How many people do you buy Christmas presents for?

[MarineBlue33]

If you include Secret santa e.g at work, Scouts leader, neighbours or whoever is on your list.

I have an acquaintance who said he bought for his wife, son and one niece. He is about 65

I feel quite overwhelmed with gift buying. We have about 75 people on our list
This includes a lot of family - DH's side. A lot of the presents are token presents e g £7 voucher to cousins of his I would not recognise but he has always done this and doesn't want to stop.
We have lots of Godchildren between us too and their parents are old friends we buy stuff for. Nothing too expensive but it does add up.

I can't see it changing but wondering if you anyone else has a similarly high number of presents to buy

15 people

@senorafridgidaire

75?! Flipping heck.

I buy for DH, DM, the dog, and baby DN. 2 x older DNs will get cash in a card. I leave it to DH to do his side, sometimes his family get lucky and actually get presents before mid Jan!

Ah now you’ll be able to answer this then. I sometimes see on here women saying they leave gift buying and giving of their in-laws to their husbands and I always wonder about this.

It’s obviously fair enough for you to do this, but do you not receive gifts chosen by your in-laws? My PIL always bought me gorgeous, thoughtful presents and I would have felt terrible not having some input into choosing gifts for them in return.

Likewise I choose presents for both my adult children and their partners that I think they will love. Sometimes they’ve given me ideas, and sometimes I’ve spent a while thinking about and finding what I think will suit them. I have to admit I spend longer and get more pleasure out of choosing for my DDIL than for my DSIL (I can’t help it, I’m a girl! ) but I do also make the effort for my DSIL, of course. I would be really upset if I thought my DDIL, who I love very much, couldn’t be bothered at all with thinking about me and just left it totally to my DS, sort of out of the principle of ‘well she’s not MY mum’.

Do you ever feel bad whenever you open your pressies from your in-laws, that you’ve not actually chosen anything in return??

@Holly60
I used to organise presents for FIL, SIL and DHs god child on that side. We don't receive gifts in return. My 2 DC used to - but in the last few years they received a selection box. FIL and SIL do buy toys etc for other grandchildren there.

DH does buy them gifts in advance of christmas so we give them on xmas eve. Even if he was late buying them though, it wouldnt leave us in the situation you describe.

[quote Echoesandsilence]@Holly60
I used to organise presents for FIL, SIL and DHs god child on that side. We don't receive gifts in return. My 2 DC used to - but in the last few years they received a selection box. FIL and SIL do buy toys etc for other grandchildren there.

DH does buy them gifts in advance of christmas so we give them on xmas eve. Even if he was late buying them though, it wouldnt leave us in the situation you describe.[/quote]
No I can absolutely see that. I think in that situation I wouldn’t bother either!

My two kids

That's it

I don't do presents for adults in our family , and me and my sisters don't do presents for our kids at Xmas as they get enough as it is we only do birthdays

I don't partake in secret Santa as it's just buying crap for the sake of buying. Adding more unwanted stuff to landfill.

So yeah 2 people, our children

Me and my husband just get stuff as and when we need it

Dc x 2
Parents/step parents x 4
Grandparents x 2
Nieces/nephews x 7

So 14 people. And most of those are a token £3/£4.

"Ah now you’ll be able to answer this then. I sometimes see on here women saying they leave gift buying and giving of their in-laws to their husbands and I always wonder about this.

It’s obviously fair enough for you to do this, but do you not receive gifts chosen by your in-laws? My PIL always bought me gorgeous, thoughtful presents and I would have felt terrible not having some input into choosing gifts for them in return.

Likewise I choose presents for both my adult children and their partners that I think they will love. Sometimes they’ve given me ideas, and sometimes I’ve spent a while thinking about and finding what I think will suit them. I have to admit I spend longer and get more pleasure out of choosing for my DDIL than for my DSIL (I can’t help it, I’m a girl! ) but I do also make the effort for my DSIL, of course. I would be really upset if I thought my DDIL, who I love very much, couldn’t be bothered at all with thinking about me and just left it totally to my DS, sort of out of the principle of ‘well she’s not MY mum’.

