Shopping Wrap-up

We had 26 people to buy for this year, 2 being my kids. I set a budget and narrowed down selections and still didn’t keep the spending at a reasonable level. How did this happen?

#1 We don’t buy for our kids year around so this time of year I feel the need to make it up to them. Stupid I know, they’d do better to get something here and there instead of getting more than they know what to do with all at one time. Still we’ll be home for 8 days so the activity stuff is going to come in handy since we’ll actually have the time to play with it all.

#2 We bought mostly low-ticket items. Nothing the boys received was over $35. So now they will have lots of lil’ junk right? This was almost unavoidable though because the higher priced items would have likely gotten broken by a 3 year old that doesn’t know his own strength. Is it fair to the 5 year old? Who knows but what would really suck is getting a high-ticket toy and having it broken w/out being able to replace it. I’m weighing the pros and cons here. Hopefully he'll enjoy the scaled down version of the high-ticket item and the sheer volume of everything will be enough.

#3 It was Santa’s fault. He thinks the lil’ cute items are required.

#4 I had less time to bargain shop. I crammed my shopping into a shorter period of time because I wanted to better determine my budget based on my bonus (won’t do that again) and while I updated my list daily, I lost track through out the day of what I was getting.

#5 I did do better. I spent less this year on the boys than last year and a lot of what I bought was stuff I was going to need to buy anyway- shoes, clothes, underwear, a belt, etc.

#6 I needed to up my game on gifts for everyone else. Last year was so lean for those we bought for (outside of our kids) that I felt like I had some making up to

#7 There were less ideas to work from this year and slim pickens at the stores. To buy equivalent gifts (gifts that I think are worth giving), I had to spend more.

#8 When we have such big families Christmas time is more expensive because there are more loved ones to want to buy for- I just forget that they'll be buying for my kids too. Since we haven't talked much lately (things are so busy and we don't touch base as often as we use to), I suppose I had this fear that the kids wouldn't get much. But they'll get enough from everyone else that by the time they open ours last on Christmas Day- they'll be so tired they will want to give up. What am I worried about? I suppose getting it wrong. How many Christmas' do you get with kids? They grow up so fast, I just really cherish seeing the happiness they'll feel (or that I hope they will).

After Christmas I’ll post what I bought. I was wanting to know where my hard eared money went so I made a general list from my more specific one.

Anyone else relating? I don't want to feel all alone here.