Drawing Names - Anyone Else Do It?

[posiepurrs]

This year my kids (all adults) wanted to draw names for Christmas instead of everyone shopping for the entire family. In theory I agree it makes sense, but as a Mom I feel like I am slighting the others. I am still doing stockings for everyone so plan to up the contents of those a little. Of course my grand daughter(6years old) isn't included in the name draw so I can shop to my hearts content for her. We have 7 adults so it can be pricey. How many of you draw names?

 

[neely]

We draw names at work but I've never done it for my family. However, I understand how it can get expensive. Perhaps you can suggest a price limit to keep the shopping under control.

 

[betsygee]

We've got seven adults here, too. Two of them are my brothers-in-law and it's a struggle every year to figure out what to get them. My mom is 88 now, too, and just getting out for the shopping is getting more tiring for her.

We've just been talking about this year's plans--I think we'll each do a smaller gift for each family--like homemade cookies or something like that for each sister and spouse--and then donate money to favorite charities.

 

[Winchester]

We've never drawn names, so I don't know what it's like.

My sister and I buy for each other. Rick and I buy for our kids and for the grands. Our kids buy for us. For Rick's mom, we fill a small box with various chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, cookies, and other snacks that we know she really likes. She is in a nursing home and doesn't have room for "stuff". We stick with snack-type foods and she seems very happy with that. I also give her a few of whatever cookies I've made during the holidays, so she's fine. At least she seems to be! And, other than Rick and I buying for each other, that's pretty much it.

At work, the four of us go together and give money for our boss. Sometimes we give him a fifth of Jameson's. Sometimes we'll give him a gift card to a hunting/outdoor store. He's a good boss.

 

[DreamerRose]

We don't exchange gifts anymore, just a token remembrance like a pound of special coffee or a ham. Sounds cruel, but we all have everything we need and we are all across the country, so mailing is a pain, not to mention expensive. It's a big change from what Christmas was like when my kids were growing up, but I'm fine with it.

 

[foxxycat]

My family did the name exchange one year but one person was so upset by it that we didn't do it again. I prefer this since as adults we all have what we want..and the family knows I don't care for the whole gift giving thing. I am not a big shopper and money doesn't go as far as it used to.

The kids in the family get gifts but I always say Christmas is for kids and not to get me anything..I didn't always get gifts for everyone as it was alot of people so I felt doing names is better. The kids all get gifts and it got overwhelming one year for them..10 of us bought for them...it was a big party for them and so much fun to watch them rip open a huge pile of gifts!

Jon and I don't do much exchanging anymore..I ask him every year and he says I got everything I need..so I usually get him underwear and socks-one year got him insulated jeans which he loves...not sure what we will do this year...he knows I am simple and don't need big gifts. I think I will be getting him a trail-cam because he found bear prints up at his land..so got to find something easy to use and decent quality image...
and I found him seasons 4 and 5 of Seinfeld brand new in DVD this summer-so that's one thing he's getting.

He always buys soap/shampoo and wraps them up with pretty bows and is a very good gift wrapper-it's perfect and all the lines are in the exact pattern...my wrapping isn't as nice lol. I get mad because the paper crinkles or tears on me...

Christmas is annoying to me personally. It used to be everyone made something for everyone, then years later we are all working tons of hours and just don't have the time...so I prefer company and good music/food vs "stuff"

And we just don't have alot of family so it's not really a big deal to me....I rather go snow shoe in the woods than spend time in a big crowd...

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We have done it with DH's family and with my Step-family; but it's difficult. We don't live near anyone so it does help with shipping at least. The last time we did that I got a much younger cousin and had zero idea what he was interested in. The family is so big he might not have known who I even was. I enjoyed doing that "secret santa style" at my job though.

These days we only shop for nieces and nephews on DH's side. We are up to 8 kids on that side. Sometimes I will find a gift for MIL or SIL (who has a December birthday) and send them something. 2 of our nephews are Holiday babies so they get a birthday gift too. I do small gifts for my aunts and step-aunts because they tend to reciprocate. Otherwise we stick to cards. I'm paring that down too anymore.

 

[Draco]

We pick names from a hat here at work. I usually host it, it's fun.

