Christmas gifts

[ragdoll700]

I was in the in laws today and Christmas came up well not really I was summoned to the in laws to day to talk about Christmas. They have decided to have a secret Santa for the kids OK sound me thinks hope to save money. I have in recent years due to tight budgets only bought for the Santa age kids on both sides of our families which usually makes 7 kids, this year I only have to buy for 3 but its costing me more, they have put a minimum cost on it which is more than Id usually spend and we also got suckered into an adult secret Santa which we have opted out of for many years on both sides owing to the rubbish bought by both us and others preferring to just buy for each other and our parents and Santa aged kids. I usually buy thru out the year and get great deals to get decent gifts for everyone we buy for this year thankfully now we had not started on others but am just a bit annoyed. AIBU?

What does your dh think of this?

He is annoyed too but unsure as to how to approach this as it is saving money for others, I assume they bought for each other and all of the children (some now adults) all of the time. Assuming we will just opt out of the Adult secret santa next year.

You can still opt out of adult secret Santa and make it clear you can't afford their minimum on kids. You can't spend money you don't have.

If you really can't afford the minimum for the kids, go sale shopping and consider the spend as half way between the sale price and the actual spend so if it was 40 now 20 consider yourself to have spent 30

Honestly, I'd find things that look like they cost more than they are or try to find 3/2 deals etc or buy lots of little but nice things. A minimum spend it a little ridiculous and rude in the first place.