Family exchange

[elena_398]

I wish we did an exchange. but we still buy for each individual person

[mjmcca]

I am lucky compared to you guys. Hubby is Moslem and his family lives in Morocco. I almost never have to worry about Christmas gifts for them. There are 2 exceptions. His father was here one Christmas so i had to get some gifts for him ( i think he will also be here this Christmas and i bet he will need new warm clothes anyway so i would be spending the money regardless). Hubby's cousin lives with us so she always gets gifts.

 

 

Both of my parents are deceased and i have only one sister who is unmarried and has no kids. I tend to go a little overboard for her since We are the only ones really buying her gifts and she gets really nice stuff for us since she has no other family to buy for.

[laffnatu]

I wish we did an exchange. but we still buy for each individual person

Have you tried suggesting this to anyone? Maybe you can bring it up and it might be something ya'll can start next year. (Since some shopping has probably been done already.)

 

I personally think it is a GREAT idea! Good luck!

[disneytati]

In my family, we have a Secret Santa game. As we don't have much money, buying gifts for everyone is too expensive, and everyone ends up with very small gifts. So, the game is a way of getting everyone a nice gift. We usually leave my daughter out, as she's 2 years old, and everyone ends up buying her gifts anyway. We usually have a $20-$40 price range (in my currency, which is like $8-$16 dollars).

[couponmamaoftwins]

My mom's side of the family always draws names and sets the price range around $20. That way you only have to buy as many gifts as you have people in your immediate family.

[sherril]

On my DH's side we buy for the kids (there are only 3) but I still dont spend more than 10.00 each for the kids. the adults we do a gift exchange. My dh cousin wanted a 50.00 per person gift. I said I am sorry but we cant afford that much! I am a stay at home mom dh is the only worker in our home. So after also shooting down the 30.00 and 25.00 ideas also we are doing a unisex gift at 10.00 per person. they are going to do it to a game where you read the Night Before Christmas and pass the gifts back and forth and all around. But we never exchanged gifts with the adults before starting this. It is a new thing for dh family this year. We will see how it goes.

[elaine2w]

In my family as we all started having kids we have the kids pick names and thanksgiving and they love doing it they like to go shopping and wrap the gift. we never put a money limit. we are very close so we would never hurt someones feelings by buying one a barbie doll and another a play station 2. When the kids turn 18 they are out of the name picking you have to draw a line some where. The grownups bring drinks desserts snacks that sort of think.

[abram87]

In my step-dad's family, there is a lot of children. what happens is each family gives ten dollars for each child to the child's parents, and the parent buys one gift with the accumulated funds. This way the kids get a good present, and it makes it easier on everyone. maybe you should suggest an idea like this

[all4linkae]

On my husbands side, we all buy for everyone (except we don't buy for his sister and she doesn't buy for us, that was mutual between us 4)..but other than that, we buy for everyone since the family is small.

 

For my family, I have 3 siblings, we all buy for eachother and the kids (there are 3 of them) and my mom of course. When it comes to my extended family, we all buy for grandma and then we buy for the new babies in the family (this year there are 3) then the kids (high school and younger) pick names and buy for that person only. We used to all buy for everyone and with a family of close to 40, that was insane!!!!!!!!!

[plockh]

HEY, HEY...I'm a parent & a grandparent. We found we were going way overboard with adult presents, us, daughter, SIL, son, DIL plus SIL's mom...took us hours to open presents because we were going by wish lists...and feeling a need to fulfil them. All of us are successful and buy whatever we need/want year round.Our opening was on Christmas eve, apart from the grandbabies...it was obnoxious. Now, granted there are only 6 for each to buy for & we truly hated drawing names...so this year we did set a $40 limit for each gift...$50 per grandchild plus whatever we choose to put into their 29 plans for college.These are minimums...thrifty buyers are rewarded! Part of my old conditioning was liking/needing lots of presents under the tree as I only had 1 gift for me as a child/teenager. I like encouraging your site, e-bay and home made gifts in the interest of the recipient...so fun.

[neice0510]

We do a family exchange. There are 7 of us all. And we spend 50 dollars each on each other. So between my husband and I we spend 100 dollars on family. Well now that we have three kids and my brother and sister in law have two. The kids don't count, they are all under the age of 6. Usually 30-50 dollars per kid. And from my other brother who is just starting out on his own gets smaller gifts for the kids and nobody cares.

I would definetely get input from others. Such as maybe everyone pitching in 5-10 dollars to get a big gift card or a really big gift from the family.

[brynnfromtheblock]

I grew up in a family where my mom loved to give presents, even when she didn't have alot of money she always did her best, and now that she's successful she showers the grandkids with gifts. So on that side, everyone gets and give presents. My husbands family is the complete opposite... they get the kids something little and bitch about getting each other presents. They started doing a gift exchange a couple of years ago, which is fine by me... I think my mother overdoes anyway... My Sister in law and I cracked up this year though, my mother in law said now that there are so many inlaw's they shouldn't do the gift exchange!! We tried to point out that they would still only buy one gift no matter how many people there were, but we were laughing to hard to tell her.

