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Moley
09-01-2012, 05:16 PM
Some friends and I have an informal agreement not to go overboard in giving each other christmas gifts. In fact we have jokingly set each other the 'Poundland Challenge' to find inexpensive, though thoughtful presents.

Do you have a similar agreement? It is, after all, the thought that counts!

MinnesotaMike
09-01-2012, 10:32 PM
I rarely exchange presents with friends.

ornamentmaven
09-02-2012, 01:52 AM
When I worked, I would exchange gifts with co-workers and with my staff. With my staff, we always drew names out of a hat, so we had only one gift to purchase - therefore it tended to be on the large side. Years ago , in college, I would exchange with my roommates and we would have price limits.

SilverBells
09-03-2012, 02:14 AM
I only buy presents for my immediate family so I try to make the most of my budget. I always buy what I know will make them happy but I don't go overboard.

Art
09-03-2012, 02:43 AM
With the rising food and gasoline prices off the charts these days, a wonderful and most useful Christmas gift for family members are "Gift Cards" to Gasoline Stations or to Supermarkets. They are thoughtful and appreciated gifts.:christmastree:

sorellehome
10-03-2012, 08:31 AM
I have never made such agreement with any of my friend but still rarely I share any gift with my friends on Christmas. But yes, with my older friends whom I normally don't get time to meet to them I send some gifts on Christmas. I share gifts like Christmas figurines and collectables. Christmas in July (http://www.sorellehome.com/blog/christmas-in-july/)

ornamentmaven
10-03-2012, 07:07 PM
When my daughters were younger, I was a Girl Scout leader for their troops. Every year we would exchange an ornament as a gift. Price limit was $5. Girls would bring the wrapped ornament to the party and a number would be affixed to each one. The girls would then draw numbers out of a hat and that would be their ornament. They loved it and I hope it gave them an appreciation for decorating.

King Rick
10-04-2012, 01:35 AM
My non immediate family has a Secret Santa thing where everyone buys a generic gift within a certain price limit. On Christmas day all the gifts are given a number, everyone picks a number out of a hat and that's your gift. Of course, we have the "Dirty Santa" part of it included, where if you pick a gift and you like someones better then you can steal it from them in exchange for the one you just picked.

JoslynJames
10-11-2012, 01:58 AM
We always say we aren't going to go overboard in my family, but every year my parents get the kids and grandkids something extraordinary. They treat us too well for being adults.

Fezziwig
10-18-2012, 12:07 AM
I was actually apart of an interesting "Secret Santa" at a previous job. Everyone would buy a gift (we were all men so it wasn't too hard to choose something) then we would bring them to an impromptu Christmas Party at the bar. The boss in those days was a real scrooge, he would give us half the day off and we would have our own party lol. Anyways, we would all take a number 1 through 12 (there was 12 of us) and select one of the gifts at random to open.

#1 would select his gift and open it.
#2 would select his gift and open it HOWEVER if #2 liked #1's gift better he could swap it.
#3 would select, open, and could swap with #1 or #2 if he wanted


It continued like this until all the gifts were open. There was a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey which changed hands about 6 times lol.

joydeguzman
10-26-2012, 06:35 AM
My gift ideas:

1 - 1-piece miniature toy like Lego.
2 - A small item that represents their interests
3 - Photo printed portrait of themselves
4 - An angel figurine
5 - A miniature copy of themselves

Christmas_mama
10-26-2012, 11:37 AM
There is a similar agreement among my family as there are so many of us. The general agreement is no more than £10 per person, because my immediate family alone there is:

My mum and her partner
My 6 year old brother
My 4 year old sister
My 25 year old sister and her partner
My 6 year old nephew
My 3 year old nephew
My 6 month old nephew
My 28 year old brother and his partner

Then on my husband (DH)'s side there is:

DH's Mum and her partner
DH's Dad and his partner
DH's SIX siblings
DH's sister's 3 children

(ETA: 23 of them! Never added it up before, so spending £10 each I'm already spending £230!)

Then of course I still have my husband to buy for, and him me. And our 3 children - not to mention my twins have their birthday on Christmas Eve eve! Christmas is an expensive time so if we didn't limit it, it would just be too expensive. But you're right it IS the thought that counts :elf1: I always try to get something really thoughtful and that I think they'll really love.

I admit, I do usually spend a bit more on my mum, just because she's my mummy http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/tasha-cat-mad/Smileys/blush.gif I used to spend out a little on DH's mum, too but not planning to this year. I obviously spend more on hubby and my own children, and admit I've spent closer to £15 per child on my nephews, niece and the younger siblings too. But I will try to stick to the £10 for adult siblings and partners.

I don't buy presents for all of my friends as it's just not feasible. I do however buy gifts for my very close friends (2 of them). One of whom will be in Afghanistan this year, serving in the RAF. I still intend to send him a gift package to let him know we are thinking of him this Christmas time :tree: If anybody would like to contribute some ideas of small gifts I could put into his Christmas package, please? http://www.allthingschristmas.com/forum/threads/6584-Gift-ideas-please-for-my-friend-in-Afghanistan

I don't think it matters how much we spend on each other. I would never receive a gift and think, "Uegh, they didn't spend much!". Who would think that? :santahat: I'm just happy with something to unwrap, and that somebody thought of me :smitten:

ernies
11-27-2012, 06:02 AM
I really think that is awesome because Christmas shouldn't really be about spending. I would get him a good book!

sorellehome
12-06-2012, 09:02 AM
As you have decided that you will gift some inexpensive items to each other. Then rather than purchasing any gift why not gift something designed by you that will be less expensive and also will become more special also.