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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/29/2008 10:29:13 PM
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MrsTracy72
Posts: 2056
Joined: 2/28/2007
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I don't really. This year, we are spending more because we are buying "family" gifts that are bigger, but as for shopping for eachother, each child gets an envelope with 25.00 per person and that is what they can spend on each family member. We have a special shopping day and always do lunch at a resturaunt we normally wouldn't go to. We pick two weekends out to shop and that is it. It is great to do it that way.
We make lists of things under 25.00 so that people can each have a chance to buy for somebody else in the family. It works out great and the kids are not under total pressure. I hate shopping, but those two weekends of the year are weekends that I cherish because they are just always great days.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/30/2008 9:02:34 AM
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Consecrated2God
Posts: 5139
Joined: 4/4/2005
From: Formerly Jesus Land
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We put back $50 a month for Christmas, so have $600 to spend. We also sometimes add more to it if there's something special we want to do, especially on those fifth paycheck months.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/30/2008 9:33:10 AM
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Miss Giggles
Posts: 4372
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: MI
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I spend less than 200.00 a year. I only buy for immediate family and spend less than 30.00 a person.
Our family never got into the outrageous gifts which is good. We all live in the same area so there is no extra travel expenses.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/30/2008 12:43:57 PM
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Lady_of_Faith
Posts: 81
Joined: 9/18/2008
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We are planning to take the Napa Valley Wine train on Christmas Day as a present to the family. They serve a nice dinner and the sights are beautiful.
I usually only buy presents for my son and since my family on my dad's side is so large, we normally draw names on Thanksgiving, so I usually don't spend that much for the Holiday. This year though, I'm planning not to spend over $200
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/31/2008 8:50:18 AM
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Row1
Posts: 247
Joined: 12/2/2005
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quote:
We put back $50 a month for Christmas, so have $600 to spend.
-This is about the same as our plan. We are abt to make a list of ALL Christmas expences, and plan how we will pay-as-we-go (since we are workign our way out of debt). Last year, it was a challenge to list and be ready for EVERYTHING: stocking stuffers, those unexpected charity appeals, a modest gift for the various gift exchanges (work, Bible study group, family get-together), decorations, etc.
In a way, it seems like it would take the fun out of Christmas to be so calculating, with everything planned, but actually, getting the planning done, and knowing there will not be any January whopper-bills, makes it easier to relax and enjoy the season.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/31/2008 10:07:45 AM
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DeeAnnBailey
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From: SC
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All my budgets and plans got thrown for a loop when my daughter moved back home and we had to hire an attorney. Christmas this year will be very downscaled but as long as we are all together and happy, that's is all that matters.
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My Blog Dee's Delights and Delusions
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/31/2008 10:15:26 AM
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RamiRedeemed
Posts: 2628
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My budget for holiday spending is 0 dollars haha. This year we plan on enjoying the holiday without shopping, without getting caught up in the hustle and bustle and without going into debt. We will be mailing Christmas cards and thats it :D
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 10/31/2008 8:53:16 PM
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creationtalk
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Harvie
Do you have a special budget/ spending plan for holiday spending? Holiday travel? Holiday entertaining? Holiday gift giving? Holiday decorating? How do you plan, financially, for this upcoming time of the year???
I have a part of my budget that is set aside for gift giving--for any time of the year. It is divided into "gifts for family" and "gifts for others" Of course, a big part of my "gifts" are to charities, given throughout the year, usually. I rarely separate decorating from the total holiday budget, just as I rarely separate the cost of a birthday party from the total amount spent on a birthday. Holiday travel, if it occurs, falls under the "travel and vacation" budget.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/1/2008 7:12:14 AM
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MisterTR
Posts: 65
Joined: 5/23/2008
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No budget here, but I'd like to have one. Some good ideas here to help us set one up.
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"And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/3/2008 4:29:28 PM
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Row1
Posts: 247
Joined: 12/2/2005
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quote:
No budget here, but I'd like to have one. Some good ideas here to help us set one up.
getting a little off-topic BUT:
we did the dave ramsey course. his advice is: you know Christmas is coming. It is at the same time every year. So, don't be surprised and unprepared, and end up spending on credit cards, and with no plan.
INSTEAD: set up a monthly budget. Include EVERYTHING you need to spend money on. Monthly, you have rent, food, gas, pocket money, etc. Annually you have Christmas, annual car registration and inspection, birthdays, back-to-school clothes, etc.
Just put these things in your budget. Just write it on paper. For the annual expenses, just divide by 12 (months) and put that much in the fund each month.
Dave Ramsey style is the "zero budget." You have every expense in budget. Subtract from your monthly income. Whatever is left over gets put in its own budget entry, either "relieve the debt" fund or wealth-building fund. [once you have gotten out of debt, start saving and investing.] So, EVERY dollar has a category, has a purpose, and at the bottom of the budget, the money "left over" is zero. It is all accounted for. So, it is called the zero budget.
