I say that every year *we have to cut back* but never follow through. I love Christmas and my kids, well all but the youngest, don’t ask for much. I always buy my brothers gifts (and vice versa)but we do a “kids pollyanna” Since I’m the youngest sib, a couple of my nephews are my age so their kids are my kids ages. So we do a kids pollyanna between all the kids in the family and they exchange here at Christmas Eve 7 Fishes Dinner.
I lived with my grandmother growing up, seven of us, father killed in a car accident, mother too freaked out to stay. We never had a lot, but every Christmas, my Nan-na would go into hock to give us a huge day. The sun room off the living room held the tree and on Christmas morning it was filled to the brim with presents.
Of course, I never knew until I was older that she put everything on a credit card and then spent the whole next year paying it off. Every year I think of her and have tried to do the same for mine. But, this year the oldest is taking an MCAT prep course at UCLA for $1,600 and my daughter is a senior so we were out for her ring, senior stuff and homecoming etc...
This year I have to stick to it, my poor husband is stressed enough. So, my Christmas to him will be a smaller bill come January.