https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:56:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-30183 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:08:22 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 30183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Because we have a huge family, we have a gift exchange, so it only costs us 200$ for that, and maybe another 200$ (for our godchildren &amp; nieces) we don't give our parents or inlaws (they asked us not too, so we make them baked goods instead) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-29684 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:06:16 +0000 ecogirl 29684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl I'm going to have to steal that spreadsheet haha! I just omit half the presents I tell my husband about ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-29674 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:58:32 +0000 mediagirl 29674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ecogirl: @anewme: it's really not that hard if you pay attention to what you're spending and when. We keep a spreadsheet that documents what we bought, how much it cost and then we have how much is left over in our budget. It works out great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-29659 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:48:51 +0000 ecogirl 29659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Belleoftheball thank you so much :) She really deserves it!</p> <p>@anewme I know it is just so difficult! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-29574 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:42:51 +0000 anewme 29574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh my, reading all this has made me realize I went hogwild on Christmas gifts! I really need to learn to edit myself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28533 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:13:35 +0000 mrsjyw 28533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have around $3-400 budgeted for gifts on each other. But, we also don't do anniversary gifts, Valentine's gifts, and our birthday gifts are usually short trips up north. So, Christmas is usually the gifting holiday in our household. Last year we spent too much money, so we capped ourselves at around $300 this year.</p> <p>As for cousins/sibling/parents - we stay under $500 for all members and split the costs evenly. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28365 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:12:48 +0000 808love 28365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have $360 budgeted for family and mutual friends. We then spend our regular discretionary money for each other and personal friends/coworkers. They are so good to us...it's really hard to kick anyone off the list. I'm going to start serious Black Friday shopping next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28361 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:26:43 +0000 holdonforonemoreday 28361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ecogirl: that is so nice that you treat your nanny so well. That makes me happy to see that. Nannies deserve it! (I do feel bad that her family doesn't send her anything. Poor girl!)</p> <p>My budget is $100 for DH, about $50 for my baby boy, then we have his crazy family which is probably going to be around $100. For my family, $50 for each of my parents and around $30-40 for each of my three brothers. I also have my grandfather, a book and a box of Cadbury Milk Tray. For the extended family on my mom's side, I am making homemade cookie balls for them. Cheap, easy and look way more complicated than they really are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28231 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:08:26 +0000 ecogirl 28231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I don't set a budget for each other or Liam. I set a high budget for my nanny but she does so much and her family doesn't even send her a Christmas card much less a present.</p> <p>My family does a grab bag type of situation with a $50 limit. His family doesn't do budgets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28225 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:43:08 +0000 chopsuey 28225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We spent a little shy of $400 for family christmas cards and gifts for both sides of our fam. Happy to be done with all my shopping! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28126 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:58:49 +0000 mediagirl 28126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh! I would love someday to be able to get together with my husband's sisters (my brother will live too far away to do this) and do an exchange. Everyone gets one name and we set a price range. This includes aunts, uncles, grandma and grandpa (if they're there) and the kids. It was so much fun when I used to do it with my family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28120 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:46:15 +0000 sorrycharlie 28120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@eupenmalmody: holy moly that's a ton of people! on my dad's side, there are too many cousins (my generation - youngest right now is 6) so the aunts pull names and buy for as many kids as they have themselves.</p> <p>we just bought for my parents and my siblings, as well as both sets of grandparents (my side). we are lucky in that DH's family doesn't celebrate, so that's an easy $0!</p> <p>DH and I spent 150 on each other - its our first Christmas married (and likely only one alone) so we gave a pass.</p> <p>On the above listed 8 people, under $200. