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I feel for the families who have children living at home. This holiday season. We have decided no Xmas exchanging for hubby and i this year. I will get my daughter a gift certificate.(she is grown) but that will be it. We will get together with family. just enjoy what we have. with our weather, Bar BQ. But young families how will they do it this year?? Will there be any changes in your spending this year??

Same for us we agreed yesterday that we will only be buying gifts for the kids. Adults not exchanging gifts this year. We are also going to volunteer our time to serve either Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas Dinner at a shelter plus buy gifts for a needy family.

We all actually agreed a month ago to not buy for the adults anymore, we just end up with things we don't use or want, and in exchange will see each other for a meal.....which we do anyway.

its just getting way to expensive!

plus, its just not the gifts, there are tons of things to buy at that time of the year..also cutting back on those alot as well.

Tim and I agreed not to buy for eachother. We're just gonna put our money together and buy tiff a whole lot of stuff. We usually get things from family members- they send from out of town. We're saving to move home. we're pretty much @ our goal.

ButterflyPrincess;1018126 wrote: Tim and I agreed not to buy for eachother. We're just gonna put our money together and buy tiff a whole lot of stuff. We usually get things from family members- they send from out of town. We're saving to move home. we're pretty much @ our goal. where is home??

southern yankee;1018131 wrote: where is home??


Chicago :-4

My dad and I have not had any extra funds to spend on Cmas gifts the last two years and that has changed for us now so we'll be doing the small gift thing. I plan on making up for the last two years when I wasn't able to get him hardly anything. Of course it's not about the presents but we enjoy them and have always given them as part of our tradition. I will give gifts to six or seven friends this year.

I shop mostly online because I loathe stores at Cmastime with all their pressure, bellringers, hoho music, screaming kids, angry adults, etc etc etc. It's much nicer when I can shop with no pressure,have a ton of stores to choose from or be able to buy the supplies I need to make my own presents.

A gift to somebody that you care about should be any time of the year and is what I do and not when society tells me I should.Christmas is for the young...the excitement....I feel sorry for those families that are going to find it hard this year to give their kids what they truely want to......us as adults can handle that but kids dont understand and thats the sad part and which makes people as parents feel so .....well guilty if thats the right word.....well dont....being feed and being able to keep a roof over your heads is a far greater "gift".

We stopped buying for Adults years ago....we will still have our big day with all the family and children at our place :-6:-4

Why would you need to change anything? Unless of course you were heavily invested in Fanny Mae or something. Gas prices are dropping and inflation is stable.

Accountable;1018329 wrote: Why would you need to change anything? Unless of course you were heavily invested in Fanny Mae or something. Gas prices are dropping and inflation is stable.


Saw a $2.59 the other day.

If we want something and we have the cash, we buy it, we dont wait for xmas. We usually buy each other small gifts to give off the children as their still young.

I have never over spent on food at xmas time, we buy the same food as normal except we add a few treats like a dessert and nuts. Wer'e not keen on turkey and usually have a joint of lamb and a chicken, one year we had beef wellington.

I do try to buy what my kids ask for, this year they want Ipod Nanos. I like buying them gadgets as they look after their things so well. They are 10 and 9 yrs now so not into toys so I can buy art, craft and jewellery ect for their stockings.

I save in a xmas club in work and already have the money saved for all the xmas presents this year

I agree SouthernYankkee. My family and I just buy for family members under 21 now. We celebrate our time together with good chat, food and lots of music and singing.



It's so peaceful not having to scout around forever buying presents that no one needs.



I just buy for the school kidlets and a few odd gifts now:p



Gas is down at the beach to $2.95 now:-6

we only buy gifts for each other and the kids and that's not changing in any way.

friends and family only get cards.

ButterflyPrincess;1018135 wrote: Chicago :-4 i knew i liked you for some reason. i am from Gary/Hammond:)

No gifts for each other. Just the kids and parents and then my side of the family does a pollyanna. So much easier. Kids big prez this year will be another desktop pc and they want video games for the Wii. The girls want clothes and the boys want sports stuff.

I think we're going to get son his biggies prez for his birthday on Saturday and oldest daughter just got her present which is sitting in the driveway:wah:

with people being laid off right and left. Plus going through the damage of a hurricane. we will be very careful and thrifty this season. Because you just never know what will happen next these days. when you think your head is above water then the Dam breaks. better safe then sorry.

Yeah, I hear you SY. Just waiting for the bottom to drop out and boom, Christmas will be tight this year. I'm not buying any toys really after last years scare over lead in toys from China. Will stick with arts/crafts, books, video games.

sunny104;1018441 wrote: we only buy gifts for each other and the kids and that's not changing in any way.



friends and family only get cards.




that's what we usually do. Christmas cards will go out as usual & i know we'll end up getting each other gifts because we always do. But we're saving right now to move home so that's why we said we weren't gonna buy each other things. Next year though will go on as usual.. omg! we'll be in chicago xmas 2009! :driving::wah:

ButterflyPrincess;1018135 wrote: Chicago :-4


You will be really close to me BP, I'm in Rockford.

Do you two get a White Christmas?

We still have a 16yr old at home, so it'll be a gift card to the mall...her favorite place in the world!! :wah: Hubby and I will probably do very small things with each other, something for the grandkids, my mom and my grandma. That's gonna be it for this year.

I have two kids with birthdays in the fall and is a drag with my duaghter as she is only a month before Christmas.

qsducks;1018922 wrote: Do you two get a White Christmas?


When we're lucky!! Sometimes we don't get snow until January. I like to do my Christmas shopping while it's snowing...it gets me in the spirit.

