Why not use this years situation to say enough is enough re present buying

[buryboy]

So we shouldn’t really be going out for non-essential shopping.
But it appears most shops are open giving us free option to go and do gift shopping

But why not do what we are doing and take the opportunity to tell long long cousin Charlie that we won’t be getting him his Lynx set this Christmas and we don’t want a pack of socks in return ?

Or saying to your nearest and dearest that your pile of presents may not be so big this year ?

Let’s keep the virus down , and not get into debt by overspending to keep up with the Jones’s or prove what a wonderful person you are

How many presents did you receive last year that are still unused ? , or only come out when Aunty Joan comes round so she knows how much you love that hideous scarf she got you ?

[jndt]

I only buy for my children, husband, parents, sister and bil, nephews and one aunt. I don't buy for any other extended family. But I do agree present buying does get out of hand and I have scaled back a little on my children but not too much as 2020 has been a hard year and I want to give them a pick-me-up.

[mickey house]

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see

[aqualiv]

We do this anyway! Stopped buying for neices and nephews once it got into double figures and was getting to the stage where we were just swapping money
Only buy for closet family - kids and parents, much easier
My philosophy with Christmas shopping is if it only comes out around Christmas- ie boxed up fragrance sets etc no one wants it

[Princess Alison]

We gave up mass present buying some years ago, largely because With 8 of us, it was taking up Too much of xmas day opening them - my dad insists on dishing them all out and then taking it in turns to unwrap! 😂

It's just the kids now who get more but as they are now teenagers, it's easier to buy things they want and will use.

[Stu]

We have already done this with our family and friends. everyone has agreed not to buy presents for the adults, only the younger children.

For some, buying presents is a joy, giving and receiving of gifts would be a welcome distraction from all that is going on. It would bring a sense of normality at the end of the year. But for us we felt it was a level of stress and expenditure that our family could do without this year.

When we spoke to family and friends, everyone said they had had the same thoughts.

[dubletrub]

Only buy for my 2 children and 2 young nieces so after this crappy year I am looking forward to spoiling them rotten

[sam7]

I think this is a very good idea. Lots of people are struggling financially this year, or struggling with the worry of the virus and don't want to go out to shops when they don't have to. I would have chats with family and suggest this, they will probably be relieved.

[magickate]

The bonus of having a small family, I have no nieces, nephews or cousins to buy for.

[Island mamma]

We have an agreement this year with everybody beyond the kids that we buy for - small, simple, useful and available locally. I think it's really important to support small local businesses who are struggling, but also to be sensitive to those whose jobs are lost or at risk not to rub their noses in it with big flashy expensive gifts. The kids will get small things that they need and money that they can save or use later