Who do you buy Christmas presents for?

amandacat

We have always bought for both our parents, all nieces and nephews who are children and our daughter and son in law. The problem is that our family keep having more kids and the number of nieces and nephews is becoming unmanageable plus we now have a grandchild as well. 
I want to cut it down so we no longer buy for nieces and nephews but my husband thinks this is mean and no doubt they will too but with 20 of them now and the new grandchild, it’ll cost so much. 
Just wondering what others do? Thanks 

MrsPorridge

My Mum used to buy for nieces and nephews until they were 21 she then stopped.  I only now buy for DS.  DH and I just buy stuff we want throughout the year.  My brother has 3 children - we don't bother to buy for each other any more.  To be frank, its a real relief for me.  Also DS is now 24 so we give him money and I just buy little fiddly bits and bobs for his stocking.

tacpot12

I can see the problem. If you buy each child an age-appropriate and thoughtful gift you are going to be spending £200-300 on the nieces and nephews, as well as everyone else. My family is relatively young so I don't have this problem yet, and so I can't give you advice from experience. I sure other people will be able to do so. 

Perhaps you need a rule that one a child is 5 or 6,  they no longer receive an individual gift - the older children can receive something they can share, like a large tub of chocolates? Up to 5 years old, you can buy small toys that will be appreciated by the child without spending more than £5. These are gifts so no-one should complain if the gifts are a little less generous this year. 

If your husband still thinks this is stingy, perhaps you need to both need to compromise a bit. In part, by him paying more this year from his savings, and in part, by you saving harder next year to make the spend on presents less of a stretch at Christmas.  

strawb_shortcake

I only have 3 Niece and Nephews, I stopped buying when they reached 18, my Niece is just about to have her second baby so I'll buy for her children. 
I only buy for parents and siblings, and our next door neighbours. 
On my Husband's side we send one of his Aunts flowers, his Dad usually gets a tin of biscuits that's been on offer and we send a gift for his niece, it hasn't been an easy relationship between my Husband and his Dad but my Husband has been trying to build a relationship with his half sister and her daughter.
Sadly my MIL passed away 20 years ago, and  my BIL is a bit of plum so it's a short list on the other halves side.

Spendless

I buy for my husband and son and daughter, our parents, my 2 grandmothers and 1 adult neice.
Adult neice is one I would like to drop ove the next year or so but it's a bit 'family sensitive'  currently.
My other Neice and Nephew I stopped buying presents for this year when they hit 19. Years ago I arranged with my sister that over 18 we wouldn't buy, but the kids were little then. Now I have experience of older teens/young adults I'd make the age 21 I'd stop buying at. This is purely because it gives them a few years to establish themselves in an adult world of work or to have finished/be close to finishing a degree.
20 Neices/nephews who are all children, that's going to cost a lot. I should imagine that this year when people have lost their jobs, been put on furlough, had a reduced income, it might be a good time to talk about reducing,if not stopping altogether 

Savvy_Sue

I remember a SIL saying that they didn't acknowledge nephews and nieces because there were too many. However, one of my siblings was a bit upset by that because while SIL might have had lots, most of them were on her side of the family not ours. So maybe your husband should do his, if he wants to? Because it's not just the cost, it's the organisation, isn't it?

I've carried on sending to my nephews and nieces until they start working. I wondered about stopping the youngest (still at school) a couple of years ago, when we pruned our list right back (don't really get anything for our own boys now) but there were reasons to carry on so I have. Must get their list now ...

I've got the oldest set, and I must say I've been better at sending cards and gifts to the younger sets than anyone else has been at sending to mine ... 

One thing which I really used to enjoy receiving (and I think the boys did too) was a hamper with lots of different goodies in. Shared present, but perhaps less work?

74jax

We have 4 nephews and we stop when they have kids. And then buy for the child. 
We buy for brother / sister /daughter /each other and nephews. 

MrsStepford

Previously, husband, his mother, my mother. His mother died during Lockdown 1. I am estranged from my bullying manipulative mother so she won't get anything. 

rach_k

It's quite easy in my family as my OH's family don't celebrate Christmas (and they are the ones with loads of kids!), so we just buy for my mum, my sisters and their partners, my sister's children and will buy for any children my other sisters may have.  

When it's Eid, OH sorts the gifts but we sometimes give a family gift instead of individual presents.  Food is always good, or something like a silly game that is fun for all ages e.g. Exploding Kittens.  

maman

Obviously the size of your family is the main problem OP. We send £20 each to all under 18s but that's gone down over the years to 7 (make that 8 for a baby born last week!). We can afford it so it doesn't bother us.

We don't buy for each other and a few years back we stopped buying for DDs. It was DD1's idea mainly because she hates 'stuff' and so many Christmas gifts can fall into that category. Both our girls have winter birthdays so we give them money to choose what they want. DD2 loves shopping so would like to give everyone gifts but she has her outlet on her in laws side so goes along with the decision.

We buy for our 2 DGDs but as they've got older, unless they want something special, they have money too and a few chocolates and stocking fillers. Last year DGD1 had a weighted blanket and DGD2 had clothes. This year it'll probably be money for online shopping. 😉

AnotherJoe

For me 18 was the cut off point and younger than that if no thank you received a couple years running.