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28094 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:20:06 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 28094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do set a budget for everyone. I usually make spread sheets for us to use. I try to stay under budget so I can take the extra and use it on my husband. Since we don't have kids yet we really spoil each other with gift giving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-28075 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:52:39 +0000 looch 28075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Given that we maintain a pretty strict budget year round, I am surprised to answer that we don't have a Christmas budget for gifts...at least, we don't have the line items in our spreadsheet. We have to deal with travel every other year, so that goes in, as well as a gift for my husband's godson. </p> <p>I am trying to get to as bare bones gift giving as possible...it's not that I don't want to give, it is more that it has become more and more difficult to find reasonably priced gifts that I know the receiver will appreciate...I wish Amazon Wish Lists were mandatory! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27889 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:17:49 +0000 Rosie Girl 27889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our budget this year is a little less since I lost my job. We are spending $20 on everyone, about $100 on DS, and just something really small for each other. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27881 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:13:06 +0000 Mrsbells 27881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Some years we set a budget and some years we havent. This year we wont spend too much on each other since we have a lot of baby stuff to stock up on </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27870 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:07:04 +0000 eupenmalmody 27870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I set a budget and within reason I keep us to it. This year, we have over 40 people to buy for. However, 32 of the 40 are friends and relatives. I know they will buy for us regardless of our request not to and they all bought for our recent baby shower and last year's bridal shower - given this, I couldn't not buy for them, so I am making handmade gifts for all 32. Through sales and coupons I was able to keep it to $16 per person (not including the shipping of 15 of the gifts). I'm pretty pleased with this result. We do spend a lot more on our parents, children in the family, grandparents, etc. I think setting a budget and forcing yourself to stay within budget is a great thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27867 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:03:44 +0000 LuLu Mom 27867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have 4 nieces &amp; one Goddaughter - we spent 20-25 on the kids (all under 5.) We do a gift exchange of 20-30 for siblings, and spend around 30-50 on each parent. We decided against gifts for each other this year as we are going to the Bahamas in January and made that our gift. I really tried to cut back this year and find thoughtful gifts without going overboard since we are saving to build a house &amp; for a baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27860 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:00:10 +0000 junebugmama 27860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We set limits but they are pretty generous and very rarely do we stick to them. DH and I are like kids at Christmas time. Our budget this year is $300 for each of us and for LO. Then $100 on my parents. $150 on my sisters family. We exchange names with DH's fam and do gifts at $50 a piece. </p> <p>I own a business and will give my employees gifts. DH is a manager and will give his workers a small gift of homemade cookies and a coffee gift card. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27812 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:16:13 +0000 Mrs. D 27812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We set a maximum budget for each person, and hope to stay well below. I start shopping this week for his family, so he can deliver the gifts when he goes to visit next week.<br /> We're spending about $25 a gift, whether it's for a person or a couple, and since we got married this summer, some gifts are super cheap, because all I have to do is print a print and put in a pretty yet cheap frame from the dollar store, and tada! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27807 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:11:43 +0000 sbjmorgan 27807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're spending $100 on each other and $100 on the baby (mostly because it's things she needs, she's outgrowing some of her toys). We're spending $50 on parents and $30ish on siblings, and about $10 on grandparents - I have to send our two grandmothers a framed picture of the three of us, plus some extra prints of Zoe, I figure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27764 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:01:38 +0000 heffalump 27764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually don't set a budget, but we don't spend a lot. Usually we'll spend about $50-100 on each other, and we did that this year too. </p> <p>But we'll normally spend about $20 on family members (parents and siblings) and this year I did all DIY gifts, so they each cost anywhere from zero dollars using things I already have around the house to $5. We just don't have the money this year.</p> <p>For kids I don't want to DIY, so our niece we spent $20. And our baby girl is only 4 months old so she won't know what a gift is, so we only spent $20 on a Chanukah book and CD. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-budget#post-27747 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:26:02 +0000 mediagirl 27747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you set a budget for the gifts you give people each year? </p> <p>This year we are spending $50 on each other. We are spending $50 on each set of parents (so $100 total) and $25 combined on my brother, sis in law and nephew (newborn). We aren't giving our other four nephews anything. We won't see them, so it won't be a big deal. </p> <p>We do not give gifts to co-workers, bosses, friends, neighbors, etc. </p>