This Christmas snuck up on me way too quickly and hit my pocket hard, even though I spent around $500.00 on about 25 people. I did well by sticking to my budget: $10 for each child under 13, $15 for each person 13 and over, and no more than $20 on each adult. My husband and I had a $150.00 budget on each other. Even though I had that budget, sometimes I spent less on stuff that was on clearance. For instance, if I found something for my sister who is 12 something that was normally worth $12-$15 and it was on sale for $8.00, I got her that instead of spending the whole $10. It helped alot, especially after being so far behind from the August wedding.

This year I am doing something different. Each month, I am going to buy one or two people's gifts and a few stocking stuffers for my husband. I've already gotten my grandmother, 1/2 of my mom's, and four stocking stuffers for my husband.

The things that we put in our stockings are things we use throughout the year, such as razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, those type things. And I useually have coupons for them and get them as close to free as I can.

For 2006, I kept an excel spreadsheet of all gifts given (including family, friends, teachers, neighbors, etc). It was rather eye opening to say the least. It also let me keep track of who I had not bought or made something for.

I have already started my 2007 spreadsheet because I got some really great after Christmas deals. I am hoping it helps me start shopping sooner and getting better deals.

But I like to do lists and spreadsheets and such ......

I already buy all year, and after target's toy sale the last weeks, I'm done for all the cousins, kid's friends, etc, little gifts that add up quick.
We always budget around $3000 for christmas but that includes the trip expenses b/c we go to TX and TN for 3 weeks and all presents, hotels, food, etc.
I have a seperate account I save every month in through ING and i just transfer money. All that money gets used for the actually trip since I'm normally done with presents by Thanksgiving.

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

What I do is I shop for christmas items throughout the year. I try to get stuff I know people will need, for example I get clothes for the kids, and just try to get a size bigger then what they are wearing now. That way if it is too big they can grow into it. With the adults though, its not always that easy, but at least it helps trim the amount of gifts I need to get by years end! Good luck

This year we are trying something different. Dh gets a raise in March so he is taking a dollar and hour of that raise before taxes and putting it into a special checking/savings account that the union offers. This way we wont even see the money or know its there or how much until we get a statement every month. I figure out of site out of mind, right. Also, we are going to open another savings account and put AT LEAST $20 a paycheck 3 weeks out of the month (the 4 wk dh is in school and his paycheck is cut in half). Also we are saving all of our change and will deposit it into the savings account when it builds up enough.

Then we are going to try to get gifts as we see them through out the year so we arent trying to buy them all at once and just use the new accounts that we have.

The spreadsheets seem like a great idea! I think I will have to try them this year.

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SAHM to Elias 3/00, Camdyn 7/03 and Teagan 5/08

This is what I do to......I went to Walmart and Target after Christmas a bought a bunch of really cheap toys and stocking stuffers for the kids for next year. I also use them for Birthdays. Sometimes I buy stuff at the Black Friday sales and save those too. We also turn in medical reciepts in November and use that money. Between buying things on sale throughout the year and the check we get in November, we don't usually have to spend that much.