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The Kitchen Table

If You Draw Names for Chritsmas...How Far Ahead

country_bumpkin_al

15 years ago

We've drawn names on DH side of the family for years. My MIL's other DIL (I refuse to admit kinship to her) seems to be the one that decides WHEN we do it. So...here it is barely the middle of SEPTEMBER..and she's wanting to draw names NOW! WTH?

If you draw names...when do you do it?

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Comments (8)

susie53_gw
15 years ago
Just say "no."
Jasdip
15 years ago
We've drawn every year for as long as I remember.
We draw on Christmas day for the following Christmas. That way everyone can take advantage of seasonal sales!!

This year, for the first time, we're buying a $50 generic gift, and if the recipient gets it and someone else wants it, it can be traded. But just twice.

We've never done this, but heard of it, so we're trying it.
I haven't bought my gift yet!!!!
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"The Government. When was the last time you had an interaction with it and were happy with the result?" It was the last time I had an interaction with a government agency. And the time before that and the time before that. Things have changed, or maybe it's just the ones I have been dealing with. I recently started receiving Social Security and the people I dealt with (including one guy on a 30 minute phone call while I was driving in the car) were knowledgeable and friendly. You maybe don't need to change your name with Social Security. Why not go ahead with the process to change your legal name but leave alone the existing account they deposit your monthly check to? Open new bank accounts with your new name and change over the other accounts you have using the authority of the legal name change. Or, maybe it's simple, ask SSA (as others have said) what to do. You've been thinking about this for 20 years and have done nothing?
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jannie
15 years ago
I've always hated family gift-giving. Either you draw names or try to find "meaningful" gifts for every family member. Both MIL and her daughter used to open their gifts and hand them back to me to exchange. How ungrateful! Last year I said "No gifts." I made candies/cookies for family members and gave little gifts to kids 5 and under. Best holiday in tears!
williamsburgjane
15 years ago
We usually draw names on Thanksgiving day. Each person/family is asked to email a wish list to everyone.
patti43
15 years ago
We used to do it but quit years ago. We gathered at Thanksgiving rather than Christmas so we would draw then for the following year. We would bring the current year's gifts with us wrapped at T-giving so everyone could put them under their tree at their own home. I think we were are relieved when we just quit exchanging gifts "cold turkey", pardon the pun!
mariend
15 years ago
Years ago, when all the kids were little, we bought on gift for each child, and drew names for the adults. It worked fine, until the kids hit teens. Then after a couple of disasters , it stopped. Most of the relatives are lucky to get a card.
cheekybones
15 years ago
For my family, we have only been drawing names for a few years and we do it at Thanksgiving.
cynic
15 years ago
The extended family get-together would do a name draw at Thanksgiving. I really didn't like all the obligatory gift giving and decided to opt-out from it. I give gifts to people whom I wish to give and people that want to give something to me will also. Generally I've discouraged it. I've started giving gifts during the year when I see something that I know someone needs or wants and it would make a nice gift, especially when on sale or clearance, I get it for them. I also like to take people out to eat or something like that as a "WTH" gift or make some baked goods. It's far more personal and more appreciated than the obligatory trinkets that sit on a shelf, are re-gifted, garage saled or thrown away.

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