I recently read an article on the average amount of money ( in the United States) spent on each child for Christmas. The amount was $276.00 per child.
I'm not sure where the averages come from....Are people from all over the US polled on this topic? Do they select certain areas? Is it the rich, the middle class, those in a lower income bracket, who are asked these questions?
Each Holiday season, surveys and reports circulate and I find myself questioning all of this collected data.
What is important is for each of us to consider what might be meaningful and sustainable for OUR specific situation. The smart thing to do is to set a realistic budget by prioritizing needs and wants for the family. Income levels, Family size, long term impacts, wanting to avoid debt, these are all important things to consider.
When I was young, we were not RICH but I never remember spending a Christmas without gifts and surprises from Santa. AND.... We never paid attention to what Santa brought our friends.. It was no big deal.
We played with and enjoyed the things that we had received. We spent our time enjoying Christmas vacation......Eating tons of goodies, singing songs, playing outside, just having fun!!
But.....now days things are different for kids. On Christmas morning, within an hour or so after opening their gifts, their group of friends are already sharing what everyone got and what they didn't get. Social Media!!!!!!!
We live in a "Comparison Style Culture." This is truly sad!!
In my humble opinion, these crazy polls and surveys do nothing but cause havoc on the minds of those doing their best to give to their children. Holiday advertisements and social media sites can easily cause us to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas is NOT about how much money we spend on each child, it's not about the number of presents each child has under the tree. It is a sacred time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ, and the extraordinary gift of salvation that God has given. Ultimately, the greatest gift we can give our children is the ability to find joy and contentment in the Christmas season. To recognize that this special time of the year is about the Birth of Jesus Christ.
Remember, the value of a gift lies in the thought and love behind it......not the price tag.
Do you set a Christmas Budget?
Shug.....
Happy Saturday...
My parents had grown up, during the depression and ww2 so they both wanted to shower my sister and I with material gifts. We didn’t go to church and God was not the center of our lives. When I was 30, I accepted Jesus - I had 3 little boys and I wanted them to have a real Christ-centered Christmas. Sure I gave them a couple of gifts but we never went overboard and they have never mentioned to me, they felt slighted. One Christmas as a single mom, the church bought us all presents! Talk about humbling.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have a Christmas budget - they’re adults and there are no grandchildren. I’ll get them something but we just don’t emphasize that part of Christmas anymore and it’s freeing. Things really do change when your focus is on Jesus - helping others who
are lonely. Christmas is the perfect opportunity to evangelize- the message is already out there. It’s a time to share that gift God gave us with others.
Great topic Shug. Thank you for sharing your kind heart with all of us. ❤️
You are so right Debby! The true meaning of Christmas is lost when the emphasis is on Gifts. I prefer helping those who are in need. This is the year of us cutting back and for this reason, Sam and I do have a budget set.
DeleteShug I may wish to spend $276 per family member or child - but I can't. And I tell myself that is it really not their birthday it is Jesus's birthday. We really just don't put a big emphasis on gifts either.
ReplyDeleteSo True!!! I'm not sure how Christmas spending got so far out of hand for the American people.
DeleteThat is an obscene amount of money for gifts, even with taking inflation into consideration. The total debt for consumer credit cards in 2024 is $1.14 trillion, which says something about the damage social media related spending has done to society and culture. Hopefully people will wake up and see that nothing good can come from this trend.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutley.... I do wonder where the polling comes from. I know in our area, most people do not have that kind of money.
DeleteWe set a budget and give them all cash...I am so not a shopper this way there are no exchanges and everyone is happy!
ReplyDeleteThis is what we do as well....My crew had rather have money and these days, it really helps help. More and More, I do not like shopping...especially this time of the year.
DeleteGosh, I wonder what demographic these pollees come from?
ReplyDeleteI had to smile at your recollections. Maybe because I was an 'only child', my parents used to shower me with gifts; so much so, I'd hide some when my friends came over so they wouldn't feel bad.
