Anyone else having a seriously thin Christmas?

[VegasLactivist]

The company DH works for cancelled Christmas Bonuses. That took $3,000 from our yearly income. We have SO MANY friends here who also had their bonuses (that they count as yearly income) cancelled.

We have known since October, but we have several friends who literally found out last week that they would not be getting a bonus the week of Christmas, bonuses they get every single year.

PLEH.

This year, DH and I are not gifting each other, and the kids will be lucky to get 2 things each, plus Santa. SUCKS man.

Recession blows. At least my gas is down to $1.85 a gallon. With as much driving as I do, that is actually helping a LOT.

[KaraJ]

We're having our bonuses canceled too. A bummer, but at least DH still has his job, which is very comforting.

[VegasLactivist]

Oh AMEN there. DH's company laid of 5,000! We feel very very very blessed that we still have work.

[Joyto5]

We're having our bonuses canceled too. A bummer, but at least DH still has his job, which is very comforting.

Our situation as well. So glad DH has work. Hang in there everyone!

[rock__]

We've never had a Christmas bonus. But it would hurt to lose one we were accustomed to getting. Makes me think of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

But yeah, things are certainly tighter this year, and I'm trying to be more conservative in general. It's hard, because I love giving at Christmas time. And feel guilty when I don't give much. But just traveling costs us so much, and it's hard to cut down the cost of traveling, so when I trim the budget the first area to go is gifts.

[bocarioja]

DH and I are buying a few bottles of wine for each other and agreed to keep it under $100. Our Dd is getting a few movies, new PJs, a Wii game and books. SHe has a room full of toys she never plays with and I can't see adding to the mess. No gifts for extended family this year-- whole family agreement.

We're still going to cook a big meal, but we too are cuting back and simplifying. It feels good if I'm being honest. Much less stress. Much less waste.

[HammBugga]

My dh was laid off and out of work for six months. He got a job, worked 6 weeks and was laid off again. So, yeah..at least Ryan still has a job!

[VegasLactivist]

We also have an agreement this year that the extended family giving isn't happening. Although, I think I might do the name ornaments from www.beadedthings.com for my nieces/nephews. They are super inexpensive and yet so neat and customized!! I have to talk to DH about that.

I wonder if it's too late to order for Christmas delivery....

[VegasLactivist]

My dh was laid off and out of work for six months. He got a job, worked 6 weeks and was laid off again. So, yeah..at least Ryan still has a job!


(((((((((((((((SARAH))))))))))))))))
(((((((((((((((COLIN))))))))))))))))))

[cc1003]

We also have an agreement this year that the extended family giving isn't happening. Although, I think I might do the name ornaments from www.beadedthings.com for my nieces/nephews. They are super inexpensive and yet so neat and customized!! I have to talk to DH about that.

I wonder if it's too late to order for Christmas delivery....

I just posted yesterday regarding my addiction to online shopping and here you come along and show me this website. How helpful...I'm sure my husband will just love you.:p

[VegasLactivist]

Hey, at least Beaded Things is VERY well priced!! :)

[KaraJ]

DH and I are buying a few bottles of wine for each other and agreed to keep it under $100. Our Dd is getting a few movies, new PJs, a Wii game and books. SHe has a room full of toys she never plays with and I can't see adding to the mess. No gifts for extended family this year-- whole family agreement.

We're still going to cook a big meal, but we too are cuting back and simplifying. It feels good if I'm being honest. Much less stress. Much less waste.

If I was being smart I would have done that. Now I get to run around like a beheaded chicken for the rest of December, trying to make 14+ presents! Not including my immediate family. Next year I'm going to make dvds of the babies send them out to a few people and call it good.

[vulturemom]

Yes Christmas is going to be pretty slim this year. But, I am OK with that.

We have to pay for Lisa's dorm room and get her books all this month. That comes before things that aren't absolute needs.

It may sound pretty lame but we are giving each extended family member 10 bags of cereal. Dh gets them from work free but, it still will save them money right? Please tell me that our plan isn't stupid.

[rock__]

I don't think the plan is stupid. I think it's unique, and a good use of your resources.

