How to Suggest Not Buying Gifts This Year Just Get Together??

.

I think just being honest and come right out with it. This year we not exchanging gifts. One of my SIL suggested a cookie swap, I baked for them and they baked for us. I loved it!! We also did things like banana breads and fudge all wrapped up. Maybe you can suggest that? Much more affordable and it still shows you care.

Last year we had a family member call us and said, "I know we have a ton of stuff we don't need and I'm assuming you do too - would it offend you if we don't do gifts this year?" She ensured she called all of the cousins to ensure we are on the same page. We ALL were not only in agreement but incredibly relieved to not spend wasted $ and not having to come home and find a place for all new stuff!!!!!!!!

I agree to mostly just come out with it. Say to them something like...hey I was thinking and in lieu of presents this year let's do a dinner at our place. I can make XYZ and you can bring XYZ and that will be our gift for each other, how does that sound? If you want we can play games or have some wine when dinner is over/kids go to bed...etc., etc.

I did that one year with a close friend of ours and her hubby and it was really nice! We were tight on money that year, paying for our wedding, and it turned our great!

ETA...okay so I totally misread your question too, sorry! But I would basically offer the same advice just gear it more towards the kids. Say, hey, let's do a game night for all the kids as their present (or go to a movie or go ice skating or whatever). Tell them you'll have some kid favorite treats and ask them to bring a few.

Don't suggest just let your family know that due to your financial circumstances you not going to buy gifts this year and you don't want gifts bought for your family, but you and your husband will be hosting a holiday party. Just tell them.

Blessings....

We stopped buying gifts on my husband's side a few years ago - nothing for adults or kids. Several families were having financial problems and I think it was difficult enough for them to fund their own Christmas, without worrying about the extended family. Christmas is so much more enjoyable now that no one is worrying about what to buy. Be sure to bring up the subject early. If they're not OK with no gifts, suggest just exchanging $10 gifts between the kids.

My mom and I had this issue a couple of years ago - she would buy TONS of stuff and I had no where to put it plus the kids got bored. So now my kids get mini-vacations with my parents for their birhtday and something small to open. My youngest went to Arlington National Cemetary and the National Zoo, my middle son went to Antietam Battlefield, and my oldest is currently in Atlantic City for her trip. so much more fun than STUFF. Just come out with it - they'll appreciate it too i'm sure. Memories are so much better than stuff.

Agree w the "just ask/tell crowd"

One idea...that still involves "gifts" is to have everyone bring small number of inexpensive items/toys wrapped and play "rob your neighbor" Little packs of gum, bubbles...anything you can think of can be wrapped and it's a fun lil game. Our kids/nieces/nephews love it. You put all the wrapped gifts in the middle and get dice. Whenever someone gets a double they pick from the pile. When all the presents are gone from the middle, then you get to start "robbing" your neighbor of their presents when you roll a double. Give a warning when time is about up and then at the end everyone unwraps their gifts. Sometime we through some "gag" gifts into the pile. Just make sure everyone knows the rules before hand...and really if the kids are TOO young they won't get the "robbing" part.

Good luck and make it about FAMILY!!! Not the gifts!!

We started this when we started having kids. We stopped buying for the BIL and SIL when they all had kids. I stopped buying for my nieces when they had kids. My bro and I just talked and decided that it was just for kids. We call each other on our birthdays but no gifts.

He decieded when my daughter turned 18 it was time to stop giving birthday presents. This was not communicated to me prior so that was a bad conversation! I didn't mind it per say but she didn't know and thought he had forgotten! Oh well. Open communication!!!

I have a great game to do yes its gift exchanging but items you no longer use...everyone attending has to bring one gift. then you put all the gifts in a row a put a number on each gift. then put the same numbers in a bowl. every picks one number. there is always one gift that every one goes crazy over. you go around 3 times so other people can try to win you gift out from under you..we always have fun doing this..its better if you have at least 10 people.

We drew names last year... cause we are all 'broker than broke'!

Come right out and tell them ! Dont Ask them.
Christmas is for the kids and were only going to be giving the kids gifts from now on and would appreciate if you did the same.

*Oops Sorry I guess I misunderstood the question at first.
But again, just tell them you really want to just be able to spend time with Family on holidays and not have it be about all the Presents ~its about Family!
good luck

We suggested this to everyone last year and almost no one wanted to do it. I was so bummed. Good luck.

Come right out and say it. We have done this with ALL of our siblings and they were thrilled when we suggested it! We buy ONLY for the kids and have a set limit on what can be spent (all the kids are little and outgrown things very quickly).

We thought it would be akward, but our siblings jumped at the chance! We have actually extended this into birthdays too... no gift exchanges anymore. Instead we all get babysitters and go out for a really elegant "no kids menu" dinner once a year. It's actually cheaper than buying something for each person. Between us we have 6 siblings and they are all married, so 12 people in total. At $20 per person that's at least $250 on gifts that they don't want/need. $200 per couple for dinner (we've never actually spent that much) buys a great evening out!

This can be tricky. We have suggested this to our families and unfortunately created some very hard feelings. Just to warn you, some people can get offended very easily.

My husband and I told our families two years ago not to buy us anything for Christmas and if they chose to ignore our requests the gift would go to charity. We have not received anything since. Its been great.

We have done this with my brother and my husband's brother. Just have an open conversation. Tell them here is what we are thinking...instead of exchanging birthday/holiday gifts this year - lets just buy for the kids and have dinner out or go to one of our houses to hang out and have cake or dinner. Tell them that you are trying to cut back on expenses and would also prefer to just spend some quality time together. We got no resistance from either of our brothers or their spouses. I think that were fine/happy with the arrangment.

Just tell them. I think many people would like to have the option of not buying gifts for so many people.

I think a game night or movie night would be much better.