For certain people?
I find when I shop for certain people, I find all kinds of stuff they'd like or that
they're interested in.. so I end up buying a few things for them.
I guess they're just easy to shop for? Then there are others that I cant seem to find
anything up till xmas eve and I scramble to find something.
:holiday09

OMG the question should be can anyone stay in their budget for Christmas. I can't remember ever not overbuying for christmas.

Not really. DH goes way overboard though, IMO.

I over do it every single year...lol

No, I don't go overboard for Christmas. I save money for Christmas and I use only that cash. It's so easy for my husband and I though b/c we don't have any kids. I'm willing to bet that it would be easier to blow a budget with kids to buy for. lol

I have cut back on other things in order to be able to do more, but no debt for Christmas

OMG the question should be can anyone stay in their budget for Christmas. I can't remember ever not overbuying for christmas.

I know it sounds like a silly question, but I was meaning just for 1-2 people you buy for that you just keep picking stuff up, cuz you think...
"oh *** would love this", and "OH, *** collects this...", and "*** said they
needed this.." Especially when you find those deals you cant pass up. LOL

Then you give them they're gifts and you handing them like 4-5 things, instead
of just 1. :2wiggle:

Unfortunately, the question for me should be is there anyone you don't go overboard for? I'm like that with everyone. It's really bad with the neice and nephew. They're 16 and 20 now, but I still buy them too much. We get them a few nice gifts, stuff they want and then I do what I call a junk box, which is really just tons of smaller stuff I've found along the way that I think they'd like. Last year I filled them each one of the big size pampers boxes and I'm not talking with just stocking stuffer type stuff. Some of it is, sure, but then there's a lot of nicer stuff in there too. It's an addiction I can't stop!! For others, like my parents, I tend to find a big box for each of them and then try to fit everything in it so it just looks like one present for each of them, but then the packages are always huge and hard to transport. Same thing for my husband. He usually gets about 9 or 10 packages, but each package has several things in it. It's insane and I know it. This is probably why I freak out so much about having to wrap stuff.

I have just become an aunt 2.5 years ago, and have really gone overboard with
my nephew and Neices. Its nice to have to buy for kids other than your own.
My boys are spoiled and really dont need/want anything. So I'm off to spoil others. LOL

I definetely do with my 2 boys. I figure it is only once a year that I really splurge like that. Every year I say I am going to cut back, but it is too hard. It's not my fault the stores have such good sales. ;)

I have just become an aunt 2.5 years ago, and have really gone overboard with
my nephew and Neices. Its nice to have to buy for kids other than your own.
My boys are spoiled and really dont need/want anything. So I'm off to spoil others. LOL

It is fun :) I wasn't around when my neice and nephew were younger. I just became their aunt 5 years ago when I got married. (I'm closer in age to them than my hubby...how funny is that? lol) I'd hate to see what it was like if I were around when they were little! lol

It's not my fault the stores have such good sales. ;)

I totally agree!!! It's all the stores fault!!!!! :thumbsup:

I over do it every single year...lol

:gdyeahthat:

I definitely do for my sons. They get WAY to much but Christmas is my favorite time to spoil them.

Every year!!!!!!!!! On DS, DD, and DH!!!!

yes....it seems that one child is easier to buy for ...but I make sure in the end it is even...lol....I tell myself...THAT IS ALL FOR DD but then I see a good sale and get more....oyyyyyy ....lol

I buy a lot for my little sister, she is 7 and every year she gets almost as much stuff as my kids do. I always find something else she would like when i am shopping for my kids.

I have but I am really trying not to. Especially for my kids. When they were younger they ended up with so much stuff that it honestly took me a week to find places to put it (my mom and 1 MIL love to shop too)

I go overboard on everyone every year!!!!! :)

I go way overboard for my kids.

I go overboard for my kids, last year we had to stop the unwrapping to clean up, so that we could find the rest of the gifts.

I do pretty good about sticking to what I had intended for my boys cuz they have so much already. My mom's a whole different story though. I'm always buying her stuff. Her birthday is the day after christmas though so if I go too nuts, I just add it to her birthday stash. :D

I wish I could say I am good about sticking to a budget but I am not at all. DH gripes at me about how much they get and then when I try and scale back he asks why the kids have so little this year? :banghead:

Is there any other way- for my kids and my grandaughter a definete yws

Usually, and this year will likely be the same. I have 6 nephews and 1 niece now, but any day now my newest niece will arrive. I have to get a box ready to go overseas by middle of next month (surface shipping) so I'm having a hard time shopping now. And my niece has been through a lot since last Christmas (family problems, poor little one) living in foster care temporarily... now that she's home for good I want to try and make it special for her. Thank goodness she's easy to shop for!

Yes, I go overboard for my daughter every year! Just can't help it.:yup:

Not really--we really have to stick to a budget, or we pay for it. I've mostly done without a credit card--and that's the way I want it.

I go way overboard on my kids. I do manage to stay in my budget but after EVERY Christmas I think, "Okay - next year I'm going to make a SET number of gifts and when I find them on sale I SAVE the extra..." and then I always end up spending the extra on more stuff that I find for them! LOL!

