Do you go all out at Christmas?

**MANDERS** · 12-12-2002, 11:03 PM

Ok I havwe totaly thrown frugality out the window this year,spent $600 on dh alone!The kdis are getting way more this year than ever and I am having a huge christmas dinner(note expensive)and a little party with tons of food.We are spending way way way more this year.Not to mention the decorations etc and the fact that we are remodeling our whole house.

But on the other hand it feels kinda good to do this,knowing its not gonna put us in debt or hurt us pay the bills.I guess stashing half of my savings away for a rainy day has helped but sometimes I think we are going over board.But at other times I think its only one christmas.

**Sara Noel** · 11-18-2004, 03:48 PM

No. We don't. In fact, we seem to be spending less and less. I want the day to be special for my children and love watching them opening gifts, but we won't be going all out on gifts this year.

**BlessedMommy** · 11-18-2004, 04:44 PM

Our Christmases keep getting more and more simple. The kids each get 3 gifts from mom and dad, they each get eachother something, and then they get a few from the grandparents. Dh and I don't exchange gifts.

**Michele Annette** · 11-19-2004, 07:41 PM

We love a simple Christmas and really strive for it, but as far as dinner is concerned, we go all out. I make a turkey, even if it's just the two of us, with all the trimmings. We like a special meal and it doesn't cost us a lot of money to do it...and if it's just the two of us eating, I have leftovers in the freezer plus two large batches of turkey stock for soup in the freezer as well. It just makes us feel good to do things a little more simply.

**pita1213** · 11-19-2004, 10:04 PM

normally no we don't go all out. we've simplified things quite a bit over the last few years. though this year i got dh a big gift and he got me one. normally we just get each other something small, but he's finally getting me a KA mixer. dks will be getting some homemade gifts from us as well as some books and a couple of small toys in their stocking. i'm going to get some dvd's as our family present. i try to get something that all of us can do together. sometimes a game, sometimes movies we all like.
my parents and inlaws tend to go overboard on things so we keep things simple to counteract that.

**momof42003** · 11-19-2004, 10:45 PM

Most of the time I try to keep it kind of simple, and then DH decides that he needs to go shopping

. My kids get so much for Christmas it is not even funny.... Last year we spent well over $1000 on gifts, lights, and dinner trimmings... But this is the only time of year we do that.. I love having the entire house just spiffy and elegant looking at Christmas. I have also noticed that at least with the lighting stuff it is getting less and less each year because of the previous years stuff is still good.