My family are driving me crackers!

[Waitingforastartofall]

Do you tell your family what you are buying the dc to save duplicate presents?

I have told my gps roughly what not to buy because we have started early and im beginning to wish i hadnt bothered, so far ive been lectured on spending too much ( Alot bought from the bargain thread or with various offers but so far about 140 each) , been told I cant afford to buy family so dont bother ( not entirely sure where theyve got this idea from we are not minted but still) and been told that we shouldnt buy SC so much as they will get presents at their mums! They are driving me bats.

I probably have spent abit more this year as ive had about 90 pound in amazon vouchers that i have saved up along with saving cash aswell. My mum is seriously ill and we dont know whats going to happen so in a way the shopping and planning has kept my mind off things and means we all have something to look forward to. I am trying to make this a lovely family christmas despite things being bad.

Im starting to think i should just say nothing and tell them the dcs are getting an orange,apple and a yoyo each.

I should add, i dont go reeling off huge lists have just vetoed a few suggestions that we have already bought and wrapped. Sorry for the moan guys

My Mom tells me what she's getting for SmallBoy for his birthday and Christmas but that's mostly because I need to find suitcase space for it for when we go to/from the US. My PiL will tell me some of what they got for SB but mostly to see if it's okay with me or if it's something they're thinking of getting to make sure it's okay and/or we haven't bought it already. I don't tell both sets of GPs everything we get for SB but will tell them the big stuff (like last year, SB's "main" gift from us was a Brio set so I told the GPs that was his big gift so if they wanted they could get him some additional engines, track expansion packs, etc and because he opens our gifts first extras wouldn't ruin the surprise).

I always ask what they want, cos I love them. For ones I don't ask it means they will be getting some cheap tat something I careful choose !

That would make so much sense, last year they wanted to get him something to add on to what we had got littlest falling star but wanted to give it to him christmas day when we werent doing our main present till boxing day ( Sc with us on boxing day) .I dont want to sound ungrateful its lovely that they buy him things and i appreciate it but they seem determined to buy something i have already bought.

They are my gps on my dads side so dont really understand how serious things are with my mum, neither do they probably care as they never got on at all. But are basically saying im spoiling the children because of how things are :(

No I give them a separate list of suggestions.

They are having an argument between themselves at the min flyover as gdad wants to buy a toy and dnan wants to buy clothes. Never knew christmas was such a minefield! haha i agree, i tend to ask what the family i like want and carefull select various bizarre gifts for other not so close members of the family

thats a brilliant idea wheredidi ive really saved my butt off and done various surveys ect to make sure i could buy the things on their list. The only problem is they are all the age that they are telling everyone the same things haha