Do people really buy new decorations each year??? One of the things I love about Christmas is getting out the boxes of decorations as they're part of the history of our current family - and even that of past generations eg we have tree decorations that I and dh had as children as well as those we have collected over the years, and they all bring back such memories! We always buy a real tree (one of those non-shedding ones) and the dc's love decorating it with the gradually increasing numbers of baubles etc and old sets of lights (which we have to remember to check before the shops close on Christmas Eve as we put up our tree as late as possible).
Re stockings: a tradition in dh's family is to put a bauble in the stocking to hang on the Christmas tree, but I must say, I'm very surprised about the pants: firstly that so many people receive(d)/give them and that nearly everyone talks about pants rather than knickers as we're knicker-people! Stockings always contain a clementine and some chocolate coins, plus a few silly things eg from Hawkin's Bazaar and a few essentials (eg gloves, facecloth - but no knickers...)
We're vegetarians and it's about the only time in the year when we have a nut roast. It doesn't cost a fortune and we make our own pudding and cake: traditionally ds and dh do this at half term (tho' puddings only every other year as one goes in the attic), and this duly happened last week. We always set the pudding alight, but cheap brandy burns just as well as more expensive stuff...
Unlike most other people, I've not even started thinking about presents, but we do have a 'present cupboard', into which goes stuff we pick up during the year as well as unwanted but re-usable gifts, and we write a list of people and try and match up as many gifts as we can to people on the list. We also have a huge box of used wrapping paper that has been removed carefully from last year's presents and can be reused, and we cut up old Christmas cards to make name labels.
We've been using Freecycle a lot recently and have acquired some bargains to replace broken items (eg 3 kitchen chairs, an easy chair, a CD player, a liquidiser, an electric kettle and a Sodastream so we can make our own fizzy water). In theory this should mean that we have a bit more money left to buy presents - when we finally get round to doing so. My ds unfortunately has 2 job-share teachers, but they'll probably get home-made cakes, and Grandma will get Historic Houses Association membership so we can take her with us to several of the stately homes round here for free - and, I think, get a free gift ourselves. Last year I ordered her some posh frozen meals from a website someone had recommended on Mumsnet and that went down really well (pardon the pun!).
The dc's?? Don't have a clue, and we have the added problem that dd's (13th) birthday is two weeks before Christmas. Some clothes may be in order and possibly an MP3 player; no ideas for ds yet, but no doubt inspiration will come...