September 25. Only 3 months till December 25 -- Christmas! Start saving now.

[Chocolatehazelnut]

Right now I'm thinking more about eating delicious Christmas food than giving/receiving presents. :D

[coupon girl]

just bought a few more xmas presents yesterday -baby sock .89 for her stocking-bath and body works got 2 candles there (used a receipt spend 30.00 save 10.00) so got the candles for 9.00 each -large ones after the coupon - for my daughter and daughter-in-law(I use the glad candles I get cheap for me)shirt for hubby from old navy for 10.50 reg 32.00 -but gave it to him know cause we don't exchange gifts at xmas

[Shwa Girl]

but gave it to him know cause we don't exchange gifts at xmas

Christmas in October --nice idea!

[toban]

I start putting bits of money away during the year and stick it in a envelope marked "Christmas". When it's time to buy gifts, I take that envelope and only use that money for presents. Plus I set a budget per person. Sometimes I have gone over my budget, maybe 5 dollars per gift. It feels good to know I won't be in debt once the holidays are over.

[Shwa Girl]

Sometimes I have gone over my budget, maybe 5 dollars per gift. It feels good to know I won't be in debt once the holidays are over.

Oh yeah. Sometimes PC Financial and ING have a little "savings war" and offer 2 % on new deposits for a limited time. That would really help to grow the Christmas savings.

[MrsSunshine]

Found another gift for my son.. a plaid shirt with corduroy cuffs and color so 'sic' looking. reg. $20. on clearance for $5!
my kids always get a new outfit each xmas. sometimes new shoes if i can find them on a good deal..
so far jeans, shirt. $10 total each.
PLUS i got them an extra shirt .. duck dynasty.. they luv this show.

[Shwa Girl]

Great buys.

.
PLUS i got them an extra shirt .. duck dynasty.. they luv this show.

I think there are going to be a lot of Duck Dynasty Hallowe'en costumes -- a lot of people like that show too

[Angela273]

My dad's side of the family has a tradition of an adult gift exchange of $50...which might change this year after an upcoming discussion at Thanks Giving. We are all put on a list and the list shifts by one person so that you buy for a new person each year. My dad is one of 6 children, so there are quite a few of us on this list.

My younger siblings are ages 19, 17, and 11. Dh and I buy something for them each year...about $50 each. We now have our own 13month old son, so not really sure how much longer we will be buying for my younger siblings. It gets quite expensive, especially since we are the ones who always travel 5hrs to visit my family. Dh's family lives even further away. Dh and I somewhat exchange gifts, but what we buy just depends on the year. It is usually things that will be useful. Dh's birthday is Dec 28th, so I often buy him a big combined present. I have no idea what we will be buying our LO this year. I need to get him a Christmas stocking...we were at my mom's for Christmas last year.

I really enjoy baking and typically do extra around the holidays. I am a chocolate lover.

We have never gone into debt because of Christmas...even when it sometimes costs more than anticipated. (especially when traveling to visit family)

[Shwa Girl]

We have never gone into debt because of Christmas...even when it sometimes costs more than anticipated. (especially when traveling to visit family)

[Future]

I love all the tips in this thread!

[MrsSunshine]

I received my MOST wanted xmas gift yesterday.. a little early.. but very much loved. will probably be used 100x over before xmas too..
its a Kitchen Aid mixer. PRO series 600. with the lift bowl.. her name... is..
Pearl! (well thats what her color is.. so im sticking with it)
if i dont' get anything else.. ima happy happy happy..
although i'd love a few stocking stuffers.

[Shwa Girl]

.. her name... is..
Pearl! (well thats what her color is.. so im sticking with it)
if i dont' get anything else.. ima happy happy happy..
although i'd love a few stocking stuffers.

Pearl


Congrats on the early gift

[coupon girl]

I have picked up half my granddaughter's gifts so far saved 5.00 on a toy for her -coupon spent 10.00 save 5.00-nice denium jumper and top clearance from the summer -gotta shop like that for sure and cute summer skirt and bop top for only 4.10 at end of summer clearance at childrens place a few weeks back -before she was born

[trishka]

I've been trying to think of what to get my mom for Christmas (and her birthday as it is shortly after Christmas), and I think for both, I'm going to make a donation to a couple of charities that she would approve of in her name and get her a big container of an assortment of nuts, because she loves nuts but doesn't usually buy them for herself. She doesn't need "stuff" so I thought she might like and appreciate this. Now to figure out my brother...

[Angela273]

My dad's side of the family has a tradition of an adult gift exchange of $50...which might change this year after an upcoming discussion at Thanks Giving. We are all put on a list and the list shifts by one person so that you buy for a new person each year. My dad is one of 6 children, so there are quite a few of us on this list.

My younger siblings are ages 19, 17, and 11. Dh and I buy something for them each year...about $50 each. We now have our own 13month old son, so not really sure how much longer we will be buying for my younger siblings. It gets quite expensive, especially since we are the ones who always travel 5hrs to visit my family. Dh's family lives even further away. Dh and I somewhat exchange gifts, but what we buy just depends on the year. It is usually things that will be useful. Dh's birthday is Dec 28th, so I often buy him a big combined present. I have no idea what we will be buying our LO this year. I need to get him a Christmas stocking...we were at my mom's for Christmas last year.

I really enjoy baking and typically do extra around the holidays. I am a chocolate lover.

We have never gone into debt because of Christmas...even when it sometimes costs more than anticipated. (especially when traveling to visit family)

So the gift exchange on my dad's side of the family has changed this year. They have decided to do a Chinese gift exchange that includes only the people attending Christmas this year. You have to spend $50 on a gender neutral gift. Dh, LO, and I will not be attending Christmas this year because dh's company has a black-out period for 2wks around Christmas where you are not allowed to book any holiday days. This results in dh having Christmas day and boxing day off, which fall on Wednesday and Thursday this year...not traveling 5hrs each way to visit family.