How many people are on your holiday list?

[midjd]

It seems like ours keeps growing every year...

This year we're at about 15 in DH's family, 10 in mine, 5 or 6 gifts for coworkers, 3 or 4 for friends, and probably a few more I'm forgetting

We have been doing pretty well at keeping costs down this year, though - DH is making the gifts for most of his side of the family (Adirondack deck chairs for his parents, wooden signs for his sisters and nephews) and I'm making most of the gifts for my coworkers/siblings.

The gift I'm most excited about is my mom's... my sister and I are going in on a new TV. She's had her current TV for as long as I can remember, I'm thinking it's from the early 80s. She will flip out!

So who is on your list? Are you going gift-free this year? Consumables only? How much do you usually spend?

[muttleynfelix]

DS, 6 nieces and 1 nephew, MIL, 2 BILs, and 1 SIL. DH and I have already done Christmas presents for each other. Well, I'm going to get him a few new shirts because I hate that the shirts he wears around the house have holes in them. The nieces and nephew are all shopped for, wrapped, and sent off with my parents so that I don't have to ship them. I don't want to do presents for my in-laws, but I've been out voted. We averaged about $25 for the nieces and nephew.

I'm not sure how much we are spending on the BILs and SIL or the MIL. The BILs want to buy her a comfortable chair for her house because we all hate going over there because there is not a comfortable seat in the house (except the one she sits in). Which is why I'm insisting that everyone come to my house for Christmas even though I'll be 39 weeks pregnant. ;D

I also made 17 ornaments for DS to give to Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles (including greats and great-great), and a few other people (nursery attendant at church, his adult cousin, a couple close family friends). Those were free to make because I had all the supplies.

I'm anticipating we'll spend about $75 on DS. We've already gotten him a couple books, socks, hat, and mittens. I need to get him some sheets for his bed (he recently moved to a twin bed and we only have one set of sheets). He has a birthday in January and we'll probably spend $50 then. Between his birthdy and Christmas we'll get him a fire truck and a soccer ball and there was something else I thought we'd get him.

Even if DD arrives by Christmas, we won't do any presents for her.

[Deleted]

We buy for our kids, all the nieces and nephews, both sets of parents, and a Secret Santa gift to exchange with my siblings and BIL's. OH! And my Aunt who is an Elvis freak, but it's usually something I can find at Big Lots for @ $10. Work exchange is $5.

There's 9 nieces and nephews so I try to keep theirs around $20 each. For all 4 parents we'll spend $300-$400, our Secret Santa limit is $50 and we're each in on it so $100 there, and we spend $300-$400 on our kids.

So Christmas costs us @ a grand, give or take $100.

WHOOPS! Forgot that DH and I exchange gifts as well, so another couple hundred between the two of us.

[Jake 48]

DW, already done, DS1, DS2, DSD and the love of my life....the dog ;D

[steph08]

We have 4 on my side, 8 on DH's side, usually 2 friends, and 4 dogs.

But this year we won't do my side of the family because we are all going to Disney World in January and considering that our Christmas.

[Deleted]

Zero.

The only person I ever bought something for every year was my grandmother; and she passed away in April.

The rest of my family: we only buy presents for each other if we will actually be together for the holiday. And this year, I will be in Costa Rica (or actually, returning from Costa Rica).

[resolution]

Our list got cut in half this year, DH's side of the family has agreed to draw names and just buy one gift. That just leaves my side of the family and a few friends.

[Deleted]

7 We buy for our 3 kids, a small gift for each other, my mom, my SIL and BIL and that's IT!

[swamp]

We've cut way down.

Parents and kids. That's it. DH and I aren't going to exchange presents.

[Phoenix84]

4 people. My parents, my sister, and my brother in law. I don't really do anything with my extended family.

Planning on spending $50-$60 a person.

[daisylu]

10 people total:

DS - @ $150
DD - @ $200
DH's parents - @ $200 total
My parents - $500 (cash)
1 nephew - @ $50
DH's Grandmother - @ $200 (includes large pharmacy gift card)
DH's Aunt and Uncle - @ 150 total

This year has been hard financially for my parents, so we agreed on the cash amount for them - normaly spend @ $200 on them, which usually puts us in the $1,000 range. DD is about to turn 14, and only requested a Kindle Fire.

