My budget for Christmas Presents: 9 kids, $60

I'm going to tell you what we spent on Christmas presents this year, which I know runs the risk of being tacky AF. But I'm going to do it anyway for a few reasons. #1, This is a blog about being scrappy, so obviously I don't care about being tacky all that much, and #2, I think we need to get over our inclination to connect spending a lot with caring a lot.

​If anything, trying to remain within a tight fiscal goal forced me to  think about each gift that much more. I love the excitement and the presentation of gifts, so I really focused on that this year; I know for a fact that the thought I put into each of these gifts was significant, even if what I spent was minimal. 

*note before I begin on the "Swap Shop", because I reference it a lot here: I am referring to a building at our town dump where residents bring things they no longer use, offering them up to others. We bring things to the Swap Shop weekly (household items we no longer need, toys we don't play with, skates that don't fit, books we are done with, etc.) Along with bringing things there, we also find almost everything we need there; it is a remarkable system, and it was a huge part of this year's Christmas "shopping."

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I'll note that we don't really buy our kids much for Christmas. We are lucky that they have a lot of people in their lives that buy them gifts and I don't feel the need to inundate them with tons more. So I tried to focus on little things that would be fun to open but that don't have a giant footprint (or price-tag).

Here are our daughter's gifts:

A Squeezamal ($0 at the Swap Shop); a squishy sensory zipper pouch ($0 at the Swap Shop); a Danskin tank top ($3 at Goodwill); an almost complete Lego Friends bakery set ($0 at the Swap Shop); two books ($1 each at Goodwill); a Land's End rash guard swim shirt ($2 at Goodwill); temporary one-use hair color ($1 at Dollar Tree); a pack of Peanuts Band-Aids ($1 on clearance); and a DIY bracelet kit ($1 at Dollar Tree). Alice's gift total: $10

And here are our son's gifts:

A dreamcatcher ($0 at the Swap Shop; a "worry stone" in a little velvet bag (given to us in a box of hand me downs from a friend $0); Dog Man book ($.95 at Goodwill); a frisbee ($3 at Goodwill); a pack of Peanuts Band-Aids ($1 on clearance); and Uglydoll book and a Big Nate book ($0 at the Swap Shop); a collector's Pokemon metal card ($11 on Amazon); and a bunch of EX cards he's been begging for (found used on Facebook marketplace for $15 total). Otis's gift total: $30.95

Total for nieces and nephews: $18.98

Niece #1 - A DIY unicorn dreamcatcher kit, found at the Swap Shop; the box was damaged but the pieces were all there and unused. I repackaged it in my own baggies to look brand new! $0

Niece #2 - Christmas book on clearance at Marshalls, and a pair of tie-dye headbands found at the Dollar Tree. $4.99

Niece #3 & Niece #4 - A curated box full of great finds from the Dollar Tree: socks, gloves, face wipes, a jewelry tray, chocolate. The fun is ALL about the presentation. $5 each

Nephew #1- A sweet little book about adventures found in the grocery store discount bin $3.99

Nephew #2 - The game of "Trouble" brand new in its box, which was given to us as a birthday present that we happened to already own. I saved it in my gift bin for months for this very occasion. $0

Nephew #3 - A like-new "lift the flap" book found at the Swap Shop, and a fuzzy winter fleece (Sent to me for free from this awesome company - I had purchased the same one for my daughter and had a small issue I asked customer service about; I in no way asked for a refund or anything, but they sent me a whole new fleece and I knew it would be perfect for him!) $0

Yes, I know I spent more on one kid than the other, and that I spent non-equal amounts on nieces and nephews, and that for the most part, I didn't spend anything.  But does me spending more money on someone mean I love them more? Does it mean someone's going to enjoy opening their present less? At this point in their childhoods, it's doubtful. 

So for presents for 9 kids, we came in under $60. No "budgeting for Christmas" and definitely no going into debt. And though they might not appreciate it yet, that is one of the best gifts I can think to give them.

​Merry Christmas!