https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:24:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2657893 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:15:30 +0000 808love 2657893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Budget for Christmas. Creative resourcing-dipping into events budget for extras. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2657887 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:10:22 +0000 Adira 2657887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a budget and I just keep track of what I'm spending. I plan out in advance how much I want to spend in certain categories. Like we give clothes, books, and toys, and I have a budget for each category. And Santa has a budget. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2657876 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:00:17 +0000 looch 2657876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've done amazingly well this month. My husband and I have bought just a few things for our son, our nephews that we buy for and our secret santa.</p> <p>I need one more thing for my son for his birthday (from us, which will probably be art lessons beginning in January) and from my parents. I might float it by them and see if they want to participate as well. If they do, we'll get a bunch of art supplies and wrap those with a certificate for the class.</p> <p>I also decided not to do cards this year, which will save us a ton (particularly on the postage). For decorations, I did spend about $80 on several fake trees, but two of them are of outside (planters) and one is currently on our piano. The rest of the decor for the tree we already have, so no outlay there.</p> <p>I think the other area where we can save is by not doing a big dinner on Christmas day. I think we can do a brunch and serve a ham, as opposed to dinner, where people tend to expect roast beef and all the trimmings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649852 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 14:28:47 +0000 lamariniere 2649852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't really have a strategy, but I try to do want, need, wear, read and those gifts are pretty modest. Both of my LOs also have birthdays near the holidays so they are showered with gifts from relatives and it's overwhelming. Also, neither of them really wants anything specific, so it's hard to budget since I have very few ideas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649796 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 13:27:47 +0000 ShootingStar 2649796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In an effort to not go overboard for his birthday next week, I ordered everything through one place (Amazon). That way I could fill up my cart and only spend what I was comfortable with. We spend way more when we buy piecemeal at all sorts of places. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649778 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 12:59:58 +0000 Pumpkin Pie 2649778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I bought LO1's gift (magnetic tiles) when it was on Groupon a couple months ago. We're expecting LO2 right before Christmas and I'm on maternity leave, so we're not getting gifts for anyone else other than a dear friend of mine who needs a little support. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649730 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 12:20:45 +0000 caterw 2649730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are using a Google spreadsheet also to keep track of spending. Since we are having our second baby and we anticipate large medical bills to come during the holidays, we are gifting our parents crafts from the kids and assistance on big home improvement projects instead of an actual present. We also aren't getting each other real gifts- neither of us has gifts as a love language and there isn't anything that we really want. Literally we are getting new pillows for our bed and that's it hahaha. We are doing crafts for toddler friends also- homemade gingerbread play dough with a gingerbread man cookie cutter along with some Christmas cookies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649718 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 12:08:00 +0000 FaithFertility 2649718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH worked a few OT shifts and we banked the extra income knowing DD bday and the holidays would be during my unpaid period of maternity leave</p> <p>We also have purchased a few big items on used websites like offer up for DD<br /> Like new BIGGER play kitchen and play house for outside we cut the costs in half </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649657 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 11:03:13 +0000 dragonsword 2649657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we keep a google spreadsheet and have a budget column and then a spent column, so if we overspend somewhere, we know we should cut somewhere else. I think the trouble is when we get down to the last minute and see something we like, or add someone new to the list. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649647 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 10:52:28 +0000 raspberries 2649647@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We keep track of holiday spending by using a spreadsheet - which is totally necessary because I loooove buying presents. We have a family tradition of everyone spending the night at my parents house on Christmas Eve (so brother, his wife and their three sons; step-sister, her husband, and their two sons; me, DH, and DS) then eating a giant breakfast and opening presents. So we buy gifts for all of the above, and it's SO easy to let spending spiral out of control.</p> <p>As a result, we have the spreadsheet - we record everything we buy/make, and try not to let any one person go above $50. We also have records from previous years, so if one of our nephews got a really big gift the year before, their gift is a little more modest this year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649583 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 09:34:46 +0000 looch 2649583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I am exactly like your husband in that regard, I can't wait for actual gift giving occasions. My son said he wanted to learn about the solar system, so I went and bought a solar system kit on amazon the very next day and we hung it up on the ceiling that night. I could have waited, we could have done it by hand, but at a certain point, I've got to consider the time value of money! My husband, on the other hand, is very good at waiting for the actual occasion.</p> <p>I do want to get my son a bike, but he hasn't specifically asked for it, so I don't want it to just appear in the garage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649571 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 09:26:47 +0000 Anagram 2649571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know your kiddo is older, so I'm not sure how my methods will change as the girls get older. My husband is really bad about "waiting" to give gifts. If he notices that M suddenly has an interest in legos, he'll just go and Amazon prime a new set that day. He doesn't care if it's a week before her birthday or whatever. </p> <p>I once hinted I wanted a particular purse for my birthday. 2 days later, it was sitting on our bed......a month before my birthday, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649569 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 09:24:49 +0000 Anagram 2649569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought I was pretty controlled last year, but then I still noticed my oldest had major gift fatigue. My mom was visiting, so she brought 2 presents and we gave 4. All small things--2 of the gifts from us were books that I just couldn't get in one package. </p> <p>That seems modest, but LO 1 was totally done after opening her 2nd and 3rd present. She didn't want to open more and just wanted to play with what she'd already opened. We had to coax and cajole her into opening the rest and I realized that she just doesn't need or want that much at her age. LO2 is only 15 months and I know she still won't care about anything she gets anyway.</p> <p>So this year, we are getting the girls their 1 big gift--the play kitchen. And asking grandparents to get some play food and plates. AND THAT'S IT. Luckily, our parents are very modest gift givers so we don't have to worry about them getting too much.</p> <p>The thing I'm looking forward most this year is setting up the tree with LO--she keeps talking about the tree and how beautiful it is. She also really enjoyed making a gingerbread house with me last year and listening to Christmas music.</p> <p>And this year, I want to take the $$ I might typically spend on the girls and host a small holiday party for my mommy friends and their kids. This year more than ever, I'm grateful to have such a great group of women friends in my life and I'd love to end the year with them and their kiddos. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/holiday-control-thread-money-edition#post-2649560 Tue, 08 Nov 2016 09:18:32 +0000 looch 2649560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought it would be a good idea to share how we're keeping costs under control this upcoming holiday season. </p> <p>My son is in the phase where he wants everything, but yet nothing in particular, so shopping for him is a challenge. What tends to happen when I don't have an idea for a single, larger gift is a bunch of smaller things that end up adding up very fast.</p> <p>We're also trying to use up our craft stash, I plan to finally use that pack of foam gingerbread men to make a garland for the staircase. </p>