Would you rather forego giving gifts

[adriarobi]

Gifts to my grand-kids (5...ages 3 to 22), who have needs, is something I enjoy.

I start putting a little away each month. Then it does not crush my financial situation.

I have two grown kids that I give a little meaningful gift every year...something that is heart-warming.

 

[Tresbn00]

If everyone were aboard I would forego the gift giving aspect of the Christmas holiday. As it is right now my wife, and I, are only buying gifts. Both kids are in college and we do not want them to spend their money. My parents are eleven hundred miles away and just know that they are alive and well is enough of a gift. I volunteer at numerous places through out the year and purchase wool caps from whatever charity was providing the greatest service. I donate ten percent of all that I have made through passive income (I count point to click sites as passive in addition to dividends and interest). I wrap the wool caps with a five dollar bill and encourage the gift receiver to add five dollars and regift the package to the neediest person they can find.

[gtdoss]

This is actually a subject near and dear to my heart. My extended family has for a long time not known who to get gifts for. Sometimes one family gets gifts for the other family's kids, while the other family buys something for the adults. It's always been a bit of an awkward mess. Last year, to alleviate this situation, we drew names for a secret Santa gift exchange. It was a LOT better, because everyone got something and everyone only had to buy for one person. Of course, that meant that my family had to buy four presents for four different people, but it was better than not knowing who to buy for. Of course, I'd rather just not do any gift giving and just enjoy the extended family time, but it's a compromise of sorts that I can live with.

[aflyingmonkey]

I like giving gifts, I like to hunt for good deals. I like to give to the homeless shelter in my city as well.

I spend my time with family enough through the year that some time alone to hunt for gifts is not that big of a deal.... seriously I don't need to spend 24/7 with my family.

I do give "gifts to experience" to older members who already pretty much have everything.
Last year I gave a groupon for a wine tasting in So Cal.
I've also given groupons to Sam's Club membership, they had a great deal on it once.
I've also made agreements with family & friends to not exchange gifts, but use the money they were going to spend on me to buy themselves something for the holidays - and I would do the same. Then we could tell each other what we got for ourselves from them..  works out

I can see how if you are in a stressful life situation already, how Christmas season could just be more stress & hassle.. I've been there in my life as well.      This year I am thankful that I get to enjoy the holidays YAY!

[sfreeman8]

We used to love giving gifts, but now we can't afford it. When I was working, there was no limit to what I would spend. I always bought for the females, hubby for the males. Then there's the food. i used to throw a Christmas Eva party for family and the boy's closest friends, which, while working. would be a veggie platter and dip, meats and cheeses, the usual chips, pretzels, and clams. Then there's the booze. Hubby and I would have lobster and shrimp on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It was nothing to spend over $2000 every year but we enjoyed it.

Now I ask for a "Wish List" from the boys every year and that's what we buy them. They know we don't have much to spend, so they stay low. We all still meet Christmas Eve )when the boys had their wives) because it was law by the wives for them to have to go to the in-laws Christmas day.  They now have new girlfriends so I guess it will continue.  As for hubby & I, we don't exchange gifts anymore. We both aren't in need of anything except food, haircuts, and other personal stuff. I want back scratchers and that new heat/vibrating wrap for the back or a basket of Icy Hot. Hubby wants the right 6 numbers to play the lottery.

[bshee58]

It's just me and my daughter that I would give a gift too, every body else has to fend for themselves, don't have the money to go out and buy tons of gifts, and I would give her a money card, and let her get what she wants.

[mamatygress]

No way!  I love giving gifts...I love getting gifts!   

[dreamyxo]

I don't celebrate anyway.  I don't have kids.  I'm not 10 years old and desperate for presents.  I'm a working adult and can buy myself what I want.  Buying other adults more junk they don't need is dumb.  I'm over the commercialism.

[gsdoss]

We are not giving gifts this year as no one can afford them

[braggin]

All the adults in our family agreed to give up gift giving amongst us about 10 years ago. It was too stressful and time consuming for everybody to do and not everybody was so happy with their gifts anyways. However, we all do still very much enjoy making Christmas a time of gift giving for all the kids in the family and we keep up with that quite strongly.

[rghvac69]

Yes, if everybody was on board I would forego gifts.

[ghunter]

I love the gift giving to my grandchildren and seeing the smiles on their face.  But never forego gifts to the kids, adults yes, kids no.

[sfreeman8]

I used to get stuck doing all the shopping for gifts for the boys and their girlfriends or wives, and the grandchildren. Since I don't know the popular toys, I started asking for wish lists from the grandkids and buy something from the list. Then I decided why not do the same with the boys and their wives? Nothing like buying something they would never use was my idea.

Now that I can't get out to do the shopping anymore, I do it online but now the only thing they want are gift certificates, which makes it really easy. I finished shopping in less than a 4 hours for 8 people.

[sak4kat]

This is something I've struggled with for years.  When my 3 children's father and I divorced having them home for the holidays was important to me but for the sake of tradition I never quipped when they were with there Grandparents on there fathers side.  There Grandmother stages an elaborate Christmas and the kids always looked forward to it.  Being single Mom of 3 I wanted to provide experiences rather stuff so we would do little 3 day getaways.  I later married and my husband enjoys gift giving.  So that is what we do... have done for years now.  With only one under 18 left in the household I'd rather spend the money and time sponsoring a child or volunteering somewhere.

[kimber62372]

Something that my family has started now that most of us, kids, are out of the house and have full time careers is to give gifts of experience.

Basically, we gift opportunities for concerts, spas/salons/massage, cruises, wine tasting/vineyard tours, driving lamborghinis around a drift course, and more. We tend to use this approach for pretty much all gift giving. We usually use websites and apps that have couponed deals to maximize money saved and opportunity for bonding.

It's actually been awesome. I've noticed that I've saved money shopping for gifts and I'm out building stronger relationships with those I love and experiencing life. It's a neat idea and it works for us.

Regardless of the form of gift giving, just know that it's the love behind it that makes the gift. I wish you a stress free experience! Good luck and Happy Holidays! 

That's awesome! Sounds expensive but love this idea!! lol