QOTW: 11/23
 

Is your Christmas spending this year going to be different than previous years, b/c of COVID or other influences in your life?

We won't be shopping much this year. We don't feel comfortable going to crowded areas like the mall so my shopping this year will be at a few small stores and a bit online.

We're going to focus on family time, baking, watching movies, playing games and not so much about gift giving this year.

This is the first time in many years that I'm not traveling to the US for Black Friday shopping. I usually buy a good portion of Xmas gifts on BF so this is totally different for me this year.

It's about the same. I've been doing more online shopping anyway the last few years, so it's all good to me.

I'm fortunate to have picked up a full-time job this year so my spending will be a little more for my kids than it has been during previous Christmases. Their Nintendo Switches should be delivered today, actually. :wub: This is the first time I've ever been able to afford a brand-new gaming system for them after years of hand-me-down/secondhand/older generation systems.

There was more than one Christmas when I had to buy their toys at the dollar store & had less than $50 to split between the two of them so this year will be extra-sweet for me. :wub:

About 5 years ago I switched from going out on Black Friday to shopping online. It was a combination of my extended family changing the location of our Thanksgiving weekend together and more stores switching their best deals to Thursday, when I won't go out. So I guess not much will change for me about how I shop.

Because of the pandemic I'm making less than usual at my part time job this year, but it's offset by the fact that we're spending so much less. (DH's job is the one that really pays the bills, and thankfully nothing has changed for him except working from home.)

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It's about the same for my family. With everything that has happened this year, from the pandemic to personal issues my main goal has been to have the holidays be as "normal" as possible for my kids. We have been fortunate that my husband has/had multiple essential service jobs so finances haven't changed much, and I hate shopping on a good day, especially during the busy holiday season so I usually have my main shopping done before November.... so not being able to go out much hasn't really been an issue either. Since my kids are all teens now, I know they'll understand if some of their items get delayed if delivery services start to slow down, but I've been keeping an eye on things, and everything should get here no trouble at all.

I feel like I'm spending less on my kids & more on my husband (and myself, haha). I don't think it's covid-related, I think it's "I unpacked 100 boxes and we all have too much junk"-related ;)

Sounds like Xmas Day is going to be awesome at your house!

We're in the same boat as you. I work part time now so am making less but luckily my hubs is the main breadwinner in the family and his salary decreased a bit but not too much. I've just cut back a bit on extras and we seem to be ok.

I'd say about the same, I spent a little more than usual, but my kids are getting older too, so it's harder to stay in the budget I set 15 years ago.

We aren't going out Black Friday Shopping, which I've done every year, even if it was just an after trip to Walmart.

The last couple years DH and I have done a pre BF shopping weekend to a big Outlet Mall and spent the night, we didn't do that this year.

Plus, he has Covid, so we're all stuck at home right now. So we're not doing Thanksgiving with his family this year for the first time since 2009.

No, I am spending the same as normal.

I hope he's feeling better soon!

Thanksgiving has always been the holiday that my extended family gathers for. Even though I've lived 8 hours from my hometown since 1997, I've only missed it twice. Once it was because I was 8 months pregnant and couldn't travel, and once it was because we had a sick kid. (But that time I made the trip the day after Thanksgiving with the other 2 kids, so I still saw everyone.) 2020 can't end soon enough!

It'll be about the same for us except my sister and her family won't be coming over from Australia like they usually do at that time of the year. Other than that nothing really changes for us.

Oh no, hope he gets better soon.
I have a feeling that we might save some this year since we won't be seeing our church mates. I could drive by their house and drop the gifts but I just want them and us to be safe and save the gift giving for next year. I only wanted a 5.5 dutch oven and a new sewing machine for this year but since we're also house huntingl, I can put them off for when we have our own place already.

To think that we were supposed to fly home this December for 3 weeks to celebrate my in law's birthday and Christmas with them and my siblings, and it was cancelled because of the pandemic, I'd say we saved a lot.

Spending will be as minimal as it has been in other years - I'm on a very limited budget due to being on a government disability pension basically. I'm not even sure what I am getting anyone either but what ever it is, it will be something simple considering I haven't even had the energy to go anywhere since umm god knows when. At least I have probably 6 weeks or so to sort it as our family "christmas" celebration won't be til January - its too expensive for some family to travel and others can't get time off til January so we just decided we'll wait - being together is most important, the date to us is kind of irrelevant