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Real Life MMD: Do I need to spend more on Xmas pressies?

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Money Moral Dilemma: Do I need to spend more on Xmas pressies?
I do a lot of my Christmas shopping throughout the year, always trailing the shops’ clearance sections for bargains. However at Christmas time when my family and I usually set a present budget, I've been bargain hunting through the year and have bought most gifts already. Should I spend more to make up to the agreed budget or benefit from my year-round bargain shopping?
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It can work the other way though, I do a secret santa with some friends who have children the same age as my son the budget is a minimum of 5.00 to make it a bit of a challenge as well as keeping it in budget. Managed to find an ideal gift half price at 6.00 so I was quite chuffed, it's something really decent but still in budget.
Isn't it all about the giving, rather than the amount you spent on someone? Anyone who judges the value of your friendship and/or family worth based on the price of the gift you've given them is very shallow, and not worth giving a present to in the first place.
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For example, say the budget was £100, but you'd managed to get everything half price, so had currently spent £50, then I'd spent another £25. That way it looks to everyone else as if you've been generous and spent a lot, but you've still saved money. Win-win.
Although I think the main lesson to take from this is that the budget is an upper limit so that spending doesn't get out of hand. But the true value of a gift is the thought that goes into it, what it means/represents, and the joy that the receiver will get from it (and the giver). If you're just going to reduce the gifts to monetary values, then you aren't really getting the point of giving, so you may as well not give at all (or just give the cash sum).
Well done.
As other posters have said, your budget is an upper limit to your spending. If you've spent the time securing bargains, then decide to top it up with some last-minute value-adders, you've wasted your time tracking down the bargains in the first place.
Also, you run the risk of it looking to your friends/family as if you've hastily bundled together some pressies at the last minute, without proper thought.
Far better, I feel, to keep track of your underspend. Then, if there's someone who's particularly difficult to buy for, or who you spot an ideal present for that's just outside your budget, you can spend it on them.
Or you could use it to take them somewhere nice over Christmas. Or pay for the Christmas food, so your whole Christmas is in budget.
You made those monetary savings by investing time. Don't render your investment worthless.
Just think: "What would Martin do?"