For a few years we’ve done a secret Santa on both sides of the family.
My family keep it to £10 to make it ‘something nice/funny but cheap’. We buy for all the children separately. I love doing this and then we celebrate separately with spending time together- meals, Christmas walks etc. It really takes the pressure and expense away from Christmas especially this year as I’ll be on SMP.
My ILs have just sent a message to arrange their secret Santa but have said £40 per person due to inflation and the fact we only have to buy one present each.
We weren’t even planning to buy gifts for adults more than something small and homemade for parents in law as 1) cost of living, and 2) none of the others have shown any interest in us or our baby over the past year not through lack of our trying. They probably haven’t thought from a cost perspective as none of them have young children so will be out of touch with the reality of SMP.
I really don’t want to spend £80 combined with DH.
How do we politely step back from this without upsetting anyone? I probably won’t even spend £40 on DH!