To wonder who I could cut out from buying Xmas gifts this year?

[Hotmad]

Ok so with a new arrival imminent (41 weeks today) I'm thinking about Christmas and presents and realised each year I get more and more people to buy for! I have my immediate family, a couple of uncles and cousins and now this is where it adds up, I always get 2 or 3 of my friends a present and now they have 1 or 2 children each and I bought for them too..... Now I have my own child arriving soon ( I hope!!) I want to spend my hard earned cash on her! What would you do?
Who do you buy for? Or how many people??
How do you broach the subject of I'm not getting you something this year so don't bother with me??? Lol

i dont buy for aunt/auncles and cousins now, different if they are/were small kids but once cousins grow up it stops. same with friends really - i give their kids a little thing but dont give them.

Think about the individuals who find buying gifts a hassle - last year my DBro suggested we didn't bother which eliminated four peeps to buy for. We did a nice lunch instead, perfect. And one of my DSis said just to buy for her three kids so that eliminated another two peeps. Whereas another DSis loves presents and kicked off the year someone wanted to do £10 gifts so I wouldn't suggest it to her.

I buy for my mum and her partner, 2 friends and my niece and 2 nephews and younger sister, me and my older sister, decided just to spend the money on the kids and not each other.

I don't have any family so it is just DH's.

MIL
PIL
BIL
BIL

my friend
her two kids
another friend
another friend
another friend
another friend

2 secret Santa gifts

My 3 kids
2 cats

That is it.

Instead of not buying for those you normally do how about you spent less or suggest you all just spend a maximum of £10 on adults?

It's a bit late to make changes this year but I'd speak to the friends and cousins in the new year and agree to not exchange gifts next year. It's a bit awkward broaching the subject but most people are relieved when you do! I expect your friends will want to get something for your baby this year - it's fun buying for tiny tots!

We are down to parents, grandparents and the odd great aunt now and will continue buying for them or the world would implode! I also buy something for my sister as she buys for my three children and I want her to have something although she wouldn't mind if I didn't. Finally dropped cousins off the list (it's daft exchanging socks etc now we are all in our 30/40s and rarely see each other!) and friends children. Postage costs more than the presents these days so it gets silly!

We will be giving money to nieces till they are 21 and a selection box to cousins children till they are 18. Their parents do the same for ours to the same ages.

I suggested to my close group of friends that we didn't buy for each other this year - instead we are going out for afternoon tea together in the New Year and we'll just buy for the kids.

I have a strict no presents at all. I keep harping on about this but I am sick to death of the greed and waste at this time of year.

We (husband and me) buy for each other, our grown up children, their husbands/partners, nephew (because he is still under 16), my parents and husband's mum.

We agreed the no adults rule, with the exception of the grandparents, many years ago when the children started to arrive. One of my children is having a baby soon and we will probably be extending that to the next generation soon.

In any case we have all agreed to spend less this year, which is going to be tough because I love buying presents.

I only buy for immediate children -so my own and now my new niece
Otherwise I spend enough on people's birthdays, and I tell everyone to do the same for me. If they want to buy for DS then they are welcome to (childless friends).

Think that should be husband and I.

Honestly my grasp of grammar is getting worse the older I get.

Hubby and I buy for our three daughters and for each other. For the wider family we just send cards, and only buy for people we are definitely going to see over Christmas. It just gets ridiculous otherwise.

With 5 sisters, 5 BIL's, 2 sets of parents, 14 grown up nieces/nephews and now 13 great neices/nephews we gave up buying for each other years ago!

We all buy mum something.

I buy for my DH and 2 dc's. and I buy the children I mind something. That's it. We don't do friends anymore either save for the odd bottle of wine if we are seeing them at Christmas.

I think most people are in the same boat these days and they might also be relied at stopping the extended gift giving

We buy for:

DD
DN x 2
My GPs as they are really old and like to get stuff so they can tell their friends about it.
DH & Me (things we would buy anyway) - so that DD can see that we love each other enough to give an Xmas present.

We might make something for our parents or sometimes give them a bottle of something.

I don't want presents from anyone else or want DD to get them from beyond our family as we have a lot of stuff already.

I would imagine that lots of people would feel the same and be happy to call it quits.

Just say you are only buying for children this year.
Children, grandchildren, godchildren, nieces & nephews.

In practice I buy for a few elderly folks usually consumables such as tins of m & S biscuits or sherry or port.

I also buy a small table present for anyone at the dinner table on Christmas Day.

It certainly distresses Christmas and makes it more enjoyable for all.

Removes the stress from Christmas.

I buy for my children and nobody else.

Since having the DC we only buy for children (ours and close friends) no adults. Most of my friends do the same.

The decision is yours, of course, but here's what we do:

1. Gifts for our parents, siblings + their DCs. We'll move no gifts for adults when we all have kids, but that won't be for a few years yet. Our own parents will still get presents.
2. Me + bezzie don't do presents. An ongoing arrangement. We sometimes go for a meal or drinks instead though.
3. Secret Santa with close group of friends - £5 budget.
4. No presents for friends' children.
5. Token selection box/treats for kids if we're visiting around Christmas.
6. Aunts/uncles/cousins = nothing. My parents still buy for younger cousins. The aunts/uncles stopped getting anything years ago.

For this year I'd go for one family present where you can or bottle of cava for all adults, selection box for all children. Then next August time tell all uncle, cousins and friends you won't be buying for them this year but it would be nice to see them for an xmas drink.

I buy for all our nephews and nieces and parents in law. We do a secret santa for adults in our family.

I don't buy for friends or their children any more - sort of agreed that after first dc's were born.

I dont buy for adults except my mum and my eldest brother who is single. I buy for my siblings kids. I do not buy for friends, their children, aunts, uncles, etc. Dh buys for his mum and dad and brother who is also single and buys for his sisters kids (7 of them!!!). He doesnt buy for anyone else apart from his secret santa person at work.

We do: me, dh, dd. My parents and brother, dh's parents and brother, all grandparents and great aunt (5), cousin's baby, friend's daughter, best friend, best friend's sister.

18 ppl in all. Dropped aunts and uncles this year.

If money was tighter would reduce to parents, brothers, dh's gran and best friend, dd, dh and me (11)

If money was v tighter would just do dd

Hth

We do:

My side: parents, brothers x2, token gift to brothers girlfriends only if seeing over Xmas period.

DH's side: parents x 2, sister.

Friends:

• my godson
• my very close friend's DS- used to buy for each other, now we have a pact we but only for the children. She spends roughly £10 on each of my two, I spend roughly £20 on her one.
• DDs godmother, when her children come along will only buy for them.

Also part of three secret santas- one friend one, one antenatal one and one homemade one.

Only other gifts would be token presents if seeing someone on Christmas Day etc.

Oh & we do buy for DDs! This year £50 total as they are only 2.6 and 7 months and both girls.

We buy for our DC, parents, nieces and nephews (not siblings), close friends DC. Once most people had children we decided just to be for children as Christmas is about them really.