Before my grandmother passed away, my uncle would suggest picking names every year. And every year we say no, because we want to buy for my grandmother (and being selfish, we wanted our yearly cash from her too, we weren't going to lose that! lol). I also hated the idea of buying for one person and not anyone else.

I don't buy for my sister/brother in law anymore. I only buy for their kids. It's fair because they are a family of 5 and I am single. They agreed buying for the kids is more suitable. I tell them every year they do not need to buy for me (Rather, from the kids), but they do anyway.

It's a good way for me to save a bit of money.

My family is small. a gift card for my parent's favorite restaurant. I don't exchange with my cousins, I'll just get something small for their kids or bring a bottle of wine if they're hosting Christmas.

 

[Elphaba09]

We do not draw names in our family. I only speak with one of my three sisters and her children, so my side of the family is not an issue. I give my sister and her children a large box of homemade cookies, candies, and fudge. (I also do that for my neighbors and my fellow cat foster/friend and her mother.)

We actually celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Twelfth Night.

For Yule, we have our two children, my son's fiancee, my daughter's boyfriend, our "honorary son" who is our son's best friend, and my husband's sister. For Christmas, we have his mother, grandmother, step-grandfather, sister, three brothers, his brothers' wives/fiancees, two uncles, one aunt, and one niece. For Twelfth Night, we have a repeat of Yule guests, but this year, we are adding our son's friend from work.

While we have a lot of people, we spend the most on Yule and I put a spending limit total on everyone. Of course, we give "free" gifts, too.

Twelfth Night is easy because it is all from after holiday sales and dollar store things that are fun or useful. Mainly, though, it is a night for a big meal and board games.

We are far from well-off or even middle class, but I do my best to budget enough to get everyone at least one gift and to do a lot of baking to share.

 

[1 bruce 1]

We draw names at work but I've never done it for my family. However, I understand how it can get expensive. Perhaps you can suggest a price limit to keep the shopping under control.

We've done both before, and it is kind of fun.
Everyone draws a name. The name you draw, you get to buy the "main" thing for that person, and everyone else on the list (whose name you haven't drawn) has a small price limit set. So it's a game, but no one feels shorted, either.

 

[posiepurrs]

I forgot to say, we set a $50 limit. I guess I should look on the bright side - less that I have to wrap. I am very particular about gift wrapping because I want the box to be as beautiful as the gift inside.

 

[denice]

I have a small family so it isn't something that we do. I know a large family that has been doing this for years. They have a big family gathering for Thanksgiving and do the name draw then. Of course each nuclear family has their own arrangements for gift giving but the entire family does the name draw and just buys for the person that they drew. They get together on Christmas Eve for snack type foods and the gift exchange.

 

[rgwanner]

For family, my youngest sibling is 55 so we don't need stuff. Several years ago we all decided by mutual consent to just do a card. I have 4 nieces but I only see them a couple times a year so I don't feel obligated to buy them anything.

At work, anyone who wants to participate buys a $10 or less gift and we do the game where the first person chooses a gift, and the second person can either "steal" the gift or choose a new one. If a person's gift is stolen, then they can choose a new gift or "steal" from someone else. Everyone has fun for low cost and no one is obligated to buy anything.

I do buy gifts for 3 close friends, something small. My husband and I decided several years ago, to not buy Stuff. Throughout the year we may buy things.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I forgot to say, we set a $50 limit. I guess I should look on the bright side - less that I have to wrap. I am very particular about gift wrapping because I want the box to be as beautiful as the gift inside.

I'm a terrible gift wrapper but I do try, and I usually hand out lumpy presents with bows awkwardly attached. But that effort counts, people notice it.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

We have a small family so we don’t draw names. But we usually don’t ask for anything expensive, either. We’re all pretty much easy to buy for.

 

[tangers40]

There are only 4 of us that gather for Xmas anymore (me, my folks, and one of my mom's brothers), so no need to draw names. We are all adults, with no children for either myself or my uncle, so holiday shopping is usually pretty easy.

This year might be toned-down quite a bit in terms of how much we spend for each person, as I am broke after buying my first house (and my folks helped fund part of that as well), and my uncle recently spent a week in the hospital and is facing surgery next week, so he will still be recovering. So we might just do dinner and a card and call it good