Wobbles

My family have always had a rule - I've never been allowed to spend more than £10 on the kids or them. I get round that by buying in the sales so what is £20 I'd have grabbed 3 months earlier for £10! I've only ever bought family & friends 1 gift and I usually go for the 3 for 2 at Boots!

Caitlin will always have 1 or 2 big gifts and smaller gifts around plus I seem to buy her the odd toy so I'm sure that won't stop then on top family always buy for kids it always stacks up!

enigma

Ill be spending about £200 each on the kids this year as that will have to be reduced next year due to having another, Ill buy my parents something nice but will only spend about £30 each on them, and everyone else will get something for about £10.
It might not sound like alot but we have 8 nephews and 7 neices, so it mounts up.
We dont buy each other anything until after christmas when the pressure is off.

Elli21

My kids will get about 50-100 pounds each spent on them by us...
We'll by my and OHS brothers and sisters gifts..little something for parents and thats it.
But hey ho, its not meant to be about the presents is it?!

polo_princess

I'm deffo cutting down this xmas ... esp pressie wise for me and OH, we'd normally spend about £500 on eachother and then buy everyone elses pressies. Not going to be doing that this year. Think im going to set a limit of spending so much per gift per person, probs a tenner or so, i really dont know ... i might even just set myself a limit of doing entire xmas for £500 or something

Mamafy

every year I say less next year but then it comes

I have 3 nephews which I just buy clothes for but only 1 outfit each so not that much money.

Donna79x

As I will be a single parent and on maternity leave until may next year i will defo have to cut down as generally go overboard anyway. Sure my likle one will be the most spoilt and probab spend around 30-40 and my close family and about a tenner each on my close friends. xx

Rachiebaby24

We dont go mad in our family at Christmas anyway...as long as you have something to open under the tree......its more about all being together and having a slap up meal!!

I wont be buying my LO loads when she is older as i dont want her to expect it every year.....and no lists!!! You get what you are given!! ha ha i sound like a right moany old bag!!

dippy dee

We're kind of having a tight year this year, the only thing we've gone over board with is that we're sending my mom n dad to cran canaria as their pressie they jet off on 12th jan so they get to spend xmas n new year with all the family then de stress on the beach, the 1 reason we are doing this is that my mom has colon cancer and we never know if it'll be her last xmas so we want to make it special for her, last year we went mad on buying pressies for the kids and they must of had 1000's each but half of the toys are sat in the toy box unplayed with, so this year it's 150 each and that's their big pressies n some little ones then i take them in the sales n buy them new clothes.

jms895

My family go mad every year.... I been bought up like it. I love buying for people and just love Christmas, but this year will tell people - please stuff for the house or the bubba! Do not go mad!! I must admit this year its gonna have to slow down as I just simply cant afford it and money should be better spent elesewhere like on my house!

Sarahkka

I have had issues with the crass commercialism of xmas for a long time now.
I'm not Christian, but I think this time of year has been about celebration in many cultures for thousands of years, and that it should be about family and friends, not about presents.
My immediate family has a $20 max on any gift, or it has to be something you make yourself. We also have arrangements with other friends and relatives that there is no gift exchange. We might get something modest for the kids, but no gifts for adults. We focus instead on using our resources to get everyone together (maybe helping with travel expenses, etc so that we get to have the visit) and for a feast or two. If we splurge it's on a fancy bottle of wine or cheese or some treat that can be shared.
I much prefer it this way. It's less about greed and consumerism and more about celebrating family. And the pressure is off. No more racking your brains and wallet over the perfect gift stuff. It's a refreshing change of focus.
So, the short answer is no, I don;t feel that I will be affected by the credit crunch, as we've been questioning our spending habits at xmas for a long time. It won't be different this year. Except that I'll have/be having a baby this year and won't be travelling.