My kids just like unwrapping things. I get them each a few really nice gifts that they've ask for and then I give them lots of little gifts that I found at Goodwill, Ebay, or somewhere else that's cheap. I found a huge bag of about 30 dolls at Goodwill for $5. Turns out that even used they are worth about $8 a piece. My youngest has a lot of presents to unwrap!
I was fortunate to be given so many nice things every Christmas as a child. I definitely can't go all out like my parents did but I try to make it special for my babies. They are only little once.

I don't have bios, just SD... but I will always lean more towards spoiling my kids on christmas. When I was younger I was fairly spoiled all year round, especially christmas. SD isn't spoiled all year round... She doesn't get toys out of nowhere or trips to fast food restauraunts often. I really want to teach her good financial skills and responsibility so christmas is the only time we really spoil her and I tend to go a bit crazy... but I keep it to a level where it's not insane and if one of us ever lost a job/we hit a rough financial patch we wouldn't have to totally decrease the size of christmas.

My kids have been through so damn much this year and handled it with more grace than I could have at their age. They deserve a magical Christmas. And SO and I deserve to give it them.

All of these "it's not about presents" posts have given me pause. I suppose I will have to torture them with a pre-present speech about what Christmas means and how much I love them.

We buy quite a bit but most of it is 2nd hand from FB yard sale groups. Our smaller kids are 8, 7, and 6 so they don't realize when their toy is not brand new. The oldest kid in our family is SS15 and DH hands him cash on Christmas in the amount of whatever we spent on each of the other kids. Our budget was $200 per kid this year and we came under that bc I do ALL the shopping. My DH is the type that wants to get it done as quickly as possible and doesn't wait for sales, doesn't price compare, heck he doesn't even look at the price most of the time.

Dupe

I suppose things will change as time goes by, but for now, DH and I stick to our values, which is no clutter and no crap. I also try to be mindful of the fact that I am in a society that is totally blind to its own ethnocentrism, and which is further a very small market so that not only is there a lack of diversity, what there is tends to be deeply offensive, even (or especially) in kids' items.

I spent 50 cents at a local thrift store, but realized later than the gift would not be fun for DD. I have since spent another 10 euros to buy a game that we all can play.

On a related note, why are so many kids' games entirely luck-based? No wonder they melt down all the time!

i'm in the middle as to yes family is more important than material items (and Christmas has gotten toooo materialistic, imho), but at the same time we like to give the boys some nice things.

this year is lean (thank goodness i got a small bonus). so here's our lineup -

dh - slippers, cologne, t-shirt, bag. total cost - 48.00
lurch - coat, jersey. total cost - 225.00
kaos - fish-tank stand, and gift card to pet store - 225.00

i'm not sure if dh will give oss any $ or what, or get his mom anything. meh.

I do a little bit of both. I like to have a lot of presents under the tree for BS6 a. because he's a good boy and deserves to be spoiled and b. because I can.

BUT! We also do a Random Acts of Kindness calendar and do things like adopting an angel from the Salvation Army Angel Tree, putting appreciation treat bags together and dropping them off at the police station, donating food and stuffed animals to the SPCA, and stuff like that so that he knows it's not all about him GETTING stuff.

I like giving presents. Usually, there's quite a few gifts under the tree. I truly don't care about receiving and feel grateful to have time with loved ones.

Last year, I made my Mom cry. I try to get everyone a "wow" gift and it's just awesome when I get it right.

I remember being a teen and going to my mom's cousin's house for xmas. I remember them getting really, really crappy presents. And my mom's cousin is very middle class too btw. She's a family therapist. They got endangered species soap and a stick with a feather tied to it. These were little kids. It's been close to 30 years now and we still talk about that xmas and their little disappointed faces when they opened their soap and their socks.

I took a pay cut for my promotion and I don't get overtime anymore. My check engine light also came on In my car. So I busted my ass entering contests for the last three weeks and I won a four pack of Universal Studios park to park tickets!!!!!!! I was so relieved. I also did this $85 32 inch tvs on black Friday at Target and BOGO from Game Stop on play station 3's. They aren't new. They are used. But I feel pretty good that I think I got my kids what they'll really like and I didn't spend a lot of money.

I also went through our things and found like ten toys they never opened , a lot were the stepkids that are now 15 and 17, and we donated that to a family with a two year old who isn't getting anything. And my girls are now out of the MOnster High fad and we gave away all of their dolls to a needy 9 year old Monster High fan.

So I'm in between. I try to give them a decent xmas but I'm kinda poor.

We're not spending a lot on gifts. My kids are older now, and prefer the dinner and desert. I told them we will do a theme this year, "From the Heart". Has to be something hand made. I can't wait to see what I get!

SO, dd, twin a, twin b, daughter in-law
Each: handmade jewelry, socks, (stocking stuffers and candy for those who will be here).
Grandson: Captain America and Spider-Man action figures and socks
Granddaughter: Care Bear and socks

OSD, MSD, YSD
If they bless us with their presence some time during the Holidays, $25.00 in a card
If not $00.00.