Do you ever feel bad whenever you open your pressies from your in-laws, that you’ve not actually chosen anything in return??"

I know you weren't asking me, but oh and I buy our own family gifts.

Why would I feel bad? The gift is from both of us. Does my oh feel bad that he didn't choose the gifts for my family but got gifts? No.

We do it this way because we know the recipients best. I'm not taking on the burden and stress of doing everything. This time of year is stressful enough as it is. I'm not his mother. He is more than capable of buying gifts for his family. He had done it for years before meeting me.

It's odd to view it as "not bothered".

10

I buy for my husband and 3 adult children, my son in law, and this year my second son’s girlfriend, 2 grandchildren and 6 great nieces/nephews. Also this year a small gift for son’s girlfriend’s two girls as I’m meeting them. Does anyone know if it’s possible to wrap lush stuff in something which contains the stink? 😬

5 - husband, daughter, mum, friend and her daughter. Me and husband both only children and our daughter is an only child.

A lot! However we can afford it. If we couldn't, then I would cyst the list back a lot.

For adults between myself and DH we have 6 siblings we buy for and each has a long term partner or is married, so 12 for siblings and sibling in laws.

My DH's mother & father (mine have both passed). There is also an uncle and aunt we are very close too ok DHs side who we buy for, so 4 in total for "upward" relatives.

We have 12 nieces and nephews.

And there are 5 friends we regularly buy for, and 2 of their children.

So that is 17 adults and 14 children (not including each other and our own children).

DD
DM
DF
A nephew and niece

That's it

5 for my side. Dh does 5 for his side of the family. That's it. No presents for teachers or club leaders or godchildren or random friends.

Husband
2 x DCs
Mum
FIL
Brother + partner
Cousin
Godson
Aunt and Uncle

Eleven people - which is enough for me!

15 (and the cats), that's my DH and 3DCs, a parent each, siblings and neices and nephews.

35 including the dog, that includes parental types, siblings, DC/DSC, niece, few young cousins, my elderly aunty, my best friend's kids accounts for about 10, my DDs best school friend, work SS and one with my close friends, school/after school club. More than I initially thought - couldn't double it mind, 74!?

We have 10 people: DH (and he buys for me), parents, my sister, 6 nieces/ nephews.

Oh my, 75 sounds like a lot!
For me it's mostly about the immediate family + kids (6 gifts in total), 1 Secret Santa gift for a friend, 1 Secret Santa gift at work. Distant relatives usually get smartshow3d video cards to acknowledge the day. For 75 I wouldn't lift a finger tbh.

Eeek! I forgot Dbro and Sil’s cats again! And they were here for a present swop the other day.
Not too late to post something small, thank goodness.

As a household, we buy for:
Each other
Our 2 DC
My parents
His parents
My sister and brother in law
His 3 nephews and 1 niece
1 friends DC
Each other the DC key worker at nursery and a tub of chocolates for each of their classes for all the other staff who work with them at nursery

So 19? I think that's it.
We've scaled back on friends kids presents and will suggest to the one friend we currently buy for that we no longer do next year. We have also stopped sibling presents for DH side as each couple has 2 kids so we just buy for the kids now. We will also have a new nephew or niece next year and may suggest we either reduce or stop buying for my sister and brother-in-law too and just do the kids.
It currently totals nearly £600 which seems extortionate.

2 dc
4 step grandkids (my DC’s nieces and nephews)
5 nieces and nephews
2 sets of parents
1 grandparent
3 close friends

I have cut out buying for step kids (they are my ex’s kids and all adults, I never get a thank you) and I don’t buy for my sibling. Still feels like I buy for way too many.

14. But dh is in charge of 4 of those.

75 is bonkers!

75 is a lot and it takes up a lot of my time. I am a SAHM and so I do most of it but DH buys for his cousins. It was it is. Also a lot of people ask for suggestions and that takes up a lot of time especially re the children as I err on the side of caution re their possible budget because by and large, people look awkward when I ask for one.

It is what it is. Not 'it was it is'

My partner, my mum, my son and my step son

Then tend to do a secret Santa at work and a secret Santa with friends. That’s it.