Is Christmas money spending going to be tight?

Frankly, I am spending according to who has time to visit at my home or actually call me
so I can hear their voice. I am now within 20 minutes of a few and see them less than
when I lived hundreds of miles away. Going to borrow my son's Grinch get up this year.
I had a busy life too but I always made time to show love to my family.
Big step for me to do this but I can't handle the "Entitled mentality" of some anymore.

grinch.jpg
 
Christmas is important to me, it’s my favorite time of the year, so I have a Christmas savings account into which a small amount is deposited automatically every month. By December I have my spending amount. I buy from wherever with the appropriate credit cards, then pay the cards off with the Christmas savings money.
 
Ronni said:
Christmas is important to me, it’s my favorite time of the year, so I have a Christmas savings account into which a small amount is deposited automatically every month. By December I have my spending amount. I buy from wherever with the appropriate credit cards, then pay the cards off with the Christmas savings money.
Click to expand...
I really miss those Christmas clubs. My bank hasn't offered one for decades, and I'm not sure why. I found them incredibly helpful.

A couple of years ago, I bought gifts only for my three kids, plus my father and his wife. This year, a son-in-law, three grandchildren, and my younger daughter's serious boyfriend (3+ years) have been added to the mix. I also bought a few gifts for a charitable endeavor up in Michigan.

I tried to cut back—I did cut back—but I'm now in a panic thinking of my $650+ health premium that is due in January. 😟
 
Last edited:
IrishEyes said:
Frankly, I am spending according to who has time to visit at my home or actually call me
so I can hear their voice.
Click to expand...
I've been debating whether to send my son a gift from Amazon, which can do it anonymously (i.e., no packaging/order slip included—just the item). I stopped last year, but I can't bear the thought of not sending him something.
 
Last edited:
Ronni said:
Christmas is important to me, it’s my favorite time of the year, so I have a Christmas savings account into which a small amount is deposited automatically every month. By December I have my spending amount. I buy from wherever with the appropriate credit cards, then pay the cards off with the Christmas savings money.
Click to expand...
That is what we have done for decades!
Nice, isn't it?
 
Last edited:
That Lady in PA said:
Not tight here as of now.

There are simply a savings account, which you can open up anytime!
Click to expand...
I preferred the automatic-deduction ones, where a certain amount is withheld from each check and deposited into a specific account, and then the funds are disbursed around October. It's easier for me to save if I never see the money in the first place, ha ha!
 
Don't forget that you don't have to buy unneeded store bought gifts. Gifts from the heart usually mean much more and can become keepsakes.
When my dad became less mobile he gave me a craved walking stick he used for years on his walkaboughts, it means more to me than any store bought gadget.
.
 
Last edited:
My kids remember having breakfast for dinner almost every evening every December, and they mention it almost every Christmas.

I was a single full-time working father of 3, and the more I saved on groceries, the more cash I had to spend on their major Christmas gift. You know how you got your kids a handful of nice gifts, and then there was that one major gift?...the expensive one they asked Santa for but thought they'd never get?

Anyway, they figured out my spending plan, so none of them complained about having fried eggs and potatoes, quiche, or pancakes with a side of cantaloupe for dinner. In fact, the more pancake dinners we had, the more they drooled over the possibility of a new bike or the 2.6ft tall Star Wars AT-AT or whatever.

It was kind of fun, actually. (and the *big wish* came true every Christmas)
 
I see my extended family at Thanksgiving, not Christmas, so we don't exchange gifts. In the past, I've mentioned a couple I take out to eat one night shortly before Christmas, and that's my only "gift" to them. I send cards to everyone, but this year, no other actual gifts, unless they draw names or something like that at church.

As for spending across the nation, the news is reporting it's way up this year, which surprised me. I also heard (and posted somewhere in the forum) that the news reported Americans are cutting way back on eating out. Maybe so, but I don't see that here. I stopped at the ice cream parlor Saturday at 2:30 PM, wanting to go in and pick up a carton of ice cream, and could not get a parking space; went to Walmart for the ice cream.
 
We buy a gift for our daughter and her husband each year. For their children, we get an Amazon certificate for our grandson who is 11 years old and we get presents for our granddaughter because she is only 6 years old. Our intention with our grandson is that at his age, he will be able to choose what he wants and it will also teach him to handle his money.
We exchange small gifts between us two and enjoy a nice meal at home.
 
Spending won't be tight this Christmas.

I'm fortunate that we haven't had to cut back, mainly because we still work some. Between SS and business income we have enough to continue splurging at Christmas. We give our kids and grands generous (well, to me they seem generous) cash gifts. For the kids, it's to help them with whatever they need. For the grands, it's to go into their savings to eventually help pay for college or buy a car.

It'll probably be a different story when we eventually retire fully and need to start tapping retirement accounts instead of adding to them.

With the increased USPS rates, I'll spend over $500 on postage in December. o_O
 
KSav said:
I've been debating whether to send my son a gift from Amazon, which can do it anonymously (i.e., no packaging/order slip included—just the item). I stopped last year, but I can't bear the thought of not sending him something.
Click to expand...
I got each of them something, it's just not as outgoing as I usually spend. Plus each gift is exactly the same except in color for each according to their home accent color. A 4 pack scented candle in designer containers and a sofa blanket. I usually get each person something personal along with a family gift. I cut back on the personal gift this year.
I have been their only Grandma all their lives and they need to tell their Mom they will not stop communication with me just to appease her due to a divorce. Yes, I am hurt this year over this and it's needless hurt.
ok I said it..venting over and that's the whole story.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top