What’s Christmas worth?

mbalbritton

mbalbritton

#@$%!
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Lakeland, FL
So….

It’s Christmas time against n and I know I’m not the only one with nieces and nephews and was included a large group of nieces and nephews growing up.

I have 18 neices and nephews that range from 8-22 and my kids are 15-22. The flat truth is that this shit adds up come Christmas time. Mine and the wife’s siblings have dismissed any gift exchange as is reasonable. But at 18 “kids” even as little as $20 (that doesn’t seem much) adds up in the big picture.

How do all of you handle Christmas?
 
mbalbritton said:
So….

It’s Christmas time against n and I know I’m not the only one with nieces and nephews and was included a large group of nieces and nephews growing up.

I have 18 neices and nephews that range from 8-22 and my kids are 15-22. The flat truth is that this shit adds up come Christmas time. Mine and the wife’s siblings have dismissed any gift exchange as is reasonable. But at 18 “kids” even as little as $20 (that doesn’t seem much) adds up in the big picture.

How do all of you handle Christmas?
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There is usually some talk about not exchanging gifts, have someone find out that someone is doing something nice for others on the DL but not low enough then end up drawing names. That is about the usual M.O. around these parts.
 
I'd have to bail on that. I would say (and I have) don't buy my kids anything. We've got them covered and they don't need anymore. Some people are persistent though. At that point, I'd have to hold my ground and just not participate. People will get their feelings hurt and you'll be the asshole.

When I was that age I didn't expect anything. I figured I was past the kid stage. I really appreciated the money but I would have been fine and so will they.
 
I came from a huge family as well. Probably 20 cousins or so...the parents drew names and purchased a small gift for 1 or 2 of kids- not everyone...Good times!!
 
Do a white elephant deal aka Chinese Christmas. Everybody brings 1 present.

Thise with more kids bring more presents …we had tonsonthisnwith the cousins when the three started trying to have a most kids competition because Catholicism. (The 3rd place loser only has 7 kids!!!)
 
Meh…I tell everyone not to buy for my kids, so don’t expect me to buy for theirs…and I always use the default ‘gifts aren’t what Christmas is about’…and tell folks where my cut off age is. The first couple years folks thought I was bluffing and I was the asshole, but no biggie. If folks really want to make a big deal about it, I’ll ask them point blank if they remember what the last gift I bought them/their kid was…usually hit with a blank stare…then I ask them if they remember the last gift they bought me/my kid…another blank stare. Then I hit them with ‘so aren’t you glad we shared something so memorable’. I’ll even go as far as saying if they can afford to buy it for me/my kids…so can I…so don’t feel compelled to oblige a social pleasantry, and the best gift I can think of is allowing them to keep their money and me keeping mine…so we can actually buy stuff we want/need. Edit…this year I think people are getting it and we just told people we wanted our kids to have memories with the person requesting the list. Take them to a park for an hour, re-spool their fishing rod with them, make a birdhouse with them, etc etc.
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
We did this until we realized everyone was just swapping 20 dollar bills. and stopped.
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My analogy is lets all sit at the table and bring a $100 bill. Then we all pass them to the right until your original bill gets to the person to your left and then we all take the bills and go. That way everyone gets a gift from everyone and no one is out anything but what you came with.
 
we had Christmas with extended family and cousins each kid picked a number and got a present for that one kid. every kid got a present and parents weren't spending 100s of dollars.
 
Just little kids get gifts.
 
Growing up the cutoff was 16 for gifts and then you get a card. Thats pretty much what we do. I have a nephew and a niece, and another niece on the way. So its not crazy to spend 20 bucks on the my brothers kids.
 
This is why I loathe this holiday. Why must we be such a materialistic and consumption society / culture? It's so stupid.

I'm the asshole grinch of the family, but I'm fine with that.

I agree with all those above. My dad (60-something) & I (35) about got into a full blown argument in front of my kids this year bc he just won't stop buying me gifts. I saw the direction it was heading so I put teeth marks in my tongue. I wish we could just go from Thanksgiving to the new year.

Sorry, I'm just ranting and offering no advice other than see others above
 
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mbalbritton said:
So….

It’s Christmas time against n and I know I’m not the only one with nieces and nephews and was included a large group of nieces and nephews growing up.

I have 18 neices and nephews that range from 8-22 and my kids are 15-22. The flat truth is that this shit adds up come Christmas time. Mine and the wife’s siblings have dismissed any gift exchange as is reasonable. But at 18 “kids” even as little as $20 (that doesn’t seem much) adds up in the big picture.

How do all of you handle Christmas?
Click to expand...
18 kids is too many to be expected to buy presents for.

We have one son, and he probably gets too much stuff.

I have one sister with two kids. We buy both of her kids presents. My wife has one sister with two kids. We also buy both of them presents.

The adults all do a secret/dirty santa gift exchange. I got multiple compliments from family members on my wooden Thanksgiving turkey that I have posted pictures on this site of, so I am in the process of building two more of them as secret santa gifts. I think making something that someone can use or wants is one of the best gifts to give.
 
