Here is what I do for gift boxes....whenever I buy clothes throughout the year I ask for a gift box with it. I put them away all year and come Christmas I have more than enough. That way I don't have to buy any!
new rules, Loz--first i agree with Jiffy--buy at least 12 rolls---and make sure they are BIG rolls that have lots on them-(beside they will be cheaper after xmas--thus allowing you to buy more) --i do not ever buy the little rolls --well unless the are foil or something special that i need for a certain package/person. i do what Jessica does too (the boxes) AND I buy boxes & such as I see them and at christmas i always rummage thru peoples boxes & take them if they do not want them---I store them in my basement in rubbermaid containers---
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Tamara: Lucky you---I am almost done though---I will be getting several gift cards--(gas cards for the kids)--Looks like I will be waiting until december to finish---
I did order my SIL a ICEL knife yesterday--finally. The guy at the company was not there each time i called for several days.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Well I'll still have lots to do in December as well. I'm also making gift baskets full of sweets and homemade jams and jellies for some friends and family. That only gets done the week before.
Aw and it will soon be meat pie making time. Yummy.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
It sure comes fast doesn't it?!? I have some more gifts to get but not too many. I am shopping this weekend and then Black Friday and I should be done except for some stocking stuffers but that is no big deal.
I am the same way Loz! I don't know how I could do it if I tried to do it all within a month's time. People would hardly get anything from me and I would have to cut my list way back!! The way I do it works for me!
Me too, if I started now I'd only be able to afford one gift per person and that just isn't me..... Some people think I waste a lot of money buying so many things for everyone but I enjoy it....it's what I like to do. I never get myself in debt over Christmas though, we don't used cards at all...just cash.
I don't charge anything either. I refuse to go into debt for Christmas so that is the exact reason I buy throughout the year. I don't see it as wasting money. I like to give so that is what I do.
My budget is--I try to spend the same on each child--and now I have to add the 2 SIL's.--The money aspect of it is why I too start so very early--it is the only way I can afford to do what I want. That and we use the Christmas $$ my MIL gives us each year to do most of our shopping. I really need to get job---
If I made the rules, we would have a Christmas club. MY DH says he does not want us to do that
Today I bought my oldest the white tree outside decorations she wanted as part of her Christmas. She will get them on Thanksgiving so she can decorate her new yard for Christmas.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
my mil told her kids that when they got significant other's their christmas "allowance" was going to be split. well, we didn't actually take our daughters and split it between her and the sil, but we did not either of them quite as much as the single two.
so, when daughter#2 got engaged, we did the same with her. added a little then split it. worked well.
this year, daughter#1 has a fiance (remember, her husband died right before thanksgiving last year) and daughter#2 is only getting a token gift as is her husband because we are buying scott's grandmother's piano for her. (her hubby will just have to deal )
daughter#1 has made several requests, and given suggestions for her fiance. all very reasonable.
son on the other hand, wants the moon, stars, and sun on a silver platter!
I didn't know she was engaged Jiffy, congratulations to Ellie!
I have that problem where I say I'm done, I'll even write DONE across the top of their page in my book, but then I'll be out and see something perfect for them and I'll have to buy it....
Like my dad today, I'm done him---I've spent more on him than anyone but Mark--just a tad more than mom....a lot of money, but I saw something in Hallmark today that I just had to buy him.
my mil told her kids that when they got significant other's their christmas "allowance" was going to be split. well, we didn't actually take our daughters and split it between her and the sil, but we did not either of them quite as much as the single two.
so, when daughter#2 got engaged, we did the same with her. added a little then split it. worked well.
this year, daughter #1 has a fiance (remember, her husband died right before thanksgiving last year) and daughter#2 is only getting a token gift as is her husband because we are buying scott's grandmother's piano for her. (her hubby will just have to deal )
daughter#1 has made several requests, and given suggestions for her fiance. all very reasonable.
son on the other hand, wants the moon, stars, and sun on a silver platter!
I told the girls I too was taking what I spent on each girl & splitting it between them & their spouses--but it does not always work out like that.-- Both girls have always been very reasonable when it comes to gifts--even when Valarie was small she would only have like 3 things on her list--becaue "she wanted surprises"
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I like house stuff. Last year I got excited over new pots and pans....that's when I knew I was getting old.
not necessarily, Loz--of you needed them then yes perhaps you are getting older BUT if you just wanted new pans say of a certain nature, then that does not necessarily show age. just desire---
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I dug out a few snowman decorations the other night. Tristen really wanted to decorate so I said we could take out some of the snowman stuff but the rest had to wait until after Thanksgiving.
That's alright. I don't normally decorate at all until after Thanksgiving but I let Tristen get a little tree at the store the other day and some ornaments for it to put in his bedroom so he set that all up and then he wanted to do more so we took some snowman stuff out. I usually leave that stuff up most of the winter anyways so I figured it was alright. It is not Christmasy stuff at all!!
Last edited by plantqueen; Nov 20th, 2007 at 12:50 PM.
tam, in the philippines, they start christmas on nov 2, because the last major holiday before christmas is all saint's day on nov 1. so we spent many years decorating from nov 2 on!
Cool, they start decorating here also on Nov.1st.....Mind you I still haven't yet . I must put up the outside lights today on the shed and house and wrap my tree in the front. We are supposed to get a bad storm tomorrow and friday.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
I plan on buying a pair of those 'gator grips' for your shoes. I have taken some nasty slips shovelling the roof off a few times. Mind you.....by then there is so much snow on the ground, I haven't fallen very far
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
Well, just got sis-in-law to try pick up one of the two gifts I have left to buy. She's going to that store anyway. Why drive an hour to the mall for it if I don't have to.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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