graciescaptor

I have a 15 yr old son and 11 year old daughter. I tell them what thier part of the Christmas budget is (I leave myself some wiggle room on this) and they tailor their list around that. Well, my son does better than my daughter but it still works out pretty well. DS gets less (he asked for an IPOD this year) and DD gets more. They get it and don't have any problems with it.

Just FYI...my hubby got me a gift card to VS last year. I spent half of it when her took me shopping ($50) and saved the rest of it until their semi-annual sale which is the second week in Jan. Got tons more stuff of course. The other semi-annual sale is in July I believe. I manage to get enough bras at these two events that I can exlusively wear VS.

If you register online at Hecht's you will start received their ads and extra 20% off coupons all the time. I just got one for 20% off an entire day of shopping any day until 12/20 I think. I know it's well into December. Also, there don't seem to be the usual exclusions on this coupon, such as blue jeans. My hubby wears Levi's and the style he wears is NEVER on sale. I plan on getting them with this coupon.

Goody's clothing store does a 10% (I think) military disount every day.

Oh I want the laptop, the flash drive, the personal cd player, the stereo, the GBSP and I want to check out the movies...guess I better take my SIL.

I've found more things from my shopping list there than I ever do, however it's mostly electronics this year for us.

I had a friend once that strung white lights on a fake ficus tree, put red bows on it and pronounced it a Christmas tree!

I give gcs often. I don't really like to give them, I'd rather find the perfect gift for someone. Knowing myself though, I would never get to the post office to mail the gift I bought. I also just can't figure out a good gift for some people. I really like getting them too. But I don't want just gcs from hubby and kids. They have to put some thought into it! A note of warning concerning giving them to kids...some parents HATE it. It requires the parents to provide a ride to the store and hang around while the 10 year old takes forever to pick out earings at Claire's (or wherever the card is for).

Well, it's my hubby's sis and hubby. I would have no idea what to get them. If we were together then I'm sure we would exchange gifts. They come for Turkey day so we try to have the kids gifts bought and wrapped so they go home with them when they leave and they leave my kids gifts. I'd like to buy them something but it really is pointless. Hubby and his sis are also wayyyyy too practical so I doubt they see the point in buying for one another just because. Kinda sad really.

How much are you budgeting this year? How many people do you buy for? I think ours is going to be between $750 and $1000 for DD, DS, hubby, myself, 2 sets of parents, 2 nieces, and coworkers. This doesn't include the laptop I am getting for ME! Yea!!!! The laptop is not a Christmas gift, it is for school.

The Charlie Brown Christmas CD. My hubby loves that one. I like Trans Siberian Orchestra also. Gotta find something new for this year though!

I've almost always gone alone...no family around and friends either wouldn't go or couldn't go. This year I hope to be able to go with my SIL. They are staying with us for Turkey day and we always peruse the adds the day before and pick out what we want. Hopefully we will want to go to the same stores!

Oh, and my kids are tops on the list because the nice outweighs the naughty most of the time. Then my hubby, who is the hardest in the world to buy for, then nieces, and all parents. Don't exchange gifts with siblings, we decided a few years ago why bother? We are all capable of buying whatever we want and we aren't together for the holidays so it was a group decision. When it got to the point where we were saying "get something for yourself for $XXX from me and I'll do the same on my end" it seemed pointless.

Here's an idea for the kids friends gifts...at least for girls. My daughter is 11 and she likes to make friendship bracelets...a huge pack of embroidery floss is around $10 an she will be able to make a ton of them. Put it in a little cheap stocking (.50 or less) and a candy cane and there you go. Also check out craft stores or Oriental Trading Company (they have a web site) for bead bracelet kits or ornament kits for really cheap. I'm thinking of letting my daughter have a Christmas craft party with a few of her friends one afternoon. On the other hand...I have 14 people at work to buy for..any suggestions? Can't make cookies or anything like that because some people are really wierd about eating food they haven't made.

We use our credit card for everyday purchases at the gas station, grocery store, etc...so BF isn't anything different to us. Our trick it to always stay on budget and have a healthy savings account to back us up for life's little emergencies. It took a long time to get to this point but it's wonderful to be here. That said, I don't get to go hog wild. We have an Xmas budget and I have to stick to it or risk not being able to do other things we have planned. Oh and the wrath of hubby who hates watching the money go out no matter how much is coming in.

I just want to find a good laptop for me. Can't talk the hubby into getting one for the kids no matter how cheap they are (well maybe if they were free). I guess they will get one next year. My teenage son wants video games (all the new ones) and sports jerseys. My preteen daughter wants everything under the sun. And my hubby wants nothing, literally. How do you wrap nothing and put it under the tree?

Credit all the way. Fortunately we pay our cc off every month so I treat it as a free loan and I get cash back on my purchases. I am always aware of how much I have spent and my husband checks the cc account online all the time. He will question any charges outside of the norm so it's a little check and balance system on me. Plus, if I change my mind on items, I can return them before the end of the bill cycle without ever taking a hit on my cash flow.