Are You Planning on Cutting Back on Your Holiday Shopping This Year Because of The Economy?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kipling on October 27, 2008 at 9:13am

Good fro you Jana! Glad to hear that!!!
Jana said:

Nope, not a bit ,and we have a trip planned to DisneyWorld first of December as well!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Duong on October 27, 2008 at 9:51am

For our family, it's not so much needing to cut back but staying consistent year after year to not get into debt for this one holiday when we are always blessing our kids through out the year as well as very generous at bday times. Si just because it's Christmas, neither should we increase or spending, but if we wise with our money we needn't decrease it either that goes to saying...not racking up debt just to have Christmas.

It's important to remember really why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Megan Calhoun on October 27, 2008 at 9:53am

That's the way I feel about it. My husband feels the same way. It's easy too easy to go overboard. Moderation is the key.

Leah said:

I hate the excess spending every Christmas so I'm using the economy as my excuse. We are definately cutting back this year.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Leslie in San Antonio on October 27, 2008 at 10:39am

Since we started homeschooling a while ago we have always had minimal $$ to spend on gifts. I wonder if our extended family thinks we are scrooges because I forget birthdays too. However good thoughts, prayers, a shoulder to cry on and ears to listen are gifts I give freely. Hope they are appreciated!

Gifts fade away and break but good memories live on.

Leslie

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kipling on October 27, 2008 at 12:22pm

I'm sure they don't think you are scrooges Leslie! And I couldn't agree more, memories last forever!

Leslie in San Antonio said:

Since we started homeschooling a while ago we have always had minimal $$ to spend on gifts. I wonder if our extended family thinks we are scrooges because I forget birthdays too. However good thoughts, prayers, a shoulder to cry on and ears to listen are gifts I give freely. Hope they are appreciated!

Gifts fade away and break but good memories live on.

Leslie

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kipling on October 27, 2008 at 12:25pm

Thanks for sharing Duong. You have given some very sound advice, people have enough debt to deal with already, it would be silly to add on more for the holidays. We always have a holiday budget and have been pretty disciplined about staying within the budget.

Duong said:

For our family, it's not so much needing to cut back but staying consistent year after year to not get into debt for this one holiday when we are always blessing our kids through out the year as well as very generous at bday times. Si just because it's Christmas, neither should we increase or spending, but if we wise with our money we needn't decrease it either that goes to saying...not racking up debt just to have Christmas.

It's important to remember really why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ComfyMom~Stacey on October 27, 2008 at 12:29pm

We started cutting back on the gifts a few years ago just because it was getting out of hand (my own fault, I see things I think the kids would love & I buy them - starting in September so by they time Dec rolls around there was quite a pile of stuff). We limit to 3-5 gifts with a total budget of $400 - $100 a month starting in Sept. We also have to buy for 4 other kids with that and do the retirement home angel tree.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Faith on October 27, 2008 at 12:36pm

We are cutting back but we decided it last Christmas. Having 6 kids and all aside from the cost, the presents take up alot of space. Space we don't necessarily have. So... craft box... sewing machine... etc.

We are however doing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas child that is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse... and if we can we are going to get an angel off the angel tree.

At home we only buy our kids gifts, not the aunts/uncles/gparents typically. But I am putting together a DVD of pictures we have taken all year to share with the extended family. But we also have a Christmas party where we have all homemade goodies and share that way.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Love Bug Clothing Co on October 27, 2008 at 12:41pm

Our son is 2 1/2 and I think our big thing is to make special holiday traditions and not just about gifts. However, we do sometimes go a little crazy, so it is about showing restraint, the grandparents get him alot of stuff, he would not even know if we didn't get him anything.

The thing that gets overwhelming is how many people we buy for, and then new people starting giving us gifts, last year I gave gifts to 16 kids, thank goodness I own a children's boutique.

despite the economy, we are better off than alot of people so we will still be adopting a family through the local family center and supporting toys for tots. I let my son last year pick out the toys to donate, and I plan to do the same this year.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by KristinsFourKids on October 27, 2008 at 1:44pm

We are cutting back. All 4 of our children have birthdays starting 3 days after Christmas and thru the month of January and it all becomes a bit too much. We actually scaled back with gift giving to our families last year and things will be about the same this year.

I'll probably use some of my Creative Memories products to create some meaningful gifts for family this year.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rhonda on October 27, 2008 at 4:13pm

We are cutting back and have had a conversation with our kids to that effect. They were pretty spoiled last year but with my job situation looking a little sketchy, we're being careful.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Viki Stanley-Hutchison on October 27, 2008 at 4:51pm

We are scaling back this year. I've already warned the adults not to expect much. Our main concentration will be on the kiddos and getting each one a few gifts they really want, rather than just lots of "stuff" for the sake of having lots of presents to open. And then we'll focus more on "doing" family things together - church, Christmas carolling, playing lots of Christmas music in the house, Christmas movies, baking cookies, decorating, hiking/playing in the snow, etc. Oh, and we always adopt a couple of kids off of the Angel Tree at church and include the kids in shopping for them - that's the part of Christmas I love the most ;o)

▶ Reply to This

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last