[MealsOnFeet]

Vulturemom- I'd love to get something useful like that rather than another Christmas decoration or a magazine subscription (that I can look at online and have one less thing cluttering my house cause like I get a chance to actually look through the whole magazine!)

I wish we were scaling back but dh doesn't feel the need to cut back on buying gifts for family. We've decided to just do stockings for each other and there aren't any big gifts for the kids (they'd be happy to get a few Webkinz and I've managed to get a few great deals on them!)

I have a feeling dh won't get a bonus. Not because the company is badly hurting but because his bosses are jerks and if you've hit a nerve with them around bonus time, then yours gets cut. Never mind he's been working his butt off all year and puts in WAY more time than needed. But nope, because he made a mistake (computer programming) this week but was able to fix it 10 mins after it was discovered, he's in their bad books and that will be fresh in their minds. I'm really hoping he's able to find a new stable job... That would be the best present.

[Tweet]

Sort of. The kids will have a pretty rockin' Christmas, but we scaled down a little with them, too. I likely won't be getting the purse I want and DH likely won't get his puter that he wants..we'll do small things.

[Babyblue]

dh and I havent even set a limit for each other this year, as this is the first year we have ever even given each other presents. he said 50 or 75 and my cheap ass was horrified.

[still_me]

We traded names for the adult presents. We went shopping in the beginning of November and used layaway at Kmart for all of the boys presents. I was done with my MIL by October. DH and I are getting a thing or two for each other and then we are going shopping together in Jan or Feb. I like it better that way.

I don't need anything. I want a cd by Emily Wells and that is about it. DH insists we get something for each other (he loves to have an excuse to buy me stuff). I think we both just reevaluated life once we had the kids. It is more of being a family and having each other than the material aspect.

ETA: I forgot that we might be getting a 42" plasma screen BUT that is only because HH Gregg bought out Circuit City and his cousin is a manager at HHG and we are getting his price. I'm still dying over having something that freakin huge in our house. The bargain person in me though is screaming to get it because it will be killer to watch UFC fights on it.

[MoonBound]

Yes in amount of things but I think we are spending more time thinking about what everyone really would like then getting it as apposed to just going shopping and thinking that looks neat. So maybe it will be a better christmas.

[Monkeytoes]

Yes, no gifts for DH or I. Kids will get one gift each and a stocking of small stuff.

[Sadalsuud]

Our Christmas will be slim when it comes to things for the girls coming from dh and me. My mil and fil, sil and bil are making sure the girls get plenty of presents under the tree. Our girls are their only grandchildren/nieces so they tend to go overboard, especially sil and bil who are childless and spend more on my children than dh and me, my parents, *and* mil and fil combined.

[Earthmama]

ILs will be indulging the children for Christmas.
I will make something for each child out of materials I already have.
I am also thinking of making things for niece & nephews out of my already owned materials.

[alejorge]

This is the worst year ever economicaly. We are trying to find out how to sign up for the local charites for christmas for the kids. We never get each other(adults) gifts. It is only for the kids. But we are so far behind in all our bills that we just can't afford anything this year. I really hate this year. I hope next year is 10 times better.

[Earthmama]

:hug: alejorge

I wish everyone a better next year. It's almost here.

[VegasLactivist]

Yes Christmas is going to be pretty slim this year. But, I am OK with that.

We have to pay for Lisa's dorm room and get her books all this month. That comes before things that aren't absolute needs.

It may sound pretty lame but we are giving each extended family member 10 bags of cereal. Dh gets them from work free but, it still will save them money right? Please tell me that our plan isn't stupid.

We'd love that! With an 11 year old and a 6 year old, we BURN through the cereal! And at $5 a box, that's no small gift!!

[Babyhellfire]

:( They just too cut hubbys work another day.
So. now We are just trying to pay bills.
Right now , it looks like what xmas we do have will not be about gifts at all. So far we haven't been able to buy a single thing- and that was before dhs hours got cut again:(

I might get DD to make a few things for our parents... we have already had to tell a few people we won't be exchanging gift this year.
I think ,so far,anything dd gets this year will be whatever the grandparents get her. I am just hoping someone gets us gift cards or something I can put towards getting her birthday gifts in JAN.

