how are you guys affording xmas presents this year?

[BKOnce]

So how many in here would rather get in line at Walmart, Best Buy, or Circuit City , etc.. to buy family presents for the Black Friday (11/28/08)... coming soon to the stores near you... please raise your beautiful hands!?

[treehugger1]

The older I become, the less Christmas becomes a "material" giving event. With the exceptions of my daughter (limited myself to $50 spending,) and some restaraunt/movie certificates for my 80 year-old parents, I will open up the house I rent to family and friends. My roommate has agreed to the same. I am currently living in a house of a colleagues who is away from the area for 1 - 2 years. I cover the taxes, insurance, and minor repairs, etc. I found a roommate who provides all the furnishings as I own absolutely nothing except some clothes, old pairs of telemark skis and a mountain bike. The house is beautiful, and plenty of room to put up out-of-town guests. I'll furnish Christmas dinner, in addition to accepting the extremely large water/gas/electric bills that come with inviting 8 - 10 people into the hosue for 7 - 10 days. This is an unspoken gift, but nearly anyone who has had guests during the holidays knows the utility costs of additional people in a home for 7 - 10 days. We will go on walks, ice skating, cross country skiing, and just hang out. I'll spend 1 - 2 days volunteering for community work of some kind. This is not just for some altruist reason. Part of it is my sense of guilt for thinking selfishly these past 50+ years. I moved to an attitude of a celebration of family, friends, and health last year. It was one of the greatest Christmas' I've experienced.

[epiphany]

I'm going to make a DVD slide show of all the pictures I have stored on my PC. Easy to make, easy to ship. The hardest part is sorting through the thousands of pics I have.

The bestest Xmas gift I have gotten in the last few years was a DVD of tons of photos from when me and my brothers were kids. My Dad spent hours and hours throughout the year converting them from old 60's and 70's photographs. I am so grateful to have that and I know what kind of work and thought went into it.

I think your idea is pricesless.

ep

[epiphany]

So how many in here would rather get in line at Walmart, Best Buy, or Circuit City , etc.. to buy family presents for the Black Friday (11/28/08)... coming soon to the stores near you... please raise your beautiful hands!?

I haven't been to a black friday in 20 years at least but they are opening at midnight this year and I just might do it...I need clothes and a bed badly. But I hate shopping and wonder if it will be as crowded at that time as it would be at 6 in the morning...oh probably, huh....sigh.....
ep

[lillaimof2kids]

Luckily, the trustee didn't take our Stimulous check. So I'm dedicating a portion of that to Christmas. The other portion is going in my savings account.

I told family I don't have the money this year to spend. DH hasn't been getting many hours at work. If the hours are cut any more we're going to be seriously hurting. So right now, I'm trying to put as much as I possibly can in our savings account.

[PoorGrammyinBK7]

Last year I was so pissed off at "Christmas", if you can even call it that anymore.

I didn't buy anyone any gifts. I had plenty of money to do so but chose not to.

I made fudge, carmel popcorn, etc.
Crocheted scarves for my sisters.
Made a bunch of crafty ornaments with the kids.

Then I made up gift boxes for each family. I wrote everyone a nice letter which explains that I am sick of the greed fest the Christmas has become and this year our family decided to give gifts that come from our heart. The entire family took a really good look at what has become of Christmas and actually thanked me for the reality check moreso than the "gifts" which they really enjoyed.

In fact, because of my rebellion last year, this year we are not exchanging gifts at all. We are each going to get the kids one gift from each family, then spend Christmas doing what we used to do a long time ago, celebrating the birth of Christ.

Good for you! Back to the basics and what is important. Sounds like you have a great family and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

[Bandit]

I am baking up hundreds of old fashioned cookies & handing them out to everyone & mailing greeting cards.

there is no way I am getting caught up in the run around sam mall.

I prefer a relaxing and peaceful but still fun holiday this year.

[Bandit]

I haven't been to a black friday in 20 years at least but they are opening at midnight this year and I just might do it...I need clothes and a bed badly. But I hate shopping and wonder if it will be as crowded at that time as it would be at 6 in the morning...oh probably, huh....sigh.....
ep

I like going into it the week after christmas or after new years better. Black freakday really should be done between 6 & 9 AM...after that prepare for accidents & angry in the parking lot.

[Never_Again]

We have been setting aside some money for Christmas. Mainly all that gets bought for is my three children. I may try to squeak out some money to buy my wife a little something. We bought my daughter a used laptop computer off Ebay for about half the price of a new one ($280), and she is going to be thrilled. My oldest son did very well last year, so he already knows that he won't be getting much.

We have tried to plan ways to make the whole season more fun and memorable. Baking cookies with the kids on one weekend... playing games on the weekend nights during the season... making crafts... you know, that type of thing.

But, back to the question... how am I going to afford it? Basically, I have cashflowed it with money from my pay, since the first of October. December has an extra week in it as well, if I need some more, but I shouldn't.

[lillaimof2kids]

The bestest Xmas gift I have gotten in the last few years was a DVD of tons of photos from when me and my brothers were kids. My Dad spent hours and hours throughout the year converting them from old 60's and 70's photographs. I am so grateful to have that and I know what kind of work and thought went into it.

I think your idea is pricesless.

ep

My brother and I did this for my mom and dad last year for Christmas. We took all of their track videos (the kind that you wrap the film around the roll from the 70's) and had them put on CD. They loved it!