Christmas and buying gifts when you have a large family, or a small family.

L

LadyEmeraude

Senior Member
There can be stress with all of it, what to buy, how many to buy for, will someones feelings be hurt if
you don't give a gift? Things like this arise often for many...
 

I have a daughter & 2 sons, with family/partners. all birthdates are from June to December. In June, each of my children get a cheque to cover birthdays and Christmas gifts for their family for the year. They are free to put the money towards a trip, an item for the house or split the $$ to each member of their family.
 
I don't give gifts. When my daughter was about 10. I told her Santa Claus wasn't coming any more. She said, "I won't even get a chocolate?" I said that maybe Santa would bring her a chocolate.

I told everyone else that I wasn't going to give gifts and wasn't interested in receiving gifts. Over the years, many of them stopped giving gifts too.

When my granddaughter was little, my daughter told me she wanted to follow my no-gifts example, but she felt obligated because her husband's family was crazy for Christmas.

So many gifts are unappreciated. People have very specific wants and needs regarding sports equipment, earbuds, or clothing. They're better off buying their own.

Then there are the "token" gifts, like mugs from the dollar store. Just more junk. And cash is just cash. In my opinion, Christmas gifts might have made sense 100 years ago, but not any more.
 

NorthernLight said:
I don't give gifts. When my daughter was about 10. I told her Santa Claus wasn't coming any more. She said, "I won't even get a chocolate?" I said that maybe Santa would bring her a chocolate.

I told everyone else that I wasn't going to give gifts and wasn't interested in receiving gifts. Over the years, many of them stopped giving gifts too.

When my granddaughter was little, my daughter told me she wanted to follow my no-gifts example, but she felt obligated because her husband's family was crazy for Christmas.

So many gifts are unappreciated. People have very specific wants and needs regarding sports equipment, earbuds, or clothing. They're better off buying their own.

Then there are the "token" gifts, like mugs from the dollar store. Just more junk. And cash is just cash. In my opinion, Christmas gifts might have made sense 100 years ago, but not any more.
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I hated buying those "token" gifts. I don't buy any gifts (unless I count the ones I buy for myself....).
 
I don't buy gifts anymore, and I think I'm done sending cards. We do have our tree up and the house decorated as much as we can, but that's for our own enjoyment.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God Bless.
 
My wife and I long ago gave each other the gift of freedom from the angst and crowds of gift giving.

We’re not big into Christmas though before Covid we hosted Xmas eve dinner for all our local relatives. Now we just have my brother and his kids over Xmas morning for breakfast, stockings and gifts. Mostly the gifts have settled into cash for spending and a check for savings along with a book if I can find something appropriate. She is in high school and he is in middle school. I call them our pseudo grand kids. We only have them because my brother is ten years younger than I and he married twenty years younger. Decorations are down to a wreath, candles and the stockings hung on the front of the piano. Here is one we got from a local artisan two years ago.

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While we don’t send cards we sometimes receive them (feeling duly guilty about it). Here is one we got from my aunt in Oregon. Didn’t she nail the image of my dog Smokey with this card?

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With as many kids in our family as there were, we drew names. We'd each make a list of three things we'd like to have, and all of us chipped in for a gift for each of our parents, and our parents gave each of us a gift. So...each of us got two gifts that were things we wanted and were much appreciated.

Just when I thought I'd heard it all...there was a commercial on the TV a few minutes ago touting whatever it was for giftmas. No kidding. It's not Christmas anymore, it's giftmas. You know, that holiday on December 25 after a 2-3 month advertising, spending, buying spree :mad:
 
I enjoy gift giving with a couple immediate family, significant other when there was/is one, and three close friends, and a couple coworkers.
Something small and special, that pleases me whether giving or receiving. In years gone by though there were some issues with a family
member not getting the type of gift they had hoped for, so that ended fast with me, I can't meet another's expectations for gifts, just isn't
my thing, nor was/is it my thing financially.
 
I have 3 grandchildren. The 2 boys are in their 20's so I am giving them money. I will give their girlfriends gift cards. My granddaughter is 12 ys old so I asked her to write some things down that she would like. I bought the entire list.
 
I often struggle with finding gifts for people. I want to give something they want and/or might surprise. All too often I fear I fail and just waste money. But I'm not giving up!

My father was a generous man, he gave us a lot of gifts. However not necessarily for Christmas or Birthdays, just when he wanted to, or thought we needed something. I like that approach, probably should practice it more.
 
I've tried so hard to get away from the gifting business. When my daughter-in-law was alive, we always spent the holidays with her folks, as it was only my son and I. Well, those people went nuts at Christmastime. The gifts were plentiful and expensive. I had little choice, but now that she has passed away, we just give each other a token. I always ask for a book which I receive.
 
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