More hoping that one of us finds a new job.

[CatSoup]

I should really start saving for a rainy day.

The kid's Christmas has never consisted of more than $20-$30 worth of stuff. I'm a big budget shopper, and they'll get stuff from the Grandparents too. I don't really want anything for Christmas. I'll probably get DH some spare frames for his glasses.

[Bohemian]

Thinner than thin. Things have been tight before but this is the first Christmas that I'm really worried about. I will be happy to get ANYTHING for the kids. Dh is good at making extra money on side jobs so I hope he can do something there but work is scarce. I know we will at least be able to do the Dollar Store for books, puzzles, coloring books and get some candy for the stocking at the drugstore and that is more than other people can do this year so I'm grateful that we can do that at least.

[CatSoup]

Thinner than thin. Things have been tight before but this is the first Christmas that I'm really worried about. I will be happy to get ANYTHING for the kids. Dh is good at making extra money on side jobs so I hope he can do something there but work is scarce. I know we will at least be able to do the Dollar Store for books, puzzles, coloring books and get some candy for the stocking at the drugstore and that is more than other people can do this year so I'm grateful that we can do that at least.

Just watch out for Dollar Store stuff made in China. They aren't great about pulling recalls.

[Bohemian]

I know Cat, I don't get any hard plastic toys or candy there. Mostly just what I stated, books, coloring books, and puzzles. Sometimes they find a stuffed toy they like but I never buy any of the little junky crap.

[CatSoup]

It sucks too, cause I always used to get stuff for all the kids in my family there. It seems like EVERYWHERE you go there's crap made in China. I'm even wary of the ball toy I ordered for Eli at Target.

[MoonBound]

Any one know if palmer brand chocolate is ok? I stupidly bought chocolate coal at the dollar store yesterday. Maybe the stupid part was taking three kids 4 or less there to begin with, but I managed to get sockings for everyone.

[CatSoup]

Any one know if palmer brand chocolate is ok? I stupidly bought chocolate coal at the dollar store yesterday. Maybe the stupid part was taking three kids 4 or less there to begin with, but I managed to get sockings for everyone.

Is it made in china?

[The_Market]

Uh, yeah, you could say that. Let me put it this way, I will be grateful to have dinner on Christmas, let alone gifts or Santa. In fact, I will be grateful to have dinner tonight and every night between now and Christmas.

Let's just say that we're in the financial pits and not only probably not eligible for any kind of assistance, but not worthy of it, IMO, if we were eligible.

HOWEVER, I'm about 99% sure that we will eat (I think that scare is past, at least), and we do have gifts from family to give the kids, along with some small things I got to stuff stockings with before money got as tight as it is. We're all healthy, in a very nice -heated- home in a wonderful area, surrounded by a lot of love.

Yes, the holidays will be tight this year, to say the least, but we've set no giant precedent for the kids in the past and I'm actually feeling pretty happy to be relieved of the commercial pressures; able to enjoy each other.

[FloridaMom]

We are having a smaller holiday then usual, not because of money as much as noone needs anything here.
My children are not asking for much, so we decided not to get to much.

I want to focus mor eon together tie this year.
Board games in our PJs, hot cocoa out by the firepit in the yard.

[MoonBound]

It lists a usa corp but not that it was made there.

[babymakes4]

Well for christmas this year we are having a baby! I think that is a pretty amazing gift and one of the hardest homeade gifts I have ever made :)

As far as material things, I set a budget of $100 per kid and stuck to it. $100 doesn't go as far as it used to, but they will both have a decent christmas. dh and I decided not to gift eachother, all that is important to us is togetherness, and our kids having a good day.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Dh and I haven't shared gifts in years (for Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day, or Father's Day). We also quit exchanging gifts with extended family years ago. Since gas prices dropped, we'll be able to swing a little something for Jacob and the grandkids. (Jacob doesn't get gifts from other family members, so what we get him is all he gets unless friends of mine give him something.) As others said, at least dh has a job right now. We don't know what the new year will bring, though.

