How many of you have decided not to exchange

[Texasgal]

Poll question: How many of you have decided not to exchange

Christmas gifts this year?

After discussing this with my family, we ALL decided that Christmas gifts were unnecessary and we will not exchange them at all.

We will enjoy a dinner and a day with family. The young children will get a gift at our discretion.

I have spoken with many people this season and it seems that many are doing the same. Wonder what that's gonna do for our nations retailers this year.

What about you? Will you be exchanging gifts this year?

Poll result (78 votes)
Yes, I will be exchanging gifts	(25 votes, 32%)	Vote
I am only buying for kids	(13 votes, 17%)	Vote
No, I am not exchanging gifts	(29 votes, 37%)	Vote
Other ( please list )	(11 votes, 14%)	Vote

[Skittles]

1. I only buy gifts for people who NEED - not people who WANT

[Texasgal]

3. That's awesome!

It's so funny, after having this discussion with my family we all decided that we didn't "need" anything.

It helped us make our decision so much easier.

Good on you!

[OhioChick]

2. Kids only. n/t

[stillcool]

4. I've had a war on Christmas..

going on for a while now. It's too emotionally loaded of a holiday for me, and I prefer to give gifts at other times of the year. It hasn't been easy for me to refrain from all the hoopla. Some people are quite perturbed that I choose not to take part in their holiday cheer. But they get over it.

[fishnfla]

5. kids only for gifts. nice meal for growed ups with plenty of booze

eom

[Texasgal]

6. Booze is always good!

LOL!!

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. That's the best Christmas

Sometimes we have had a Santa game, no gift over $20
you draw numbers and have the choice to trade out later.

Usually people buy something really goofy just to make it fun
with good food and wine.

[maddezmom]

7. Other: Pretty much as the same as years past

Kids, parents, close friends....but we ask our family in leiu of gifts for me and dh a donation to a charityof thier choice.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Exchanging small things among family, but mostly making donations.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. I'm doing a combination of recycling and baking.

I found several books in a used book warehouse that are currently out of print, one an original autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt. These are the presents. Everyone else gets home-baked breads and cool stuff like that.

[LiberalFighter]

10. Sister asked about doing a Secret Santa instead of exchanging gifts with everyone this year.

[backscatter712]

12. We're doing a sort of Secret Santa among my family.

That way each of us only has to buy one gift instead of gifts for everyone.

I might get a little something for the kids, but then again, maybe they need to be taught that we need to be frugal right now.

[drmeow]

13. Gifts for the kids

1 for hubby, 1 secret Santa for the rest of the adults.

One gift is home/hand made.

[DemoTex]

14. Other: CAN. OF. WORMS!

I'm the oldest in both families at sixty. I suggested we drop the name-drawing. My side of the family farted in my face and drew a name for me. OK.

Dr. D.'s (wifey) family is more fragmented and loved the idea of quitting the charade. Except for her fundy-preacher-man's-crazy-jeebus-lovin'-wife. She wants us to swap gifts with them. That's because she always engineered the name-drawing so that I got her name. She knew/knows I'm good for a fine CD (Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, etc). I guess that's OK.

[blue_onyx]

15. We will exchange gifts but are using a $20 limit

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Gifts for the little grandsons

and some small things for my husband. I'm enlarging a couple of photos and having them matted and framed for the two daughters here. I haven't decided what to do for the one in California yet -- every time I send her a framed picture, the glass breaks, no matter how we pack it.

We're definitely dialing it back a few notches this year. I told the girls we're not expecting anything from them, and that they should concentrate on their own immediate families.

Oh, and, of course, the big dinner, with my world-famous prime rib. And cookies -- lots of cookies.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. I give gifts, but not expecting any in return

and I do this all year long. Especially like giving gifts to folks who don't expect them.

[AndrewP]

18. I give donations in my families name to an animal welfare organization

That's it.

[Sheepshank]

19. Not so much the family

but we've lived in this neighborhood 9 years. This year, rather than neighbor gifts, we collected non perishable foods, cash donations, warm clothes, personal care items, etc for the Women and Children's Center. More than 2 huge pick up loads from just a few homes! At work, rather that buying several gifts for co-workers, we collected food donations, donating our own turkey Gift certs (given to us from employer), for the Food Pantry.

[polly7]

20. I don't live in the U.S.,

but yes I am giving gifts because I know the gifts I'm giving are needed. Maybe next year I won't be able to, but this year I will. I'll also contribute to charities, as I always have.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

21. I'm only gift giving to children and senior citizens on my list.

[Generic Brad]

22. I can afford to exchange gifts, but I'm not going to

I decided to give it to social needs charities instead. I have enough stuff already and cannot justify buying more crap when I have neighbors without a home, a job, or a meal.

[Texasgal]

23. Good for you!

That's AWESOME!

[Coyote_Bandit]

24. Yes, but

I have made some (art glass), bought some off Craigslist (new dishes with serving set and service for 8), got a couple of things (collectibles) at a thrift store and am re-gifting some small items that I do not need (calendars, boxed chocolates). I'm also gifting my services to a young fellow that works 12 hours a day seven days a week. And I am gifting some home cooked food items.

We are making an effort to be creative and frugal while still giving gifts.

[Kat45]

25. I'm exchanging gifts, but I only have a few to exchange with and

I'm looking into gifts like having trees planted in the Amazon for someone, etc.

[defendandprotect]

26. In fact, I heard women in Blooms talking about this today...

Visiting...bring some wine...have dinner -- no gifts.

We stopped all gifts kong ago --

Our "kids" are older, but we limit it to things they need --

like a winter coat.

[merh]

27. We draw names so that each one of us have to worry about only

one adult gift. We buy the kids gifts but nothing extravagent and this year it will be mostly clothing.

We have been doing that for years, my family is huge, buying everyone a gift just got to be too much for everyone. It added way to much stress to the holiday season.

Hope you are well.

[reformedrethug]

28. Christmas is normal for my family this year except for one thing.

My dad died on September 19th of this year, 1 day before my birthday. Christmas will not be the same this year, and never will again.

With that said, we will be buying for my kids, her parents, my mom, and our nieces and nephews as normal.

[pampango]

29. We always just by for the kids. For adults we donate to charities. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

30. Even folks that I know that have good jobs

are limiting their spending...ie drawing names and only buying one gift as opposed to 20.
And yes...this is going to KILL the retailers because these are people who have the means to buy.