We've not set a budget, but now retired, we don't go overboard as in prior years. This year I've had more fun picking up little things here and there throughout the year.
Amen, Shug! May we teach our children and grandchildren about the true meaning of Christmas and acknowledge that we all have everything we could ever need for a fulfilled life in Jesus. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, smiles. I usually give gift cards or money, it's just easier that way. I don't think we have ever spent over $500 total. Not even when our son was alive, wait, maybe once or twice...but we have always been poor and have learned to be on a budget, smiles. Now, I have been working for the last several years and it has definitely made it easier etc.
ReplyDeleteAmen to this post! We had low-key Christmases when Kaitlin was still home, and she still treasures those memories. ❤️
ReplyDeleteI don't set a budget but I shop the thrift stores all year long and by December I have a good many gifts purchased at thrift store prices! Then I add a little cash for each grandchild - because I can. This has not always been the case and it will not always be possible. My oldest grands requested Christmas paintings this year - but I am gifting them as past due birthday gifts - so they still get a stuffed Christmas stocking with a little cash! Louis Dean and I don't really exchange gifts as we have all we need. I did buy myself a small stereo that will be from 'him!' Although he probably won't notice it as I took the old one to the curb this week - he gifted it to me for my birthday the first year we were married. I also like to make homemade gifts - like cookies and paintings and such.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good post and spot on with the way things go nowadays. I'm ever so grateful that my grands are more impressed with the thoughtfulness than the price of the gift.
Love you, Shug! Hope you win the Santa drawing!
There was a time when I spent much more at Christmastime. Each person in the family got multiple gifts (always the same number). Now Hubby and I have changed over to experience or food gifts for the adults, including each other. Each grandchild gets one carefully-chosen gift.
ReplyDeleteI try and do as many hand made gifts as I can. I can tell you that I don't spend $276 on anyone. I've always hated how people will go into debt to give their kids the latest and greatest toy or electronic device. My daughter's in-laws invited me over for Christmas the year that my husband passed away. I was disgusted by the number of gifts that they had for everyone. And then her mother in law said at the end of opening everything "is this all I got?"
ReplyDeleteWe draw names and everyone buys for the babies.
ReplyDeleteYou're right...Jesus is the reason for the season!
hugs
Donna
This is very thoughtful!
ReplyDeleteWe are finding it more difficult to manage the grandies. The older two have specific tastes. The younger two I send a monthly magazine each.
I am against surveys. They don't take a scientific approach to surveys. They have biases in terms of the sample population.
We're not religious, but do like to get together with family. I find some lovely pieces at market and craft shows. That way I support the community.
We stopped Christmas gifts in 2006 when we all have each other the same gift, we traded 25 dollar gift cards, no kids involved in our lives, just adults and I suggested we stop the gifts and buy ourselves what we want with what we would spend on a gift card. its like hand someone 25 dollars and they had us 25.00.. as a child we had a good Christmas, but we did do the comparison with my aunts RICH Christmas, we lived in her back yard in a converted chicken coop. I agree with your post today, 100 %
ReplyDeleteWhat a very special post, Shug, with such wise and thoughtful words. You're right, we are in a comparison style culture, and it really is quite sad. When we were well off later on in life, we went all out and bought lots of things for the kids, but some years were tight and weren't all that grand, but it was always special. Nel used to put the packages out when she was older, and they filled the tree. Now, I am definitely on a budget, so this grandma gives a couple special BIG gifts, whatever the kids have been wanting. And I still get my girls and their husbands a special gift too. Also, I am a stocking lover, so when I see small things for the stocking, I can't help myself. ; )
ReplyDelete~Sheri
I love your first two trees, they are amazingly gorgeous!! Especially the peppermint tree. They look like something you would find in Cracker Barrel or a big fancy store. You would make such a great interior decorator!! I totally agree this is because you were sick. You have not recovered all your energy yet. It takes us longer to completely recover than the younger people.
ReplyDelete