We say every year that we're cutting back, and yet our kids end up with huge piles under the tree from grandparents, etc. Unlike the parents Kate mentioned above, we still got our kids stuff...so it really piled up!

But grandparents are feeling the economic pinch badly this year, so we need to think about giving to them instead of vice versa.

The Tightwad Gazette author talks about "diminishing returns" when giving to kids. The more they get, the less they enjoy it. If they get piles and piles of stuff they start getting saturated after a while and it's just boring.

Anyway...to answer your question. :) Yes, we're cutting back. We do really, really HAVE to this year. Love, celebration, family, Jesus, closeness, etc...those things we will have. Just not the big piles of STUFF!

65 days? Uh oh. I was going to knit presents this year. My mother is really into Christmas so we can't cut back on the tree or decorating but luckily (or not) our family has shrunk up so much it's not monetarily draining. It's just already! Christmas! for months on end. Geez.

OTOH, eggnog.

We live full time in a 5th wheel and travel the country. No stuff for us! Our grown children have been getting animals from Heifer International for a few years and enjoy it a lot. This year our grand daughter might get a rescue horse from Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in Hot Springs, SD (a fantastic place) www.wildmustangs.com. My DH was given a library donation last year and I will do it again this year. He is king of the local library where we winter, now. There is freedom in knowing there will be no stuff to dust!
Linda, the Nomad

When I was ill, unable to work and then had to downsize 3 years ago, I told all my family that I was unable to give any gifts, and absolutely, sincerely didn't want to receive any. Fortunately, they have respected that. We get together the Sunday before Christmas, do a huge pot-luck type dinner (there are 25-30 of us), the really little kids open some gifts, and we have a wonderful time. And my "stuff-reduction-rule": for every one thing that comes into my house, 2 things have to leave. It works!

Yes, we are trying to cut back. With 10 grandchildren it is almost impossible to get them all a gift that they "want". So we are NOT asking what they want but giving them something that we want to give. And books are high on the list. We decided to end the "adult" giving of bought gifts and only give homemade items. Yes, it would be nice to knit everyone a hat or scarf but then you can't do that every year either. So we give fudge or other nice Christmas candy, cookies or jars of homemade jam, and zuchinni bread or cranberry bread, biscotti, or make some of the "gifts in a jar". Everyone is happy to have some nice consumable gifts. This year I'm making felt pocket ornaments for the tree and will stick a little gift card from Barnes and Noble in it. If anyone is disappointed with your handmade gift then it is time for an appreciation adjustment. I have some great recipes if anyone is interested.

My family is definitely ready to cut back on gifts (my mother and I think that we should get rid of gifts all together and volunteer together on Christmas) but unfortunately my husband's family is NOT ready to get rid of gifts, and has instead imposed a monetary limit on what we should spend on each person's gift. This would be great, except that if I spend less everyone will think I was being stingy. So actually I'll be spending more on Christmas this year than ever before.

I'm in favor of basking in a big, comfy bed WITH cats.

We've cut back on presents and opted for family time. That means we rented a cottage last summer and welcomed everyone in the extended family who could come. We had 15-18 a lot of nights, and our kids from Michigan, New Jersey, and New Hampshire got to re-connect with their Michigan families (and their kids got to know their own cousins.) It wasn't cheap, but it made for the most wonderful memories! Much more valuable for all of us than stuff we don't need.

I find being Jewish is a real plus as we swing into the Festive Season. I have lovely memories of family Christmases as a kid, but I hate that what once seemed like magic to me has become merely a three-month marketing marathon designed to make everyone feel inadequate, and somehow... less. I applaud anyone who joins me in staying out of the malls this year!

I am glad to see I am in good company when I see everyone's posts about Christmas. Who needs more "stuff?" I decided my favorite part of the holidays is baking cookies, so that's what everyone gets. They are happy when I hand them the plate of yummy cookies....they just eat them and not think "where am I going to put this??"

As you might know, Christmas isn't my favorite thing. The college-age nieces/nephew get money, bottles of booze for most everyone else, something nice for sister and mother. Done.

We were so broke last Christmas that we HAD to cut back. I knit or sewed gifts for everyone, or we made gift baskets with goodies from our garden (tomato marmalade, pepper jelly, grape syrup (which was supposed to be grape jelly, but it didn't jell...)) plus cookies and banana bread, etc.
And I persuaded my husband that we could skip the gifts to each other.
Turned out to be one of the least stressful Christmases ever...

Snow?! Really? I gotta check our weather. It's been pouring cats and dogs all night. I'm not ready for snow.
We don't go all out for Christmas anyway. The boys pretty much get what they want anyway.

I have been trying to cut back for over 5 years now. My SIL (whom I love dearly)refuses so I'm stuck. It will be leaner this year merely due to economics. I still put up the tree because that's the one part I love.

We took a huge step back about 10 years ago. We stopped giving gifts and told our friends and family we didn't want anything in return. We have fun, participate in parties, etc. but enjoy it all so much more.

I cut back a couple years ago and have done a bit more every year. All the family gets chickens or goats for the holidays from Heifer. If they don't like it, they can complain to the starving person who received it. I would be more than happy to get a goat in return. Like you, I think 'what am I going to do with more X??'

Christmas will be lean here. I set a $5 limit for friends' kids and for litle ones in the family. I'm tired of competing with Santa Claus. Last year, someone told me that they don't buy their kids' presents b/c everyone else does and this way they save money. I was disgusted (mostly b/c they don't give gifts either) and vowed this year, let the grandparents and parents handle it.... I'm not Santa.

My mom's getting some handknit socks (she loves them), my brothers are getting small things... and PC, well... he's getting golf clubs.

Limited shopping-- $600 limit for everything. Plus, i don't know how steady my job is after thnanksgiving due to a merger.

I was just doing my Christmas budget the other day and we are cutting back by about 1/3.

Yup, no tree, no Christmas. We passed on it last year because the DH had been sick for months and there wasn't any Christmas spirit to be found. This year the family will be scattered and I don't have the focus to go through the rigamarole for just us two. And the presents? They lost their magic years ago when I realized I had more stuff than I knew what to do with. Probably a nice dinner will be the extent of it.

No christmas here. I am tired of stuff and don't have room to house anything else. If I can't eat it, wear it or knit it up and give it back, it can't move in.

Unless it's that really fab bag I saw the other day...

xo

We seriously, honest-to-goodness, cut back many, many years ago. As in, we don't even have a tree anymore, and we MIGHT have a gift or two, but maybe not. Literally. And that is not a word I am allowed to use in this house unless I really mean LITERALLY. It can be done. And life can be better because of it. Trust me. :)