The biggest problem for me is the age difference. I try to spend the same $$ on each of my 2 kids, but everything ds17 wants cost a lot, Like last year he wanted a ps3 =$600. I tried to spend the same on ds5, but if I would have, our house would be piled to the ceiling with toys!:) ds5 toys costs a lot less!! So ds 17 ends up with 2 oor 3 gifts and ds5 gets 20+ and I still didn't spend as much on ds5!! ugg!

Since I became an aunt I go way overboard for my niece. The past two years I've bought so much I've held it over for her birthday in March.

I tend to overbuy for my mom and babysister. I have a lot of trouble with my boyfriend and my older sister though.

Ummmm yeah....

It seems like if I start shopping too early then I always end up with more stuff for everyone on Christmas because I always find ONE more good deal. If I don't shop until BF, then I usually only buy what I originally want to buy for each person.

I know it sounds like a silly question, but I was meaning just for 1-2 people you buy for that you just keep picking stuff up, cuz you think...
"oh *** would love this", and "OH, *** collects this...", and "*** said they
needed this.." Especially when you find those deals you cant pass up. LOL

Then you give them they're gifts and you handing them like 4-5 things, instead
of just 1. :2wiggle:

yep got those same :cheesy: few people

I'm forever on the hunt for the gift that will provide the "WOW" factor (You know, when a kid opens a present and their first response is a jaw dropping "WOW!") I'll get something that I think will get that, and then a week or two later I'll see something else that I think will get a bigger 'wow' and buy that, too. Then a couple weeks later, rinse and repeat. LOL

I'm forever on the hunt for the gift that will provide the "WOW" factor (You know, when a kid opens a present and their first response is a jaw dropping "WOW!") I'll get something that I think will get that, and then a week or two later I'll see something else that I think will get a bigger 'wow' and buy that, too. Then a couple weeks later, rinse and repeat. LOL

:gdyeahthat:

we go overboard this year we are going to be less less
at thanksgiving i want to exchange names we allways buy nice
stuff and get back freebees and dollor tree items
i know its the thought but my family does for there own
and that should be the way we do
so i am going to hint again lets draw names:eyepoppin

I usually go over board, in a big way one year my husband asked if I left anything for anyone to buy! the living room floor was covered i think each kid of the 2 we had then had like 15 gifts from just santa! then from us there was another 10 so we really over did it.

I now tend to over do it BUT when I take my inventory of what I have and then do some returning before xmas so i don't always over do it. this year it will be a small number of gifts from us because we will be at WDW for the holiday, so each kid is getting like 4 things and thats it from mom and dad.

I'm forever on the hunt for the gift that will provide the "WOW" factor (You know, when a kid opens a present and their first response is a jaw dropping "WOW!") I'll get something that I think will get that, and then a week or two later I'll see something else that I think will get a bigger 'wow' and buy that, too. Then a couple weeks later, rinse and repeat. LOL

I am like this in a big way myself.
Especially for my Inlaws. I"m always trying to get them something they wouldnt
buy for themselves.. and when I ask for some ideas, I get "oh nothing.. or just get
a gift card.. " blah! I only give gift cards if I"m in a pinch or REALLY cant find anything.

have you ever had someone tell you "you buy to much"? i like to buy a lot for my kids at christmas. i don't decide hay i'm going to buy x amount of gifts for each of them it just turns out that way. i see a great deal and i get it. my mom use to give my brother and i some of the best christmas's. so i guess i get it from her, but i have some friends that say i get to much. one friend said she only gets like 2 or 3 gifts for her dd and don't i think i got them enough already since i have a totel of 16 so far. lol i don't think so this is the one thing i enjoy doing, so why is it other people feel they need to tell you what you should have or what to do if you didn't ask them?

personally, i grew up in a family where each of us would only get one present from our parents and other relatives. (in a family of four kids, we thought this was totally normal growing up, and at school we would just never talk about what we got for christmas or how many presents we got. but then our parents didn't tell us about santa either. i think we all just assumed he never existed and it was a neat story.)

it kinda boggles my mind when i hear of kids that would get 10 presents or more at christmas, mostly because i don't know if their parents are made of money, or if their parents bought them a ton of stuff on super clearance, or what not.

there's no win or lose in this situation though. some might say you're overindulging your children, some say if you can do it, then do it.

Absolutely! I usually do this for people that are hard to buy for. I'll pick something up for them then later question if it was a gift they'll really want. See something else, think it's better, pick that up also..... (Well, you see where this is going)

I have spent way more than budgeted the last few years, I am going to try to be better this year !

