Gifts for family

2

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  • We tend to spend/give £10 to our godchildren and their siblings for birthdays and christmas, as we have a lot of children we spend time with and it would just get ridiculous if we spent more than that.

    My DHs brother and sister and their partners, we now do a secret santa between the 6 of us which is £20 per person. His parents, we don't spend a set amount on, it just depends on what we can think of to get them. We will have had our baby by christmas, and so will my SIL, so it'll be a bit different in future years!
    Became Mrs Scotland 16.01.16 :heart:Became homeowners 26.02.16 :heart:Baby girl arrived 27.10.16 :heart:Baby boy arrived 16.09.2018
  • Thanks everyone for your responses you have given me a lot to think about
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  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884
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    Just a quick tip for present buying on a budget, I do surveys all year round and get Amazon vouchers as rewards, by Christmas they've added up to a fair amount (easily over £100, once nearly £200) and go towards my present budget. The best sites are Pinecone and Ipsos.
  • Roughly £10-15 for a child, a little more for adults. I don't go over the top. I'd rather get them something that's had a bit of thought go into it than a more pricey gift that they may not like and will get thrown into the back of the cupboard or charity-shopped.

    Many adults don't buy presents for each other for Christmas now, as they've pretty much got everything they need and most of what they want already!
  • maman
    maman Posts: 28,493
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    Roughly £10-15 for a child, a little more for adults. I don't go over the top. I'd rather get them something that's had a bit of thought go into it than a more pricey gift that they may not like and will get thrown into the back of the cupboard or charity-shopped.

    Many adults don't buy presents for each other for Christmas now, as they've pretty much got everything they need and most of what they want already!


    Interestingly, Martin :money:was on the radio earlier talking about just this subject.


    His theme was the stress, both emotional and financial, that people put themselves under with reciprocal gift buying.


    In our immediate family we decided not to give to adults any more so just our two DGDs get presents at Christmas. It was DD1's idea as there's nothing she hates more than 'stuff'. Both our DDs have birthdays just before Christmas so we treat them then.


    Outside immediate family we give money to some children (great nieces and nephews) and a token gift to a couple of friends that we meet up with for a festive meal. Last year it was a Lidl's Stollen each to show my Waitrose shopping friends that they should think outside the box:D. My DD2 is a bit of a shopaholic so I think she still chooses to buy for the world and his wife. She also has in-laws that are a bit cash strapped so look forward to a treat.


    I think OP should stop or cut back if she's having financial hardship buying the gifts that she does. No gift is worth that.


    Personally I hate 'stuff' too and there's far too much of that in the shops at Christmas IMO so I'm happy to go without gifts but if other people get pleasure from the shopping and the giving and they can afford it then each to his own.
  • Another thing, I know you don't give in order to receive, but it can work out expensive and unfair if for example you buy for the son, daughter, mum and dad separately, but they give you one present from all of them!
  • I spend about £20-30 on my mum, with presents bought all year round, usually in sales.

    £20 cash each for my niece and nephew.

    My granddaughter will have about £30 spent on her, but mainly clothes bought in the sales. I've bought a couple of other bits in the sales as well, such as summer toys (her birthday is 23rd December!) She's only 21 months, so she doesn't understand anything about Christmas yet.

    Great nephews £10 each on clothes or books in the sales.

    My own kids have a bit more spent on them, but again I buy throughout the year and in sales wherever possible.

    Books make good presents, and The Book People have some great bargains. If you want to cut your budget further, think about buying your nieces, nephews and godchildren a decent book or a collection from them. Collections are often only around the £10 mark, and discounts are available relatively frequently.

    For older nieces, places like Tesco and Boots have some lovely costume jewellery for less than £10.
  • A few years ago our mum decided Christmas and birthdays for all of children/grandchildren/great grandchildren had all got a bit too much, so no more pressies from her.
    We had already cut right back on pressies between the siblings. Then as people moved managing to exchange before Christmas got more problematic. So eventually that stopped.
    No giving or receiving gifts at all now. Do I miss, no..if I want to give someone something I do it there and then, not when the world tells me to.
    It is not always the giving, maybe there are others in the family who would like to cut back, but are also worried about others will think.
    Contact family and say this is increasing difficult can we have a cut back.
    When you read about the financial trouble people get themselves into at Christmas you think is it worth it...no its no really. Its only stuff..and what good is stuff....
    Maybe think outside the box and see if you can do something for them...free babysitting for a month or something..if you get my drift.
    We seem to spend half of Christmas in church anyway (that's just us, and Christmas is really that-isn't it).
    When I used to work a collegue would always get her children the latest things for pressies. Get up early on Christmas morning. Open then...then got bored for the rest of the day.
  • SuzieSue
    SuzieSue Posts: 4,096
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    When I was in my early 20s I told everyone that I did not want any presents and that I would not be buying anyone any presents.

    The only exception is if I am invited to a wedding.
  • maman
    maman Posts: 28,493
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    scaredlady wrote: »
    No giving or receiving gifts at all now. Do I miss, no..if I want to give someone something I do it there and then, not when the world tells me to.


    I like to do that too:). If I see something that would be perfect for a friend I'll buy it as a 'saw this and thought of you present'. Nothing pricey or something they could get anywhere/anytime but perhaps from a charity shop or TKMaxx. I also like to take flowers when I visit people through the year.
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