[rock__]

It makes me sad to see so many people struggling lately. :( I'm sorry so many have lost jobs and have had such a crappy time lately.

[WalkingTittyBar]

Im so sorry. Tough times suck. We have definitely had our share of them.

I talked to my youngest brother a few days ago (we hadnt talked in 3 years) and he is having a terrible time. He has a business doing foundations for home and businesses and the past year, with the drop in the housing market, he is barely making ends meet. He already had to sell his backhoe, but fortunately the man he sold it to is allowing him to rent it for when he does get a job to do. I felt so terrible for him. For the first time since leaving home 16 years ago, he had to borrow money from our dad.

I think this year has really been terrible for so many people.

[Bohemian]

We got a bit of good news. Dh got some extra work this weekend and that helps so much. It's not really extra but it will make up for some the hours that has been cut and that will make a HUGE difference in our Christmas. :) Things will still be tight but I'm so grateful that he has a job at all.

[WalkingTittyBar]

Great news, Bohemian.

[frannie]

If it wasn't for child support we would be having a crappy Christmas to. Also I finally got with it and started getting a few thing way early. Every year I wait til the last min then run around grabbing stuff. I did some shopping on line to so that cut out the headache of Christmas shopping. I think DH and I will give each other big hugs this year, as long as the kiddos are happy.

[KaraJ]

I bought a huge box of used toys for $10 from a friend of mine. I added a coloring book to that, so the presents are done for the kids.

[Nipple_nectar]

Great news, Boho!

[babymakes4]

im starting next years christmas shopping in january.

[KaraJ]

im starting next years christmas shopping in january. My husband has always wanted to do Christmas on the 27th, since everything goes on sale the 26th. :)

[hidesome]

Yes, we are cutting back this year. The kids will make us gifts. We've given them a homemade fish tank with a goldfish and some gifts from IL's and some other small stuff. The biggest problem we have is Neeks giving "something" to about 200 people. It adds up. We also tried to give more to the Salvation Army, the USO, and the Troops this year knowing that others will give less. I've never been one to buy (literally) into the Christmas hoopla. We'll enjoy ourselves just as much as ever and may even go skiing.

[JustMoi]

Yes. Our Christmas is going to be essentially nonexistent. I lost my job on November 12, and I'm not getting unemployment. DH is disabled, and currently on appeal with social security disability but that can take years. We have no income, and our rent is due January 1. We still don't know how it's going to be paid - we have no family that can help, and with no job/income we couldn't get a loan if we tried.

I have some of our handmade jewelry for sale... but nobody seems to be interested. We did order from Angel Food Ministries for December, so at least we'll have some food. I am hoping the pharmaceutical companies can help with my medications.

But gifts? No. I managed to find 1G MP3 players for $10 each, and I got one for each of the three boys. I made my stepdaughter a necklace. That's the extent of gifts for us.

DH and I won't be giving gifts to each other.

[Crabbie]

Ours should fall to about average for our household. A big part of that is that we are not going all out for out IL's. I usually put a lot of effort into their gifts but after last year I wont anymore. I was told specifically by one person "I'm not giving out gift cards this year, I'm buying something personal for everyone" Then on Christmas day she handed me a gift card. I was the only one who got one so ON TOP of the other messages she gave me regarding her true feelings towards me, I'll just give her and her DH a little gift.

[HIJKMommy]

My kids Christmas is going to be good, but only because I am a great bargain shopper and I started in like July. I need to figure out about what to do for the Christmas dinner part though because we just took a really bad hit as far as funds go.

[EvilAmy]

I'll just say that I'm relieved that my two eldest have realistic expectations that make it easier on the pocketbook. They've gotten older and over that "I want that, that, that to everything they see.

[QuiltyConscience]

My husband has always wanted to do Christmas on the 27th, since everything goes on sale the 26th. :)

That's actually not a bad idea!:hugegrin:

I buy( or buy the stuff to make) bits of Christmas all year, so it doesn't come on one big chunk. That and I need the time to work on things. Even so, we have scaled down a lot in the past few years just because it got too crazy, and I started dreading Christmas.

I look forward to it now, much less stress and hassle, and just enjoy it.