I always go way overboard....I can't help it, like others I find bargains that are way to good to pass up and just love the look on the grandkids faces when they arrive at my house and find presents all around the livingroom cause there is no more room under the tree. I get so much pleasure watching everyone opening their gifts, I hate to see it end. Are they spoiled?...lol...nah...as I say they are just well loved :yup:

I do every year for my 3 kids and dh, so what i have to do is when it comes time to wrap the stuff , which my dh and i do together every year, i dont bring it all out, i wait till i am home alone during the day, then wrap it and try to squeeze it all the closet before he sees it, and then come xmas morning he always forgets what we wrapped. i have been getting away with this for 5 years now...:D

The biggest problem for me is the age difference. I try to spend the same $$ on each of my 2 kids, but everything ds17 wants cost a lot, Like last year he wanted a ps3 =$600. I tried to spend the same on ds5, but if I would have, our house would be piled to the ceiling with toys!:) ds5 toys costs a lot less!! So ds 17 ends up with 2 oor 3 gifts and ds5 gets 20+ and I still didn't spend as much on ds5!! ugg!

This is my problem too. It is so hard to make it look even that I really usually go wwwwaaaayyyy overboard!

I usually end up buying way too much for the kids. Or one of the kids. I usually have to balance it out.

OMG the question should be can anyone stay in their budget for Christmas. I can't remember ever not overbuying for christmas.

:yup: I was thinking the same thing!!

Doesn't everyone:confused: :gd_shake:


:gdlol:

I definetely do with my 2 boys. I figure it is only once a year that I really splurge like that. Every year I say I am going to cut back, but it is too hard. It's not my fault the stores have such good sales. ;)

Same here - I only buy toys for birthdays, Easter and christmas so why not splurge? I dont buy them clothes they are only 6 and 3 - why give a gift I "have" to get them anyways. I usually try to keep their presents to about 20 each - and then a few "together" gifts. Usually end up with about 50 presents total - we only buy for them though. We dont buy for family except our 2 nephews. My brother and I decided 1 gift per child $20 limit - keeps it simple and no one is sad that someone else got more then them. But when it comes to my girls its easy to go overboard. Like I said I dont buy toys throughout the year so I justify it.

my kids are 6 and 3 so I am counting presents to make sure its absolutely even.

have you ever had someone tell you "you buy to much"? i like to buy a lot for my kids at christmas. i don't decide hay i'm going to buy 30+ gifts for each of them it just turns out that way. i see a great deal and i get it. my mom use to give my brother and i some of the best christmas's. so i guess i get it from her, but i have some friends that say i get to much. one friend said she only gets like 2 or 3 gifts for her dd and don't i think i got them enough already since i have a totel of 16 so far. lol i don't think so this is the one thing i enjoy doing, so why is it other people feel they need to tell you what you should have or what to do if you didn't ask them?

Noone's told me this .. but I have a mom that was the same way... and I remember it being wonderful so I do the same for my kids... it's hard because DH's family is the exact opposite... they're not into buying for each other and it was a big deal for them to draw names so everyone bought one present... after the kids were all born his mom is like "they're too many people now it's getting to be too much we shouldn't draw names" .... doh you're still just buying for one person!!! :fryingpan It's also hard for my kids because being young like they are it's hard for them to go Grandma K's to have fun when Grandma P's house is like ToysRus

LOL I can't imagine not going overboard when my boys were little. It would bug my mom and others in my family. Others felt that they couldn't compete. I would have been better at this had the person who asked to set limits didn't ask to limit the gifts to one gift per child. That was the total that the child would get -- from everyone.

This changed for me when we asked our sons if they wanted gifts or a trip. It came out what was important. We kept going for six years.

alway's i have 11 grandkids :gd_stars:

have you ever had someone tell you "you buy to much"? i like to buy a lot for my kids at christmas. i don't decide hay i'm going to buy 30+ gifts for each of them it just turns out that way. i see a great deal and i get it. my mom use to give my brother and i some of the best christmas's. so i guess i get it from her, but i have some friends that say i get to much. one friend said she only gets like 2 or 3 gifts for her dd and don't i think i got them enough already since i have a totel of 16 so far. lol i don't think so this is the one thing i enjoy doing, so why is it other people feel they need to tell you what you should have or what to do if you didn't ask them?

I would never think of saying that to anyone. But I have said it people who buy gifts for my kids. I always feel bad if I think they spend too much on them because I know my kids would be happy with just 1.

My mom and dad always bought all 5 of us lots of gifts. They didn't have a lot of money but somehow there seemed to be a ton of presents under the tree. I know my parents do it because when they were growing up they would only get 1 or 2 gifts from their parents. My mom told me she always felt bad when her friends used to say how much they got.

But we make sure my parents get lots of gifts now.

OMG...every year my husband says I have to stay within bidget, but every year I go WAY overboard.I just can't help it.I LOVE to give gifts, and I LOVE Christmas, and then regret it when the bills come in.Oh well , I have been doing it for 30 yrs,too late to stop now.
Jacky-O:D

I just got a sure-fire way to keep my spending to a minimum... hubby said we are able to pay our mortgage off so that's what we're going to do :)

However I'm waiting to see what kind of shopping list he comes up with for me... ;)

I overbuy every year because I never think about what I'm spending until I get home. When I figure it all out, I just sell off the extra stuff to fit back in my budget. Every family member last year got something I bought but then sold to someone else to give them. My family loves it - cheap stuff without having to wait in line!