I'm dreaming of a frugal Christmas!

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 09-12-2003, 02:43 PM

I have found some new things at garage sales for gifts. I still have a loooong way to go, however!

**AmyBoz** · 09-12-2003, 03:14 PM

Well, for the neices and nephews, I got some stuff at the Sears clearance sale. I also am putting together little bags for them with some free sidewalk chalk that I got from a upc deal awhile back and some crayons that I bought at Walmart for 17 a box. By Christmas, we will have 7 neices and nephews, so we really don't spend too much on them. For dh's family (adults) we do a grab bag where we each get one person. For my parents, we just buy them stuff, but I've gotten some free stuff already that I'll be giving them, like their favorite razors, etc. Dh and I always promise not to buy for each other, but then always do, so maybe we'll try really hard this year. Yeah, right.

**Jeanna** · 09-12-2003, 07:14 PM

My Christmas could be alot more frugal if I could get my husband to agree that buying for all the grown ups on his side of the family is too much. My side of the family decided about 4 years ago (because no one could afford it) to only buy for the children, not for each other. But with those few and then my husbands side of the family added we buy for 16 people besides our own children and each other.
I would love to save enough to buy my husband a new recliner for Christmas, unfortunately my overtime doesn't start until Jan 1. Oh well his birthday is the 5th of March.

**bamamomto4** · 09-12-2003, 09:31 PM

I bought somethngs last year at the 'after Christmas sales'.
I think I overspend at Christmas....I put $410.00 worth of stuff on layway last weekend and not to mention Katie and Jackson are getting one of those motorized jeeps... katie a barbie and Jackson a gold colored one...those ALONE were $427.00!!!!!!!!!!!! (for both,not one)
Jayme will only be 6 months old,so she's not getting much....Ashley is 14 and of course wants EVERYTHING!!!!

Next year will be diff.....they just have to realize we can't afford to buy everything they want...

P.S. I normally don't spend this much.last year was much cheaper but because Katie and Jackson are getting the jeeps...it's costing more

And there's noway those 2 would share ONE....

**slowtypinwoman** · 09-13-2003, 09:45 PM

We are so broke this year. With all the remodling we have done Dh and I have decided to put a major crunch on gifts for the 2 of us. As for Dd I know this is the last year we will have the Christmas "magic" so... I want it to be a special one but with a handle on over spending. I make a lot of gifts, except for Dh's family. They think homemade gifts are "cheap." I wish they could understand that I put a lot more time, effort and thought into
my lovingly crafted gifts than they do when the run to the mall at the last second and get a mall gift cert. My mother in law last year wrote out a check to her son while he was standing there!

Oh well. I digress. We will work hordto have a christmas well within our budget.

**slowtypinwoman** · 09-13-2003, 09:45 PM

We are so broke this year. With all the remodling we have done Dh and I have decided to put a major crunch on gifts for the 2 of us. As for Dd I know this is the last year we will have the Christmas "magic" so... I want it to be a special one but with a handle on over spending. I make a lot of gifts, except for Dh's family. They think homemade gifts are "cheap." I wish they could understand that I put a lot more time, effort and thought into
my lovingly crafted gifts than they do when the run to the mall at the last second and get a mall gift cert. My mother in law last year wrote out a check to her son while he was standing there!

Oh well. I digress. We will work hard to have a christmas well within our budget.

**PrairieRose** · 09-13-2003, 10:16 PM

I have picked up a few things on sale here and there and since we only buy for the kids on dh's side of the family and not at all on mine.....it makes it much more frugal. Our ds recently got married and we're buying a couple of small gifts for each of the grown kids and 1 bigger one for each and that's it. This will be our first year for that and they are just going to have to understand (!). Time to simply and frugalize