Some totals may come out a little more or a little less, but this is pretty close to the last 3 years.

DH is insistent on getting me a gift in the $150-$200 range, but I am trying to talk him out of it. I do not need anything, and his family already spoils me enough.

[Abby Normal]

We've cut ours down quite a bit. We still buy something for our parents (both sides) and the nieces and nephews. That is it. We used to exchange with my brothers and sisters as well as DH's extended familiy. But that all stopped a few years ago, and we just do the kids.

I'm making something for my coworkers this year.

Thank God because I'm usually done shopping by thanksgiving and this year I haven't even started. EEEKK!

[constanz22]

Less and less all the time, and it would be ok with me if we quit doing gifts alltogether.

Shipping is outrageous, so, Mom and her SO, and Bro and his wife usually end up with gift cards, which I hate. I'm flying down to see mom for a few days after TG, so may just buy them something when I'm there or take them out to eat as their "gift".

Dad doesn't want or need anything so usually gets some sort of baked goods, good coffee, etc.

Uncle doesn't live locally but only wants home baked cookies, and he's the only relative on mom's side and is very generous with us "kids" for birthdays and holidays, so, even though the shipping is expensive, he gets a box of Christmas cookies, made by me, every year and loves it.

I buy for my sister, her bf, and my 2 nieces. It would be ok with me to just buy for the nieces and I may suggest that.

I buy something small for 1 BFF and her DD, but no more exchanges with any other friends.

We've stopped doing gift exchange at work.

[thyme4change]

The adults in the extended family draw names from a hat. As it turns out, this year all the neices and nephews are going to be in the "adult pool." My kids are the only kids left.

[imawino]

The sweetie and I will exchange gifts. Some years we try to cap spending on each other, but we haven't discussed a limit yet.

We will likely end up spending about $500 on each of his two boys.

Then I'll need to get gifts for my dad and his wife, $500ish combined

My brother and his wife, $100ish

Niece, $100

4 staff - about $75 each

For my sweetie's family we'll need to get gifts for his mother, father, sister and brother in law. I usually handle his mom and sister and him his father and BIL. We're sexist like that. No idea what we will spend. I'd wager he will try to talk his sister out of us exchanging gifts with her and her husband. But I don't really mind it.

I'll probably send my bestie a little something.

And I'll buy some gifts for charity, and I have a couple friends for whom I "adopt" a critter from World Wildlife Fund and they get a little card.

[cronewitch]

I only buy for Mom and my ISO and I already got his gift. Don't know what to get mom but she likes packages. My brother and his wife and kids I would buy for if I found anything I wanted to get them but we don't exchange if it means thinking too much. We all got tired of the trying to find something for grown adults who have everything they want. I don't buy my ISO a gift most years but found the perfect gift for him.

[sheilaincali]

DH and I will maybe spend $50- $100 on each other.
$300 on DS (he has a small list- video game, some books, etc)

Others- my parents, one niece (gift exchange- technically from DS), 2 god-children and BFF's DD and DS. We consider the last two to be a niece and nephew. DH typically spoiled that last DNiece something fierce. Her brother was born right before Christmas last year. This year we are trying to keep to a list for those two.

DH is an only child and is estranged from his mother and her husband so no gifts for them. Haven't seen them since I believe 2008.

[Cookies Galore]

Mom, Dad/stepmom, niece, and nephew. Df will get gifts for his parents and two nephews, and then we'll slap each others names on the gift tag. Df and i stopped exchanging gifts a couple of years ago. Well, i stopped. He still buys me things. But this year we booked a suite at an awesome new hotel downtown, so we're counting that as our gift to each other.

[Deleted]

GW and my parents and a few assorted friends. Then there is the gift exchange at work. I have been keeping it small for a few years now. It works.

ETA - And my assistant! She is a God send, I get her something.

[Regis]

23 between both families. And we draw names among the adults on my wife's side.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I have eight people, all my family. Mom, dad, grandparents, great uncle, brother, DH and Gwen.

DH's family doesn't do presents for the adults and the majority of the kids have aged out. I think DH's nephew and Gwen are the only two left. Sometimes the great grandkids come but I never kow what is going on with that drama.

