How do you indicate what is the appropriate amount to spend on each person for Christmas?

Question

Example: We have about 25 people that we have to buy for this year including parents, siblings and their spouses and children. How do we determine what is the appropriate amount to spend on each person? I know we normally spend more on our parents, but money is tight this year, and we need to "pinch pennies" where we can without being rude or disrespectful. Its hard because you dont want to get somebody a $25 gift card and they got you a $50 gift card. I personally think that having to buy for everybody is completely ridiculous, but you have certain people in the family that would be offended if they bought for you and you didnt buy for them... I dont even enjoy the holidays much anymore because its all about the presents, and everybody forgets the TRUE meaning of Christmas... but I still need ideas?!?

Answer 1

First, you go by your budget total of what you can spend for Christmas. That means you give as you are able and how God has blessed you. If you are the wealthiest one in your family, you should not give what everyone else gives you. If you are the poorest one in your family, you are not expected to give what everyone else gives you. Christmas or any other gift giving should not be competitive but out of love.

Second, since you are giving out of love, that should basically be how you divide your budget allocation. It would be altered by any gifts you feel one person or family really needs or the flip side of that, not spend as much on parents if they really have everything they need and you just spend on them what you would on your sister and her husband.

Third, don't think you have to get something for everybody. If you forget somebody, so be it. If you can run out and get something extra and take it out of another budget, so be it. If you can regift something that you got at an office party that would be appropriate for the forgotten person, so be it. Otherwise, don't stress yourself over it.

Last of all, you should allocate something for you and your spouse to spend on each other that is spent last so it takes the savings and overages of all the other gifts.

Example: If I had saved $50 a month to spend $600 on Christmas and have 26 people to spend on, besides myself and my spouse, here is the way I would budget it:

4 Parents $33 each
6 Siblings and Spouses $22 each
Except your brother just got laid off so you want to give him a $50 gift card, so that would be $28 more
10 Coworkers $11 each
6 Children $22 each
2 Each Other $33 each
Total $600

Exception: If you realize you cannot afford decent gifts for the whole family and coworkers and wife's best friend at church and the husband's best friend and golf buddy, then you should propose at Thanksgiving, that you draw names for gifts, either putting everybody's names in, or simply putting each family's name in a bowl. So if there are 8 couples, as above, each one would get a sheet of paper and list their family's members by first name and maybe a gift suggestion. Then as the bowl is passed, one of the adults draws a name of the family they will buy for. In addition, it will be agreed that each person also buys for their own spouse and children. If anybody draws their own name, then all names go back in the bowl and you redraw. If that does not work after three times, then whoever has their own name just switches with the family on their right.

Answer 2

Take the initiative, and ask the relatives if they would like to draw names this year. You of course buy for the immediate family, but the Aunts, Uncles and cousins could all draw. There might be a lot of support, and applause, others might be thinking the same thing. With gasoline at $3+, some might really want to cut back.
And you are right, it loses something to trade presents when the cost becomes the issue, not the thought.
Some saving ways might be to buy for the family, instead of each individual. Buy some games for the families, you could include ones for the adults, and ones for the kids.
Another is a gift basket for the family, fill it with snacks, or something themed, like a Blockbuster gift card, and popcorn and boxed candy for movie night at home.
My grandparents solved the problem, when they retired, they sent each family, no matter what the size, a check, intended to pay for part or all of Xmas dinner. The check was the same amount for everyone. With 7 children, and more grandkids than I care to count, a wise and economical decision. They had little or no knowledge of some of the kids, saw them infrequently, years went by, due to distance. My uncle lived abroad, they lived in many countries.

Answer 3

Why don't you talk to someone that has a lot of influence over the family? Tell them your situation and suggest that you all draw names at Thanksgiving. If you don't think that would go over well, just tell everyone that money is tight this year and you will not be giving gifts or that you can only spend 10 dollars each. Request that they do the same for you. Another option is to give them a food item that you make yourself. Or you could make something. One time, a friend made a family cookbook and gave it to everyone. There wouldn't be a lot of cost if you use the computer. Collect favorite family recipes and include them all. You could even include family memories about when the dishes were served. Another way to save is to give family gifts. Instead of buying for your sibling, his wife and kids, give a family gift such as a meal out, movie night (popcorn, candy and gift card to video store) or games.

Answer 4

One way around indicating how much to spend on people is to not get gift cards. With a gift card people know exactly how much money you spent, where with a gift you can get some pretty awesome stuff on sales that would go for twice the price normally.

To make things easier for you, I would do a family gift for each of the families you have to buy for. So your parents would get a gift, your in-laws, and your siblings with their spouses & children would get another. If you have any unmarried siblings, there is no need to spend as much on them as you would on the other sibling & their family.

I like to make gift baskets (a real fake out to how much money you spend).

For a family you could do a movie or game night basket including some classic movies/games, and snacks. If you live near the beach, you could give them a Day at the Beach basket with beach towels, suntan lotions, & beach toys packed in either a beach bag or cooler.

For your parents or a married couple without children, you can do a romantic dinner for 2 basket. Include wine, gourmet pasta, gourmet sauce & a box of chocolates, candles, etc. You could even do a Breakfast Basket and include the makings for mimosas or bloody mary's, real maple syrup, pancake mix, muffin mix, fresh fruit, a bag of coffee.

If there are unmarried siblings, then a small basket or gift specific to what they like is good. Bath & Body Works usually has some great deals and so do different sports stores & gamining stores.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Gift buying became excessive in my family. We agreed to do a secret santa type thing. You still buy for your parents and the kids in the family (meaning under 18 or still a full time student) then everyone else puts a name in a hat along with 3 gift ideas around 50 dollars (or whatever price you set). The deal is that you SPEND 50 dollars on that person. You don't buy then a sweater marked $50 at Kohls that you actually got for $20.

Answer 6

Forget about buying gifts this year & make all of the gifts yourself. Cookies or pies are delicious! Include a picture of yor family in the greeting card. Include a frame for the picture gift for your in-laws & parents.

Another thing that you can do is tell everyone that you are making a donation to a particular charity in his or her name as a gift this year, and that you would like for all gifts to you to be done the same way.

Adopt an angel off the Christmas tree this year for each child that you normally would give presents to. I do this in memory of my miscarried baby. Do so in honor of each child. Let their parents know what you did.

Any tangible gifts (other than pictures & cards) can be taken to the Goodwill or Salvation Army to make someone elses post Christmas nicer this year.

Invite the whole group to your church for Christmas Eve services.

Go Christmas caroling in nursing homes & retirement communities, giving out cookies to the residents. I've done this a few times.

The year before last year, I gave out homemade quilts to the residents in 3 nursing homes, and homemade walker bags to the residents of 3 nursing homes. One place got both. I gave out walker bags & catheter covers to 3 other nursing homes since then, but not for Christmas.

Homemade gifts are appreciated more than store bought gifts. If you can sew, knit, make pottery, paint pictures, or have some other skill that would be a good gift to share finished items with your family, you will be remembered really well.

Answer 7

It varies a lot, when it comes to my husband and my sons I usually spend quite a lot, but getting something they like is more important than the amount. Two years ago for instance I managed to get a Wii for my two younger sons by the skin of my teeth (they were selling out everywhere), and I got three games with it, and that was their joint Christmas present. I suppose I would reckon to spend about a hundred pounds each on my husband and my two sons individually. My best friend I normally spend about twenty pounds or so. I don't exchange presents with any of my other friends, we just do cards.

Answer 8

amount spend person christmas

Answer 9

$10 on each person.parents $10-$20.