Do you have the radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 for the entire month of November/December?:wah:

qsducks;1018922 wrote: Do you two get a White Christmas? heck no:wah:

qsducks;1018950 wrote: Do you have the radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 for the entire month of November/December?:wah:


YES! We actually have 2! Starts the day after Thanksgiving and plays all the way thru til New Years Day. Of course these are my 2 favorite radio stations, so needless to say, I carry a lot of CD's with me! :wah::wah:

qsducks;1018934 wrote: I have two kids with birthdays in the fall and is a drag with my duaghter as she is only a month before Christmas. my daughter's is 3 days after

southern yankee;1018967 wrote: heck no:wah:


Forgot, you have permanent Green Christmas?:wah:

shelbell;1018968 wrote: YES! We actually have 2! Starts the day after Thanksgiving and plays all the way thru til New Years Day. Of course these are my 2 favorite radio stations, so needless to say, I carry a lot of CD's with me! :wah::wah:


I think after hearing Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer 50 times would drive anyone insane:wah:

qsducks;1018980 wrote: I think after hearing Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer 50 times would drive anyone insane:wah:


:yh_rotfl

qsducks;1018980 wrote: I think after hearing Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer 50 times would drive anyone insane:wah:


Yes, and don't forget the other classics. The dogs singing Jingle Bells, Rusty Chevrolet, and one of my favorites...Pretty Little Dolly....oh! and some of the spoof 12 Days of Christmas...I like the one that ends(the first day of Christmas) with a beer.:wah:

Odie;1018996 wrote: :yh_rotfl come you all LET's SING------Grandma got runover----------------Louder I can't hear you!!!!!!!:wah::wah:

shelbell;1019011 wrote: Yes, and don't forget the other classics. The dogs singing Jingle Bells, Rusty Chevrolet, and one of my favorites...Pretty Little Dolly....oh! and some of the spoof 12 Days of Christmas...I like the one that ends(the first day of Christmas) with a beer.:wah:


My son's fave is "All I want For Christmas is a Hippopotumus"

southern yankee;1019016 wrote: come you all LET's SING------Grandma got runover----------------Louder I can't hear you!!!!!!!:wah::wah:


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! :wah::wah:

qsducks;1019018 wrote: My son's fave is "All I want For Christmas is a Hippopotumus" Or, i ain't getten nutten for Chirstmas-------mommy and daddy are mad:wah::wah:

qsducks;1019018 wrote: My son's fave is "All I want For Christmas is a Hippopotumus"


southern yankee;1019024 wrote: Or, i ain't getten nutten for Chirstmas-------mommy and daddy are mad:wah::wah:


I can't believe I forgot these two!!! :-5 :wah:

:wah:shelbell;1019023 wrote: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! :wah::wah: that's not part of the song, silly:wah:

shelbell;1019023 wrote: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! :wah::wah:


You'll hear it soon enough and just think, you can sit in the parking lot of the mall and crank it up:wah:

:wah:qsducks;1019029 wrote: You'll hear it soon enough and just think, you can sit in the parking lot of the mall and crank it up:wah: Why wait until then------LA LA LA!!!!!!:wah::wah::wah:

southern yankee;1019032 wrote: :wah: Why wait until then------LA LA LA!!!!!!:wah::wah::wah:


I'm sure you can download it off the net. Wait a min., we still have to do the Monster Mash before the month is over.

southern yankee;1019027 wrote: :wah: that's not part of the song, silly:wah:


qsducks;1019029 wrote: You'll hear it soon enough and just think, you can sit in the parking lot of the mall and crank it up:wah:


Nope! Don't do Christmas songs until a few days before Christmas.

One of my favorite of all times is "Mary Did You Know". That's one song that will get me in the Christmas mood, along with "Christmas Shoes". Definitely not funny songs, but as a Christian they have so much meaning to them. :-4

southern yankee;1019027 wrote: :wah: that's not part of the song, silly:wah:


qsducks;1019029 wrote: You'll hear it soon enough and just think, you can sit in the parking lot of the mall and crank it up:wah:


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! :wah:

qsducks;1019038 wrote: I'm sure you can download it off the net. Wait a min., we still have to do the Monster Mash before the month is over.


Yes, it's a grave yard smash!

qsducks;1019038 wrote: I'm sure you can download it off the net. Wait a min., we still have to do the Monster Mash before the month is over. Do the Mash-------the Monster Mash------it was a grave yard smash-----------party poopers:wah::wah:

shelbell;1019046 wrote: Nope! Don't do Christmas songs until a few days before Christmas.

One of my favorite of all times is "Mary Did You Know". That's one song that will get me in the Christmas mood, along with "Christmas Shoes". Definitely not funny songs, but as a Christian they have so much meaning to them. :-4


My all time fave is "Do They Know It's Christmas" from Live Aid. And of course, the Waitresse's song....I forget the song:mad:

qsducks;1019053 wrote: My all time fave is "Do They Know It's Christmas" from Live Aid. And of course, the Waitresse's song....I forget the song:mad:


Another great song. I don't think I know about the Waitress song.

shelbell;1019059 wrote: Another great song. I don't think I know about the Waitress song. sing it for us

southern yankee;1019061 wrote: sing it for us


I do know some of the lyrics are "she forgets cranberry sauce and has to go to the store and she meets a cute guy, etc. I'd have to hear it. Hubs loves it. It's sort of a contest in our house as who hears it first on the radio.:wah:

southern yankee;1019050 wrote: Do the Mash-------the Monster Mash------it was a grave yard smash-----------party poopers:wah::wah:


I can't wait to hear that song!:sneaky: