Christmas is a very important time to me. I LOVE Christmas. I never tire of it. I’m one of the few that are happy to walk through the Christmas aisles in September. Yep. Doesn’t bother me at all. I love the holidays. If I had a huge house, I think I’d have a Christmas room that was decorated all year. Obsessive? Maybe, but I just love the holidays.
With today’s economic worries, I have been thinking a lot about Christmas gifts though. It’s important to me that my gifts be special, and because of my love for the holidays and my love for buying for others I tend to spend more than I should – I get carried away. This year though, I think it will be important to have a budget and stick to it. I have to decide BEFORE I start shopping how much I want to spend overall and the maximum I want to spend on individuals. Of course that’s different per person – I’m going to spend more on my daughters than my cousin. This is important to me. Everything will be paid for straight out of my pay – no credit cards. In addition, I plan to do as much shopping online as possible through Sunshine Rewards (see link to the left) as then I will get a percent back of everything I buy, and my Sunshine Rewards money goes towards our Disney vacations.
I’ve actually already decided on the budget so I’ve been doing some light browsing for actual gift ideas. I’m thinking technology for Becka (and maybe Cameron depending on the sales). For my nephew I’ve been looking at remote control helicopters. This looks like a fun gift. For my niece, I’m looking at the Disney costumes that Disney has on sale right now thinking she’d love a complete “dress up” set. They are already marked to 50% off, and I’m thinking they may drop a little more as Halloweeen gets closer (and then passes). My parents will prove to be the hardest to shop for (they always are). If they want something, they buy it, and I try so hard to buy gifts with meaning – not just anything. They will be my last minute gifts that I hope and pray come in my Christmas.
So have you started thinking about Christmas? How will our economic perils effect your spending this year?
Hedy says:
I’ve started window shopping for the nephews and niece (through SR merchants). I don’t really get into the Xmas groove until I know which brother or DSIL I got in the holiday draw, which happens at Dniece’s birthday party in late Oct.
Actually, I got some Candy for Mom’s stocking today, and some cute gift card holders, so I guess I’ve started.
Stefanie says:
I haven’t started shopping just yet. The Christmas season is always so stressful for us. I always want to buy more than I should and spend more than we have. We budget every year! We have a set budget for each child and each other. We also have a limit on gifts. Each child gets 2 gifts from Santa, one large and one medium. They also only get 3 gifts from us, 1 large, 1 medium and 1 small and of course all they’re stocking stuffers! I LOVE love love giving gifts so I love the Christmas season! I just wish I had more to spend but the economy sucks right now! Hopefully next year will be better! Good luck to ya!
Kimberly says:
I love giving gifts also. It’s sad that if I won the lottery I’d want to spend so much on others!!!
Catherine @ The Blonde Diaries says:
Does cameron like to dress up at all still? I ask because Disney shopping has a sale on costumes – 50% off including hannah montana, camp rock, and HSM.