[Betty]

I would really like to spend less this Christmas. But it just doesn't work that way.

We have Christmas with both sides of our family - mine and my husbands. For the adults, we pick names and there's a $50 limit to spending. This generally means that everyone spends $50.

For the nieces and nephews, of which there are 6, we buy them something.

So, not spending what everyone else is expecting you to spend makes for some wierdness.

Frankly, I'd be happy to just spend the day with the family and not buy any of the extended family gifts. Or just buy something for the kids.

I'm seriously considering a 100% gift card year here. I'm so not into it.

Even with our kids, I'd prefer to cut back. Just how badly to they really want/need that crap?

My husband and I don't exchange xmas gifts as money is usually very tight and it seems wasteful when we already have to spend so much.

yes- I've got some Bah Humbug going on.