[kmbrly]

Every time I see the title of this thread pop up, I keep thinking it's one where I can EXCHANGE MY FAMILY for another one.

[zillygal]

On DH's side he has 5 brothers & Sisters, each married and a total of 16 kids (including mine) - we used to draw names for the kids, and brought generic gifts for the adults to do the draw the number gift with.

 

That got old so we did a few years of white elephant gifts, something from your house you don't need (but funny) or something you picked up at Goodwill/throughout the year.

 

Now we designate one person for the white elephant (usually me cause I am a packrat) and then everyone is back to bringing one gift in the $15 range. The total age range is from 8 to 59 with everyone inbetween. So you are only spending as much as what your family size is.

 

But we end up enjoying the white elephant much more, and there is more stealing going on. (usually we have about 3 gifts that are constantly stolen) Sometimes we go around with our numbers 3 times. LOL

 

To the person who had so many to buy for and a $30 limit, what if you suggested drawing names for all the kids. Especially on thanksgiving if you all are getting together. Then you can also do a wish list.

[Pseed]

There are LOTS of us, and so we draw names. There is no real "minimum", but all the wives/women (they do the shopping anyhow..lol) are really good at finding "deals" . We draw the next year's names at the wind down of our x-mas get-together, so we have all year to buy.

If you have all year long, you can hit all the good sales and you'll see things clearanced or whatnot...and you can get $200 (normally) worth of "good" stuff for $20 total at times.

 

Year before last, I received a box of nice x-mas dishes and place settings, a very nice fleece robe, some scented lotions, and warm gloves...and I know she only spent like $10 total. LoL..that was impressive!

[Guest all2tired]

When my family got larger due to marriages, we drew names but then when all the nieces and nephews came along, we just bought for the kids and my parents

 

Edit: We don't have a "limit" on the amount spent but my own personal limit is 20-25 per kid.

I can't afford to buy for the 7 kids in my family and 5 in hubby's.

[berry]

The concept of the exchange shows the meaning is lost. Just say we're making our gifts this year. Make each person something you want them to have. When the giving becomes more of a burden, let it go! Get back to the joy of Christmas!

 

Now we have tackiest gift game. Go for the most ridulous! Last year I got pink fuzzy slippers and sponge hair curlers because i like to shop on Black Friday. Black Friday here I come with a new do and new shoes.

[treasure60]

We did the exchanging of names but we felt it wasn't working since we still bought for each others children regardless. Now we spend $10 a piece on adults and $15 on the children. Our parents are a different story that is our choice what we spend on them.

 

Not all of my family participates because of whatever reason...but I still send them a family gift each year.

[shopping mom]

We have six children and I do not expect everyone in the famiy to buy for them. My brother in law cannot afford it. My sister in law gives gift cards and the value varies according to their budget. Grandparents spoil them rotten. My kids draw names on each other and the gift has to more than 20 less than 30. I only have 1 niece and 2 nephews so that is pretty easy and I usually spend 30 on them until they are 21 and then I cut back to 20. On my moms side we always get together with aunts, uncles, cousins, and all their kids. I usually make goodies for the adults and get the kids something small. Last year money was tight and I found croquet games at Target for under $5.00 they made nice family gifts. This year I may do Wal-mart GC or McDonalds. I want each of the kids to have a package to open. I stop that when the graduate high school.

[turtle_elf]

Ours is weird. Lol.

On DH side we would buy for his parents, siblings, and grandparents. For the cousins, aunts, and uncles, etc. we all partnered off kind of. Such as we bought for his cousin and his cousin's wife and them for us, then two other couples would partner and exchange gifts. As for the ones that were single, it was lucky enough that that was an even number too and they did the same. So we still ended up buying a lot of gifts for his side of the family. Although we had to buy for less of the kids, as we had them all! Lol, well for most of the years anyway! Now there is a 3 year old, a 8month old and 1 on the way (due before Christmas) to buy for, so they are catching up to us!

 

On my side we would buy for all the kids, and the adults would exchange.

 

This year is different. It is our first year as expats living out of the country. My husband has been gone since last early November, and the kids and I since January. My family is buying for everyone, and celebrating our coming home to visit, we are doing the same for them. As for my husband's side, they haven't said, so we are sticking with routine.

[copados1993]

Every time I see the title of this thread pop up, I keep thinking it's one where I can EXCHANGE MY FAMILY for another one.

If you find that thread, plaese let me know so I can exchage my husbands!!!

[Jenniferharrison82]

We exchanged names one year. But as the family grew we decided to just buy for the kids. Everyone was on board so it worked out great. We are able to spend a little more on them this way and get them better gifts.

[WELUVKDS79]

Since we live out of state from our families..we send one gift per child and a gift card for the parents....except single people who just get a gift card.