A few thoughts:

I've found it very hard to buy gifts for the kids who already have everything. (I've seen the grandmothers try and outdo each other - not pretty.) I buy savings bonds for the kids. If I know they have a 529 college savings plan I'll give them $$ for it.

Re: thank you notes or phone calls - two strikes and you're out. I've thought of giving blank thank you note cards as gifts but haven't got the nerve.

Re: my own children, I heard a saying about how the wise men only brought the baby Jesus three gifts so the number three is my focus for Christmas and birthdays. I did it for their birthday (okay four - two were small - I'm still learning) and it worked out fine.

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Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.

WWII saying

I feel that way too. It can get to be TOO MUCH! We are trying to make our gatherings more meaningful and not more expensive and stressful.

I guess we do not exchange gifts with very many people. But I like it!!! I love looking for the perfect gift at a perfect clearance price. I hate to seem ungrateful for any gift me or my family receive, but we know not to expect any type of thought in any gift my kids receive from my sister. That is just he way it is. But I still put lots of thought into my gifts for her family. I like giving.

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~Happiness is a large family~

I would like to do gifts for kids only. Even then though, my son has way to many toys. This year for his birthday I am saying clothing, art supplies and books.

Last year, no one got gifts from us for Christmas. With the baby coming, me being sick, and my mom having her problems and in a coma through Christmas, it just wasn't happening. We told everyone this.

Well, those who had the funds to get us presents - for us or the baby - did so, and told us that it was ok, they really wanted to give. They didn't want nor expect anything back. My sister and her family were in the same boat as us - in a bit of a money squeeze from having to relocate and other deals, so having us step up and say we aren't shopping also gave them the "out" to not have to buy a lot of presents they really couldn't afford.

It's pretty much a given now, if we are having a bit of a struggle to make sure ends are met, we aren't getting presents for others. I still call my friends and family on birthdays etc, or I'll do goofy pictures for folks (the last birthday of a friend, I printed out a Happy Birthday sign, and had the baby "holding" it), but I'm not going to stress over getting someone a gift they may not need, when I could use that money to buy milk or something.

If I can get something SUPER cheap and it's not going to affect our budget, and it's PERFECT, I'll get it though. I guess you can say my gift giving is random, but the thought is always there.

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I have been trying for the last 3 years to get everyone on board with me to quite giving Christmas gifts...or to just do the White Elephant thing. We all stress out so much over gifts and half the time we don't even get what we want...not to mention the money. It also seems silly to me that I send $10 to people for birthdays and they just send it right back to me for my birthday. Who knows, with things being so screwy with the economy this year, maybe I can convince a few people...but sometimes they act like I'm just a total party pooper...or that I'm somehow offending them b/c I don't want to exchange gifts with them.

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Jenny, wife to Brad, mommy to two crazy little kids with one on the way!

I would love more than anything to do this so would my dh but it's the extended family that won't go for it. I agree with another poster who said she is tired of giving when it's not appreciated. We never get thank-you from nieces and nephews on his side. I would like to stop buying for them. But I follow dh's lead. It's his family.

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I discussed this with my sister and brother and we decided to NOT buy each other gifts anymore. I then brought my BIL into the loop and he agreed that was a GREAT idea. We now JUST buy for the kids and try to limit the gift amount to $30 each. If the kids want something more than $30 it is OK to give a contribution towards something larger. (Not very personal but I would rather my money go towards somethign they want as opposed to something they don't want.)

This past Christmas we decided to limit our gifts at Christmas to our Children to three from "Santa" and three from Mommy and Daddy. Three gifts was good enough for the Baby Jesus it is good enough for them. I did "lump" some gifts -- I bought my daughter a jewlery box with about 10 different pieces of jewlery in it (some cheaper stuff with a total price of under $100) My other daughter got an MP3 player and speakers. They each counted as 1 gift. But then again so did the cheaper Littlest Pet Shop characters, and the Nintento DS games I got on sale!! It went over really well.

I would rather buy one good present than a dozen OK presents. It should be about the family together anyway -- not the gifts.

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Grace

Wife to Stoney

Mommy of Sarah (8.5), Hannah (7), and John(4.5)

I feel the same. Last Christmas a friend decided that we should exchange gifts (to include kids) we set a limit which was $40 per person and my kids got a set of towels from WalMart. When we sent the thank you cards we also sent a note saying that due to excessive consumerism and the impact on our environment that we had decided to not exchange gifts with anyone outside of family for future years. I am sick of thoughtless gifts, not that we need any gifts at all. But the fact is that the money I spent could have gone to my kids college fund or charity and my time spent out shopping (which I hate to do around Christmas) could have been spent with my kids doing fun stuff. I am so over doing the gift thing and have even talked to my MIL about the adults just giving to a worthy charity instead of buying stuff for eachother that isn't needed. She feels the same as I do. Sorry to rant.

I have trouble with gifts too - My nephews and nieces are spoilt enough with their toys and dont take care of them. I dont want to buy something I know is going to get broken next week. I normally end up giving a gift card for a clothing shop.

I dont like buying cards either - I feel as it is a waste of money, same with thoughtless gifts. They end up stored somewhere taking up space.

We only give children gifts for Christmas, and a family gift of baked goods. Santa only gives our dd a stocking of gifts, which does not come up to a high price.