Next year it's one present each. No lists, no telling what you want.

Just each person picks or makes something they think the others would like. Time to stop the madness.

My bride and I looked at each other and agreed we had too much "stuff." About our only need was for a new recliner. That was our present. With that out of the way, shopping for the kids very easy.
(OK we got stocking stuffers too.)

Agreed, the wife and I made this year very simple. All our kids are adults now (18,19,21,25) so each got one simple gift, and one for wifey, too.

She didn't know that until today though (that I got her a gift). Hehe.

Switch to Secret Santa and/or White Elephant. Instead of buying multiple gifts for each person, or even one gift for each person, you only have to buy 1 or 2 gifts for the entire season.

The Christmas presents were getting out of hand and the stress level was going through to roof until we switch to a Secret Santa format for immediate family and White Elephant for extended family and friends.

The wife and I find something that we were going to buy anyway, such as a vacation or home improvement, and call that our gift to each other. Saves us a ton of money, and avoids us accumulating random things neither of us truly wanted (if it was truly something high on our priority list of things to purchase, why didn't we already buy it?)

Baby Jesus was presented with 3 gifts....follow what I'm saying?

Our school's academic team had a game night at the local coffee shop. "My" kids were even tired of dirty Santa parties (from other activities they are involved in), so we agreed that spending time with each other was our gift. Zero regrets.

We buy our own gifts, have for years. Very little under the tree save gifts for our daughter and granddaughter. She's a single mom so yeah, her list is pretty long, which is fine.

quote:

Originally posted by heisrizn:
Baby Jesus was presented with 3 gifts....follow what I'm saying?

Yes he was. Gold for his Kingship, Frankincense for worship, and myrrh for anointing for pain and embalming.

Somehow I don't think giving the Mrs. some cash, Estee Lauder, and a funeral plot will go over well.

My family did pass it on Christmas one year, don't know why it didn't catch on. That is where you have something you have never used and you gift it to someone else whom you think will like or use it.

I've tried getting my wife to late down Christmas for the last several years, but to no avail. She is ok with no getting much for us, but she always goes overboard for the kids. She needs to see the tree filled with presents or she feels like we have failed our kids somehow.

I think handmade gifts only. Unless its for kids.

quote:

Originally posted by Bassamatic:
We buy our own gifts, have for years.

Same here - we exchange cards only. I always reveal what she bought me over the course of the year and she does the same. Being a cheap ass, I already know that some gifts for next year's Christmas will be bought next week. I guess this is what you do when you've been married almost 30 years and have no kids.

After a while,for adults, it gets too commercialized. Trying to buy gifts for my mother or in-laws gets tedious as most people have what they need and want at this point in their lives. Buying more stuff just adds to the clutter. We usually buy what we want to have given to us or just buy gift cards-( I know it is an easy way out but they always fit).

No thanks on the handmade gifts. Some people aren't into crafts of any kind and have no hobbies. We tried handmade one year and some people got pretty nice gifts while other presents looked like popsicle sticks and glue.

Christmas gifts for us have been easy for years.... cards with cash inside! Everyone’s favorite color and it allows them to take advantage of after Christmas sales to get more of what they really wanted.

We have too much "stuff," too. In fact I'm beginning to work on shedding excess "stuff."

My wife and I weren't going to do gifts this year, either. Then, stopping by Home Depot to pick up a wallpaper scraper, I bought a Milwaukee Fuel 12V drill/driver, because the batteries for my old Makita 7.2 are about done for and the Milwaukee was on sale. Well, the box is red, you see, so I thought it would look cool under the Christmas tree. "But there are no Christmas gifts for me," said my wife. "What would you like?" I asked. "I was just kidding," she said. "I don't need anything." Then, a couple nights later: "I could use a new kitchen scale..." Then arrived my next try at the perfect lightweight, flexible carry belt (5.11 Double-Duty TDU belt) and I said "I could save this for Christmas Day..." So we added a ThermoWorks ThermoPop temperature probe for her.

*sigh*...

I seem to be having about as much luck shedding "stuff" as Q trying to get his gun inventory down to double digits

quote:

Originally posted by heisrizn:
Baby Jesus was presented with 3 gifts....follow what I'm saying?

Walmart was all out of myrrh the other day when I went there.

All of our kids are grown, so now Christmas is for our grandkids. Their presents are wrapped and brought by Santa and placed under the tree.

And the Grinch says thank you. That's fewer presents he has to steal.

Haven't been all that nice this year.

Hopefully Santa will bring me a bitchin' piece of coal.