So I opted out of buying for the kids in DH's family. Nobody has noticed. His family is all about big/expensive and I am not. I got tired of not being thanked because what I got wasn't something either giant or expensive.

I pretty much know what I am getting everyone. I've spent the most on Gwen this year. We haven't done a lot for her the past two Christmases, we've let everyone else go nuts. This year is the first year she really "gets" holidays so I wanted to have a pile of presents under our tree for a change.

$121 spent just on her.

For DH it depends. Last year I spent $250 on a new flat screen TV. This year I am spending quite a bit less, I am going to get some of our wedding photos developed finally.

Everyone else I try to stick between $20-$40 but I'll spend more sometimes.

[Deleted]

34, less one. Someone just pissed me off.

[NoNamePerson]

Nov 13, 2012 15:23:21 GMT -5 @joey said:

34, less one. Someone just pissed me off.

What kinda gifts do you give Apple? I'll be glad to let you put me in the pissed off persons place

[kgb18]

Our list isn't too large. Our parents, our two kids, three nephews, one niece, one friend's daughter. And there always seem to be a few extra gifts I need to buy here and there. This year I'll buy gifts for my daughter's pre-school teacher and classroom helpers.

[Deleted]

We cut ours back a couple of years ago with the kids (in their 30s now) in heartfelt agreement. We give presents to the six grandkids. We send something to my sister. The dog gets a new toy. That's it.

That said, my kids and their spouses still get birthday presents from us. And they can pretty much name their gift as long as it is in the $100 range or so. (Last year my son and his wife chose to get a Kindle Fire between them.)

[movingforward]

Not many on my list - only dad, niece and BFF. I have a couple of groups I like to get together with and have a holiday dinner, etc. but we decided way back not to exchange gifts. I am just not much into receiving gifts or buying them and more about spending time with people. My brother and I decided a few yrs back not to exchange gifts any longer either (call me Sheldon Cooper but that was just fine with me. I buy him a $50 gift and he buys me a $50 gift - just didn't make any sense to me). He has a new girlfriend; however, who is very into the gift giving process and she called me last night and told me to be on the lookout for my gift to be delivered via UPS by mid-December. Kind of pissed me off because now I feel obligated to purchase a gift for her Oh well, Tis the Season...

[Deleted]

3 grandkids....they are now old enough that the gifts will be money. Easy! We quit giving to misc. relatives over 40 years ago. We were too broke to buy gifts after our son was born, so what little money we had was spent on him. My older brother wasn't too happy about it, he told me "if you don't have the money to buy gifts for everyone, I'll give you the GD money". Thinking of it now, it was probably a long time until we spoke to each other.

[Deleted]

Mom
Dad
Sister
Brother in Law
Niece
2 Dogs

Hoping to add another niece or nephew. Otherwise, I am all about cutting out the obligations.
$50 for humans
<$10 for dogs

[mrsdutt]

6 grands, but the baby won't get anything this year.
4 children
3 (of them have) a spouse
food pantry back 'home'
3 friends

Shopping is all done and gifts have been sent to NY family.

My gift? I'd love for the NY family to be able to join us in VA. That would be a miracle. (sigh) The government calls SIL a small business owner, I call him too successful to leave work for a week.

[Nazgul Girl]

Fewer and fewer, I hate to say. DH & I are not on each other's lists this year because we're going on a trip. DD has requested that we not get her anything for Christmas, since we've helped her with tuition costs this year. We had already purchased a $50 gift card to help her buy gas for work, so "Merry Christmas" but that's it. We have my father and stepmother that we'll spend about $ 60 total on ( and they don't like us to spend that much), and my sister & brother-in-law, and my brother and sister-in-law. My sis is picking up an attachment to some tool that her husband will like, and I already have her presents for the next ten years lined up. I got her place settings to her antique china set, and just give her one every year. They're about 60-70 years old, and I got a bunch of them on a sale by a china replacement company. We're going in together on a present for our sister-in-law, which is an antique shell cameo in a handmade gold wire frame that I paid $25 for about 4 years ago. I got my brother two red Ford Mustang emblazoned coffee cups for $ 15. He'll like those because he runs a red Mustang in road rallys.

Total cost for Christmas this year: about $ 140. Yikes, that's cheap. But, I'd already bought two of the presents years ago, so am not really including those expenses, which were $ 60 or so.