christmas on a budget..a tight budget

buenaestrella77

how are you doing it this year? any tips?

with my family we've implemented the secret santa gift exchange..so now we only buy one gift. 

i need to find budget friendly gift items for the nieces and nephews. in particular the niece that's 12 and has major attitude and will probably hate and eye roll everything. i'd like to get her lump of coal but that might cause some waves with my ILs.

and do i have to get my boss and co-worker a gift? right now there are only 3 of us and they're brothers. hmmm

 

Nikki1007

My family implements the name drawing thing last year and its a life saver.  We have a $30 limit. Not sure on coworkers, we always do a secret santa.  Get the 12 year old a gift card.

murphyec

I agree with Nikki, get her a gift card. 

QCinOct

ita, get the 12 yo a gift card. My 12yo niece actually requested gift cards so she can go shopping.

Last year DH and I had an 'only homemade gifts' Christmas except for the yearly ornaments we buy each other. I made him two scrapbooks (which, of course, when all was said and done were probably expensive to make) and he made me a DVD. We haven't figured out what to do this year but we'll have to soon. Probably a very limited budget.

I have 6 nieces and nephews that I buy for. I put a $25 limit for each.

 

MrsO1111

We got the nieces/nephews each $20 gift cards and their parents a $50 one to the same store.  I'd definitely go the gift card route for the 12 yr old w/ attitude.  $20 seems like plenty to me. 

I have a small family, and so does H, so we do buy for everyone but we try to keep it within reason.  I've redeemed credit card points for a $50 gift card for my mom to a restaurant for her "big gift" and gotten some relatively inexpensive ($10 each) but good sized and yummy smelling candles or lotions for her, a cousin, and 3 close family friends.  I'll probably also get my mom a calendar and some sort of Hallmark-like keepsake thing, some candy and a book for my uncle, a bottle of wine for my aunt, and that should cover it.  Oh, and we're doing a nice food/wine basket for the ILs.

Whenever a random gift exchange comes up, I usually buy food, alcohol or a generic book (this year it's a comprehensive cupcake cookbook).  I should get out of this Christmas having spent about $300 for 14 people total (this does not include H).

Dr.Loretta

I'd get a GC for the niece. That way she can pick what she wants. And a small GC will be enough for her if she's only 12.

If you're going to get the 2 CWs a gift, make it small and/or homemade. Lottery tickets. Christmas cookies, etc.

KLRoy

I'm making lots of treats this year... cookies, cinnamon roasted nuts, yummy breads...

 

The only challenge is the 5 nephews.  3 of them are old enough to get gift cards for, but the other two might not "get" it. 

buenaestrella77

Dr.Loretta:

If you're going to get the 2 CWs a gift, make it small and/or homemade. Lottery tickets. Christmas cookies, etc.

yes! i think i'm going to go with cookies.

lenloe

we did the name drawing this year on both my side and my ILs side and set a $40 limit on the gift.

Mrs White

For our parents we are doing a bug gift but going in with siblings to make it affordable. Otherwise it is a $20 max budget.. if that.  We may end up writing an IOU to the older siblings.. as for each other.. we have a $10 budget.. and Chase.. a lot of his items are garage sale finds.

LTF525

I did oreo truffles last year for my coworkers and they loved them. They're super cheap to make, and you can serve the extras christmas eve.

10YearsTogether

LOVE the oreo truffles - I did them last year and dipped them in chocolate (some milk, others white chocolate).

If you're not into the GC idea, you could get her a little nail polish set with a universal lip gloss or balm.  If she's into that kind of thing.

 

pmarie33

we draw names on each side with a $50 limit.  we have stopped buying for all the kids since there are so many.