This works really well for us. When a new budget challenge comes up, my wife and I just look over our budget and decide how we are gonna handle it. We have been doing this for almost 2 years, and have not been having any money arguments or fights for 2 years. Plus, we have paid off a bunch of debt, and bought 2 new/used cars without resorting to credit cards or financing, have gotten my wife to be a stay-at-home mom for the 3 kids, and we just pd cash for the bills we have from the birth of the 3rd kid in September.
I am tellin ya - you gotta steer each dollar to where it needs to go, or you will just be like we were before we started working this budget: frustrated and broke.
dave ramsey's saying is: (basically) "a budget with a name on each and every dollar each month, before the month begins."
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/3/2008 6:46:23 PM
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karlie
Posts: 16431
Joined: 4/10/2005
From: Central California
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We don't have a set a budget anymore as much as we have limits we never cross. We refuse to go into debt or pull from savings for Christmas spending. Other than that, we just buy gifts here and there with normal "disposable income" or sometimes some of my husband's Christmas bonus. As long as we aren't using the credit card or taking from savings, we're fine with whatever we spend, and if that money runs out, Christmas shopping is done! What we spend varies every year depending on what we want to give, so no set amount. We aren't lavish on gifts anyway...we like to buy something personal and thoughtful for those we love, and we usually give more than one gift to our girls, but we keep it simple for the most part.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/3/2008 11:42:59 PM
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Psalm22
Posts: 270
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: Alaska! Breaking is in progress, soon be spring!
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I have a basic amount I spend on each person. And I'll admit to be a regifter, but I do give thought to what I am passing one, to make sure (1) I'm not giving back to the person who gave it to me and (2) it's something the recipient is likely to like (at least for a while).
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And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. 22:17
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/4/2008 2:17:09 PM
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Wild-Rose
Posts: 426
Joined: 1/11/2006
From: Upstate NY
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We counted how many people we had to buy gifts for and divided that into how much money we had to blow ($350 divided by ten people) so it's about $35 per person.
Other years we have gone into debt for the holidays but that is not financially healthy. This year we have things under better control.
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Wild-Rose
Rejoice that your name is written in heaven. Luke 10:20
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/6/2008 12:48:34 PM
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Georgia-Peach
Posts: 1768
Joined: 6/2/2005
From: Georgia on my mind
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Yes we do have a budget that we follow every year and are able to stick to it rather well. We accumulate points by using running our debit card as credit, we also accumulate points when we use our credit card for gas. At the end of the year we use those points for $25 gift cards which we use for hubby's 2 sets of aunts/uncles and grandparents. We are not sure how we are doing my family (parents, sister, BIL, nephew, and grandma) so I am not sure how we will be buying for one another. We only spend $100 on Hunter at Christmas and I don't plan on increasing that much as he gets older.
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Chelle
A Mother holds her child's hand for a moment, but holds their heart forever.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/6/2008 1:46:53 PM
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IMA_CHRISTIAN
Posts: 1700
Joined: 1/23/2006
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i have a hundred dollars to spend on 3-4 presents. We have one grab bag gift, each one of us family members picks a name in a hat, price for present around $25. but first we make a list of things we want and put it in the hat. that way each person gets one good thing and we dont have to go indebt for too many people.
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Just give us peace, Lord.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/6/2008 7:54:19 PM
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reach
Posts: 1344
Joined: 4/12/2005
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We have only talked about it.
I just sent an email to my husbands family telling them that we are not buying for the adults this year only the kids. We end up exchanging gift cards a lot, so it does not seem worth it.
My nephew is 16 and I told him that he will get one big gift that he usually picks, and I will pick the other.
My nieces we have a set amout that I spend. They will be here at Thankgsgiving, so we will shop for them at that time.
My husband bought me an IPOD for my b-day so that is my Christmas present too. He wants a new mountain bike, so I said that is Christmas and b-day for him.
My family does not have a lot, so I am bargin shopping for them. There is a goodwill by my house that sells really nice clothes for cheap. And on Sat morning everything is 50% off, so it is even cheaper. I have been getting my family clothes from here for a while, so I will probably do that again. It is a way to get a lot, for not a lot of money.
I am not working, nor is most of my family. So we have to make it low key this year. Which is not fun, as we like to do for each other at Christmas.
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/7/2008 7:28:42 AM
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conrack50
Posts: 848
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Shawnee, Ok 74801
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We don't spend for any holidays now. There are no small children in my family.
We had to contribute to pay for 2 funerals in October so we decided not to spend for gifts anymore.
We realize that Christ is the best gift we have been given and we are honored for that.
Sorry to be so blunt but it's not about gifts anyway, it's about the birth of Jesus.
Connie Lou
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RE: Do you have a budget for Holiday Spending? - 11/7/2008 11:00:59 AM
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Simway
Posts: 57
Joined: 4/12/2005
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We budget for the holiday season. We set aside money just for this, then decide how much we will spend for each person and do accordingly. We do not use credit cards, or write checks, cash only. When it's gone it's gone, and that puts a end to shopping. We are now down to giving money to our children and older Grand Children. We have one eight year old we buy for. That makes shopping so much easier. After Christmas they can go hit the sales and get what they want. We love it and so do they
Simway
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