Fewer Gifts this Holiday Season
Boy, are these polls everywhere this time of year. I found this gem on my favorite site, The Consumerist.
According to a Deloitte and Touche study, the average American family is planning to spend 19% less this holiday season, or about $517, on presents this year. This average American family, whoever they may be, also only plan to buy 24 gifts.
First off, 24 gifts seems like a lot of gifts to me. Maybe if they’re adding up all of the very little stuff, like those microfiber socks I bought for my step-daughter, then I might hit that 24 gift number. Remember a pair of socks counts as 2 gifts!
How are you all budgeting for the upcoming season? Is it a total number for all gifts or total per person? How many people do you have to buy for? Is this a big holiday season for you or are you planning to scale down compared to previous years? Anything different about this year?
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November 13th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Well, we’re pretty non-consumerist and we’ll top 24 gifts pretty easily. One piece for me and Duane. 3 each for the kids and that’s probably the lowest of anyone I know giving to their kids. That’s 11. I have 2 sisters, a mom and now a niece and a nephew. Duane has a mom, 2 nieces, a nephew and a family yankee swap which brings us to 21 and we haven’t included stocking stuffers or anyone but family.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
After 2 years, I have finally convinced my wife to cut down the presents we give to our daughter from a ridiculous amount to just 3 main gifts and some stocking stuffers. We usually get each other 1 or 2 main gifts and some stocking stuffers. My wife also gets 1 present for each of her parents and her sister. I am far too cheap, so I send my mom a card and say forget it about my brothers. There generally is not a budget set for gifts, but it is typically an unspoken rule of $500.00 for all gifts for everyone.
November 13th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
You know, maybe I was just thinking immediate family for the 24 gifts.
I am buying gifts for the super-extended family that includes my step-daughter’s large family. We ususally just buy one gift per person, though, except those extra awesome microfiber socks.
$500 for everyone sounds just about right if you exclude me and the hubby. We don’t always buy gifts for one another, only if there’s something we really want. Last year, we didn’t really buy much for each other. This year, though, I have a few ideas.
ZippoMan - Hey, I’m one of those brothers you forget about sending a card to. What’s up with that?
November 14th, 2007 at 10:08 am
I have a fairly large extended family on my Mom’s side and we’ve always done something to help bring down the cost. Our first strategy was to do a name swap amongst the kids group and the adult group. Once the kids got older, we switched to a yankee swap. Both are 1-for-1, but the yankee swap is more fun!
November 14th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Hey, I told you. I am VERY cheap! My wife is working on me consistantly, and I am much better than I was. For instance, I have started tipping at restaurants (I told you, VERY cheap). I am a work in progress.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Carl, we did this when I worked at Disney World but called it a White Elephant. Basically the same rules, except I think the “White Elephant” part was where we could regift something that we had received from someone else previously. It’s fun, although one year I got stuck with dominos, which aren’t my thing, sadly.
ZMOF - I used to be friends with someone else who thought that tipping wasn’t an obligation at restaurants. How did your wife convince you to start tipping, Mr. Work in Progress? How much do you tip for great service?
November 15th, 2007 at 2:11 am
I really prefer just to give people gifts when I find something that speaks their name to me.
I don’t think we’re planning to do anything different.
I tend to keep a price range in mind for what’s appropriate and not for each person and it really depends on what I find. (Too high and too low are both awkward in their own ways.)
Of course, at the rate the extended family is (not) sending their wishlists, we’ll probably all end up late as usual. Twelve days of Christmas in which to buy presents during the after Christmas sales!
I don’t have kids so I tend to think one person = one gift even if said gift is a package of different items I’ve put together.
November 15th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
First I must preface this with why I didn’t tip. I used to tip until… I was at a diner. I had a cup of cofee and was there w/my friends for a couple hours. The coffee was like $1.00. I paid for the coffee and left a tip of $1.00. The tip was in nickels, but it was a 100% tip. The waitress came over as I was walking out, she saw the nickels, cussed me out and threw the nickels @ me. I was pelted with nickels. I vowed never to tip again if American currency was not good enough regardless of the denomination. That was 13 years ago.
My wife would just badger me constantly about the tip ever since she met me. I explained the story to her, and she informed me that it was an isolated incident w/one specific inconsiderate waitress. She has slowly worn me down over the last 3 years through insisting I tip or following behind me tipping against my will. I have finally realized, my wife will not let me get away with not tipping, so it is starting to become a habit. I have not forgotten nor forgiven the nickels, but I love my wife.
For a Really good server, I will tip 20% (my wife, usually more). For Poor service, I am not beyond not tipping (my wife will almost always tip. They would have to spit on things in front of her for her not to tip).