...once again trying to figure out a plan for gifts that honors our budget (minimal) but doesn't FEEL "skimpy," makes our kids happy, honors our somewhat unconventional values about consumption.
I'm not sure I'm saying that well, but I hope you'll know what I mean.
I'm putting this here because I think a frugal Christmas and a "simpler" Christmas go hand-in-hand. For years, we have been trying to keep our Christmas traditions small and extra-meaningful without spending a lot of money or setting up unreasonable expectations. I grew up with a family big on gift-giving tradition and I struggle with this every year. I don't want to be too stark or boring in my effort to counter our cultural tendency toward overconsumption. But I still want to keep the hoopla and the $$$ down.
I am planning to spend less on stockings this year, probably fill them mostly with consumables (nuts, chocolate, dried fruit), plus a couple of "the usual" things (we always have art pencils and a story or music CD in stockings, so that might be all - I have given them blank books in the past, but they have mostly gotten discarded). Also I think this year I will give them each an ornament, possibly homemade.
I just don't want my kids to be disappointed... (I guess I worry that when they're grown, they'll resent my "frugal ideals" - hopefully not, though!) We focus on "family" gifts, not individual gifts. With four kids close in age, we either do gifts for the whole family, or gifts where each kid gets exactly the same thing. DH and I stopped exchanging gifts long ago, and we just do 5x7s for the extended family plus something small and consumable (local maple syrup or something like that.)
Under the tree, our main gift this year is a new pillow for everyone. Pillows are expensive! I ordered them cheap from Overstock and still feel like I spent a ton. I am hoping to also have nice new pillowcases as well. I already have a couple of window prisms for the living room, plus a big outdoor thermometer that I have been saving. I figured I would come up with a pile of new-to-us books that all the kids would enjoy. DH will probably add a family game. I am hoping we'll get a decent quantity of hand-me-down Legos that I can wrap up as well. I want to get more flannel sheets for the kids' beds anyway, so I might wrap those up also. My 2 sisters and parents will also give them each something small (my parents are giving them magazine subscriptions this year.)
Does that sound "fun" enough? A lot of those things are utilitarian, but will be appreciated (I know they will love getting new pillows). We also will try go to a special annual Christmas concert (expensive for a family of six) and indulge in special food that we don't ordinarily have. We don't really need much of anything. We are trying to keep the clutter in our house down. We don't watch TV, the kids don't use the computer, we don't have ipods or cell phones or gameboys or anything like that. The things we have are meant to be enjoyed for many years, so they don't grow old or need replacement like some other kinds of things.
What are you planning? I know it is September, but every year I want to make a plan early on so I can budget and find deals and not be stressed about doing it all at once.
Also, for those of you who do homemade/handmade/consumable gifts for your kids, what are your best ideas?
I'm not sure I'm saying that well, but I hope you'll know what I mean.
I'm putting this here because I think a frugal Christmas and a "simpler" Christmas go hand-in-hand. For years, we have been trying to keep our Christmas traditions small and extra-meaningful without spending a lot of money or setting up unreasonable expectations. I grew up with a family big on gift-giving tradition and I struggle with this every year. I don't want to be too stark or boring in my effort to counter our cultural tendency toward overconsumption. But I still want to keep the hoopla and the $$$ down.
I am planning to spend less on stockings this year, probably fill them mostly with consumables (nuts, chocolate, dried fruit), plus a couple of "the usual" things (we always have art pencils and a story or music CD in stockings, so that might be all - I have given them blank books in the past, but they have mostly gotten discarded). Also I think this year I will give them each an ornament, possibly homemade.
I just don't want my kids to be disappointed... (I guess I worry that when they're grown, they'll resent my "frugal ideals" - hopefully not, though!) We focus on "family" gifts, not individual gifts. With four kids close in age, we either do gifts for the whole family, or gifts where each kid gets exactly the same thing. DH and I stopped exchanging gifts long ago, and we just do 5x7s for the extended family plus something small and consumable (local maple syrup or something like that.)
Under the tree, our main gift this year is a new pillow for everyone. Pillows are expensive! I ordered them cheap from Overstock and still feel like I spent a ton. I am hoping to also have nice new pillowcases as well. I already have a couple of window prisms for the living room, plus a big outdoor thermometer that I have been saving. I figured I would come up with a pile of new-to-us books that all the kids would enjoy. DH will probably add a family game. I am hoping we'll get a decent quantity of hand-me-down Legos that I can wrap up as well. I want to get more flannel sheets for the kids' beds anyway, so I might wrap those up also. My 2 sisters and parents will also give them each something small (my parents are giving them magazine subscriptions this year.)
Does that sound "fun" enough? A lot of those things are utilitarian, but will be appreciated (I know they will love getting new pillows). We also will try go to a special annual Christmas concert (expensive for a family of six) and indulge in special food that we don't ordinarily have. We don't really need much of anything. We are trying to keep the clutter in our house down. We don't watch TV, the kids don't use the computer, we don't have ipods or cell phones or gameboys or anything like that. The things we have are meant to be enjoyed for many years, so they don't grow old or need replacement like some other kinds of things.
What are you planning? I know it is September, but every year I want to make a plan early on so I can budget and find deals and not be stressed about doing it all at once.
Also, for those of you who do homemade/handmade/consumable gifts for your kids, what are your best ideas?
). I bought a pretty ring for my dd for her stocking, might add some other cheap jewelry/hair stuff. For my ds, it will probably include more small lego sets. Some candy, sometimes bags of chips because we never buy them regularly. They will split a good board game (probably Settlers of Cataan). And I bought a nice playmobil set at a yard sale yesterday. I usually also get them some new pajamas which they desparetly need. My ex and I usually split the cost of each large present so it comes to about $50 a piece for each child. If I can squeeze in the time, I would love to make the pajamas because nice cotton ones are crazy expensive. But that is probably a pipe dream (work part-time, grad school full-time!!).
). Anyway, my daughter uses it all the time, so I got a set of super cute felt food patterns on Etsy and I will make her a whole set of food, and also a set for my best friend's 3 girls. I've also picked up some smaller pots/pans at the Salvation Army for $1 or so. We're also working on her bedroom, we got this house last year and hers is the last to be done. I got her a really nice wooden rocking chair at a yard sale, and I'll sew a set of cushions for it to match her room, stuff like that.
planning for Christmas!
so he will need another one, but it will be an early gift as he can't wait until xmas again for a winter coat as he works outdoors alot with car sales. Ds I don't have any clue I know he will want a couple toys and he is really overflowing with clothes except underwear and and he will need shoes for sure. Other than that I have my grandma which i plan to buy her a nice pair of walking shoes and we draw names in the extended family and that is a big gift, there is a 50$ minimum and a lot of people spend 100$ at least, i try to aim for 75$ and shop lots of sales, I will probably forgo being in it again this year and just put ds in it. But my list is relatively the same from year to year. Dh had a great idea to use a change jar for loose 1$ bills for our trip tomorrow for my bday and we got about 50$ in there in about a months time, so i may enact that for xmas when we return.
