's been a crappy year financially so, My wife and I have agreed not to buy anything for each other so we can make the kids happy first and make sure we take care of our parents too, they have always done so much for us we want to make sure we let them know how much we appreciate what they do for us.
Don't spend much. My family is all gone (parents passed away, no siblings, never really kept in touch with extended family) and his mom doesn't do Christmas, his local brother and sil we've never exchanged presents.
I do have a couple of friends I buy for and I get stuff for our vet's office. I do make cards and send those out, people really seem to like them.