We have a similar situation in my extended family, except the adults like to exchange gifts also. Basically everyone draws names, and then you are supposed to buy for the "grandkids", which is about 8 now. I told people long ago, that is was dumb, to buy a gift for someone you saw a few times a year, esp since no-one or their kids need anything. Finally a few years ago, it went to the kids exchanging names, and the adults doing white elephant. Most of them didnt want to get together last year, so this year is made it easy to just say no gifts. Instead we are planning to have the kids do some Christmas crafts so they can have some fun and still take something home.
 
rcalexander105 said:
This is why I loathe this holiday. Why must we be such a materialistic and consumption society / culture? It's so stupid.

I'm the asshole grinch of the family, but I'm fine with that.

I agree with all those above. My dad (60-something) & I (35) about got into a full blown argument in front of my kids this year bc he just won't stop buying me gifts. I saw the direction it was heading so I put teeth marks in my tongue. I wish we could just go from Thanksgiving to the new year.

Sorry, I'm just ranting and offering no advise other than see others above
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I am sort-of with you there. I enjoy the Christmas season, but have disdain for buying gifts for people that dont need them.

My mom like to buy us gifts, and while i have mentioned to my mom that she doesnt need to; I know that buying things for people is how she shows she cares. While I dont really understand it, i do not argue with her, because of how much it means to her, to do it.... even though the last few years she is starting to put less thought into it, and you end up with junk you will never use.
 
My wife and I were having this conversation just yesterday. We are focused on our daughter having a magical Christmas, not just with presents but with experiences... and some of those experiences costs money unfortunately, but then my wife tells me that her office is taking up $60 from everyone (20 employees) to get their 2 bosses each a gift...which is $600 each....THEN, they want to take up $10 each for the office manager from each person, and then a secret Santa gift with a cap of $25... I went off. Then her brother has 5 kids that we have to buy for and it just gets ridiculous. I have to say, this year I decided do a toys for tots run at my office and just about everyone gave something and the satisfaction of taking all those toys to our drop off location was so much more rewarding than this whole shit show of trying to figure out what to get everyone and spending ungodly amounts of money that doesn't need to be spent to try and make people happy.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
her office is taking up $60 from everyone (20 employees) to get their 2 bosses each a gift...which is $600 each....THEN, they want to take up $10 each for the office manager from each person, and then a secret Santa gift with a cap of $25...
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WTF? That can't be legal.
 
rcalexander105 said:
This is why I loathe this holiday. Why must we be such a materialistic and consumption society / culture? It's so stupid.

I'm the asshole grinch of the family, but I'm fine with that.

I agree with all those above. My dad (60-something) & I (35) about got into a full blown argument in front of my kids this year bc he just won't stop buying me gifts. I saw the direction it was heading so I put teeth marks in my tongue. I wish we could just go from Thanksgiving to the new year.

Sorry, I'm just ranting and offering no advice other than see others above
Click to expand...
Dude relax. I've got some oils that will really help with that mood.
 
McCracken said:
Dude relax. I've got some oils that will really help with that mood.
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Couldn't help myself, I was triggered by this...
McCracken said:
Some people are persistent though. At that point, I'd have to hold my ground and just not participate. People will get their feelings hurt and you'll be the asshole.
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I FELT that to my core
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
My mom like to buy us gifts, and while i have mentioned to my mom that she doesnt need to; I know that buying things for people is how she shows she cares. While I dont really understand it, i do not argue with her, because of how much it means to her, to do it
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This 100%. She does it because she cares, and I appreciate how much she cares.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
then my wife tells me that her office is taking up $60 from everyone (20 employees) to get their 2 bosses each a gift...which is $600 each....THEN, they want to take up $10 each for the office manager from each person, and then a secret Santa gift with a cap of $25... I went off.
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Yeah, that seems like the opposite of how it should be. I have a feeling the bosses make more than the 20 employees, so that is just some suckup trying to gain favor at everyone elses expense.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Yeah, that seems like the opposite of how it should be. I have a feeling the bosses make more than the 20 employees, so that is just some suckup trying to gain favor at everyone elses expense.
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For sure. I would not be participating, and if they want to call me out, I will be glad to tell the boss that they should be giving me a gift for putting up with their BS all year.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Yeah, that seems like the opposite of how it should be. I have a feeling the bosses make more than the 20 employees, so that is just some suckup trying to gain favor at everyone elses expense.
Click to expand...

See…another reason I hate the whole idea of gift giving. My SG&A crew has really spent some money and time on gifts, not only for me, but my wife and my kids in years past. Then the expectation is to reciprocate and more. Well if I do those 10-15 heads, then I have to do the 10-15 heads in operations and the 5-10 heads in quality and the 5 heads in warehousing. Where does it end. Thanks, but do it because you want to, not because you think you’re getting something in return. And that’s the problem I have with the entire gift giving dichotomy. So because someone/a group of people pooled their funds and decided to spend $250 on me, now I have to go spend $1500 because of some social obligation…pound sand, especially when I don’t spend that cumulatively on my own family or direct blood relatives.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Yeah, that seems like the opposite of how it should be. I have a feeling the bosses make more than the 20 employees, so that is just some suckup trying to gain favor at everyone elses expense.
Click to expand...
That's exactly it. My thing is, take $10 from each person and get them each a $100 gift card. done deal. One year, they got them both an ipad. come on, you think someone who makes a couple hundred grand a year doesn't already have one or mulitple?
 
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