S/O do you buy for more than just your own family for Christmas?

[Nora+6]

We buy for my mom and dad, my oldest son and his wife, the other three kids, something for each other, and we'll get something small for the youngest's teacher.

I have 14 siblings and 9 nieces / nephews who we'll see. My husband's parents are deceased and his family doesn't do gifts for each other...even if they did, we'd opt out. It's a lot of money, and honestly just not something I have the energy or mind to get thrifty or creative with. I just don't.

[JennTheMomma]

We buy for my parents, DH's parents, my sis, BIL, my brother and DH's sister. I use to have to buy for my Godparents when I was younger, but they're divorced now and we don't even see the blood relative during the holidays. We also do both sides of the family for Christmas. If my grandparents show up then I have the boys make them a ornament for their tree.

[tmwmommy]

We buy for everyone but our family is very small. I only have one sibling and dh is an only child.

[joeslittlewoman]

We buy for:

Our 2 sons
Each other
My sister

His 2 siblings
His 2 grandmas
MIL
FIL

my mom
Mom's boyfriend

Best couple friends
Their kid (like a nephew or Godson to us)

My single bestie

Hubby's boss
Hubby's 3 partners

1 of my brothers
His wife
His 6 kids

Sometimes a small random gift to someone we will see for Christmas, or other friends we may be spending more time with.

The years we were struggling, we talked to family ahead of time and did only gifts for children (both of us have significantly younger siblings). We probably did something smaller for his partners that year, as well. We filled a room with toys for DS1, spending only $27 (thankful for CL and coupons). And skipped buying for each other

Eta: and I've started trying to do a little something for the mailman and people like that, since we have been so blessed.

[jeebee]

No. We don't. We buy for all of the kids. For adults we make stuff. We have a large family and all of us have agreed on this.

[MsGiggles]

We buy only for kids - our children (under 20, except one SN cousin who is older). For the adults, we have a secret santa exchange with DH's side of the family, and one with my side of the family, and that's it! So as adults, we will receive two gifts (one from each exchange) and only need to buy two gifts, plus shop for the kids.

I used to think I'd miss all the presents, but I've been SOO happy since we switched to this method! I'm enjoying Christmas way more. And there is lots of playful banter (online using elfster) and thoughtfulness put into the gifts in the secret santa exchange, which makes it more fun, too!

[iris0110]

We buy for each other, our boys, my parents, my brother and his fiancee, all of our nieces and nephews, MIL and FIL. We used to buy for all of dh's sibs but he has several sibs and they are all married except his one brother plus they have quite a few kids between them all and it just got to where no one could afford to do it so we have all agreed to stop. Between the fact that I am a minimalist and got tired of bringing home gifts that we would never use (and I'm sure several of his sibs felt similarly) and I know money is tight for us as well as SIL and her family thanks to medical bills we have all decided to buy gifts for just the kids and MIL and FIL. The girls (SIL, MIL, BIL's wife and I ) all do an ornament exchange. We still buy for my brother because my family is a bit closer (and we were closer before he got engaged but that is a whole other story) and I only have the one brother who only has one child.

[bigmamakelsey]

We buy for our nephews, DH and I each have 1 secret santa from each side, and we get our parents a gift.

[MadeofStarStuff]

We buy for our nieces and nephews, each of us draws a name from each side out of the adults (4 gifts total), and we usually make the grandparents a gift from our boys (often a framed picture). We have 6 nieces and nephews and I budget about $15 each. I easily came in under that with Amazon this year.

[Computermama]

We decided a few years ago when we were really getting our budget in line, that we would only buy for family, immediate and extended, and even then only our little family and our siblings, parents, and nieces and nephews. DH's side is a little bigger, so we draw names rather than buy for everyone, but my side is just my parents, my sister and her husband and my neice, and they're not planning on any more kids, so we buy for all of them.

It's hard because we do still get together with my extended family, my aunts uncles and cousins (all grandparents are deceased save one, and she was step and has disowned most of us). Up until last year my aunts and uncles still bought us stuff on the one side, and I couldn't help but feel bad, but considering if I bought for all my aunts and uncles and cousins that would add about 30 people to the buy list, I simply can't do it. I also feel bad because despite protests, some of my close friends still buy for me and my kids, and I can't afford that either.

The only thing that's kept me sane is keeping consistant. If everyone knows that you only buy certain people, then they can either not buy for your family, or buy for them and not expect reciprocation. It's that simple.