Hi everyone!
Now that Christmas is over how many of you are dreading getting that credit card bill in January or are going to struggle buying groceries for the next month because you went over what you had budgeted for Xmas??
Or who stayed within their budget or under it?
Just curious.
My DH put us over budget on MY presents. They were very nice(digital pic frame and an 80 min massage at a Spa).
We came to a grand total of $1072. This is with charity presents and everything else that goes with xmas. DD got WAY too many presents. That includes us giving her too much and everyone else giving her too much!
We feel blessed but on the other hand it is almost embarrasing how many presents one child recieves. Next year we are going to stick with 3 wise men presents and 3 santa presents...for a total of 6 presents in all. I did wrap some clothes I got on clearance for this coming summer, but I wont do that next year. I think she will start to expect all that down the line.
SO how did you all do??

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Jenifer M

I think we went over by a couple hundred dollars. I haven't sat down and completely figured it out but i know we went over our original amount.

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Jodie....Wife to Andrew (1995)
Mommy to Riley (2000) and Wyatt (2003)

I haven't tallied all the numbers yet, but I'm sure we went over some. The older girls' gifts were over their allotted amount, but it was their big item each that pushed expenses close or over the limit. The unexpected gifts we tried to keep costs low, and everyone else's gifts pretty much remained within their limits.

We went a few hundred over, not enough to make or break us. We never put it on credit card, though, only cash.

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~Vicki~
Mama to Hailey, 4 and Ella, 2

We stayed at 600.00, our budgeted amount. We never went over a dime.

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~~Sharon~~

Minus probably $20.00 we stayed within our limit! Can't complain about that!

We spent a tonne.. but we only pay cash.. so such is life. lol!

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~@~ Carla ~@~

We stayed within the budget, and actually sent les this year, because I cut back a little/mailed only lightweight and flt things o people I mail gifts to.

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"And the state of his bathroom -- I'm not one to gossip, but there are things crusted on his sink that have not simply developed intelligent life but have in all probability by now evolved their own political systems." Cain describes Abel in in SANDMAN #70

We paid cash for everything so we will not be dreading January. We spent more than we should have, but atleast it won't come back to haunt us in that way.

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Loving wife to Matthew 6/26/04
SAHM to Jacob Matthew 4/19/03 & Evelyn Grace 2/15/06
Baby #3 due 3/14/09

I figured it up today and I am so proud......we are a family of six........and we spent a total of $400.............but not only was that the six of us that was 8 nieces, 2 friends, and 3 other adults. I bought things on clearance in advance, and bought used gameboys. It was not a big Christmas, but it was nice, and the kids were satisfied with everything. It was our first cash only Christmas in 3 years, I was tempted to use the card, BUT didn't.

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Jennifer

Money must be managed first, spent later -Mary Hunt