Done, I shopped online, stuck to my budget $15 per person. Everything got shipped last week, through both the Post Office and one of those Mailbox franchise places. Now I can relax and enjoy the holidays.

Good for you, jannie!

Just bought the last gift online with free overnight shipping. I buy everything online. Have not set foot in a retail store in years. Fortunately, my better half has and does and is an early shopper. She has been done for weeks. We spent a little more than last year but still within budget.

One of my online gifts hasn't arrived yet. I ordered a gift card from Dears for my SIL who lost her apartment in Hurricane Sandy. In her case, I spent $100. But it hasn't arrived yet. If it doesn't get here in time, I'll give her a check instead.But except for that I'm totally done. All gifts ready, all food is here, except I'm picking up my ham on Monday. But with my brother's recent passing, it won't be a Happy Christmas.

We've really cut back this year. My siblings have all decided not to exchange gifts. I just gave to the nieces and nephews and their children, and I went for something fun but not expensive in almost every case (did give the one niece I'm especially close to a nicer gift.)

DD asked her dad to build a cover for her heating unit, so that will happen after Christmas and won't be too expensive. DH and I already exchanged--he got a portable scaffolding, I got some body work done on my car--both were things we needed and probably would have spent the money on anyway.

I really feel that this year, we've spent a lot less, although I don't really keep track.

This will be the first since DH passed away...and my house is not complete yet, so going to a daughter's house....so it won't be the same...everyone, except for a GD who is still in grade school is getting cash...and I did spend more than usual...but I just am not in the "spirit" to do any shopping.

But I hope each of you have a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!

I don't do any Christmas shopping except for a gift for myself. I bought a new calculator and I received some flowers from my sister in Tenn. When people hear that I am spending the holidaze alone, they go awwww.... I tell them "don't feel sorry for me, it is my choice, I turn down invitations". I do miss the family dinners but the last time I accepted an invitation to my Sis's home, I found dog hair in my food. No thanks.............

We're giving homemade limoncello to our friends & most of the family. We decided to cut back on gifts this year & give something consumable. We didn't set an exact budget, but we haven't spent a lot. We're giving small gifts to my dad & sister instead of the limoncello.

We paid cash and stayed within budget. We even found some ways to give nice gifts for free. Bonus points from our debit card gave us $100 gift card to Home Depot which we gave to my brother who could really use it and a $25 Walmart card we used to buy a grandmother's gift. I had $20 more in gift cards from participating in an educational research study which bought a grandmother's gift. My husband had earned Amazon points through an incentive program at work which he used to buy me an accessory for my Kitchen Aid. We also received a $50 rewards card from Men's Warehouse which I used to buy 4 men's shirts from the clearance rack which happened to be buy one get one free.

This was a rare blessing for us and my husband just took a very large cut in pay so we appreciated all the free stuff and even though I could have used the Home Depot card to buy the drill for my husband I decided to pay forward some of our good fortune, by giving it to my brother who we usually just get a couple of tshirts for. He was surprised and thankful!