Any ideas to save $ or cut back on holiday gifts 2023?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are pretty miserly when it comes to the teachers. And no I’m not a teacher.

Between my two kids they have about 25 teachers. I used to do gifts when they each had two, now I give two gift cards to the PTO gift card raffle.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are nbd. The county even says the limit is $20 per teacher so that’s what I give. The real issue is daycare! My youngest two have 3 daycare teachers each and I feel stingy only giving $75 to each. It’s a ton! And then there’s also ballet. I’m think I need to give the head teachers $100 and the others $75?

[Anonymous]

Most teachers would rather have nice thank you cards with specific things you like about their teaching from parents or kids to put into their files. I would do this rather than a gift OP.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are pretty miserly when it comes to the teachers. And no I’m not a teacher.

My parents never gave me any gifts to take to school for the teachers. This must be a new thing.

I don't have any kids myself, so this is the first time I've heard of this custom.

[Anonymous]

I only gift to the kids. No teachers or hairdressers etc. (and I'm a teacher).

I spend a few hundred for each of my own kid. I don't spend to spend - if there happens to be something bigger they need/want fine, but if not there doesn't have to be "a big gift. I give experiences like tickets to something they would enjoy, to cut back on "stuff." The nieces and nephews are college age and I don't always see them for the holiday so I send cash.

A few of our standard gifts are traditions and not very expensive - makes it easier to shop for. A calendar, a gift card to a favorite restaurant.

I make a list before I start shopping to avoid getting distracted by the other possibilities and buying extra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do a big bake and give out baked goods as gifts

Ugh, no. No one wants your cookies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do a big bake and give out baked goods as gifts

Ugh, no. No one wants your cookies.

Speak for yourself--I love it when people bring home-baked goods!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH used to never use his CC points, and once a year I used to take them all to buy GCs for holidays but lately he started using his points for other things so now I need other ideas!

Here are a few ideas I have - 1) I have been collecting loose change for a year, and I'll take it to coinstar to get an Amazon GC, but I don't think I'll get all that much money. 2) I'll re-gift gift cards if it's not to a place I know for sure I'll use. (Or sometimes I use GCs to buy new GCs to the same place to give others)

Why this obsession with gift cards?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are pretty miserly when it comes to the teachers. And no I’m not a teacher.

I used to teach. Please don't give us gifts. Focus on yourselves, and charities around the world that are really worth it, like Doctors Without Borders.

There is no need to tip everyone, or give stuff to all the people who are paid to serve you or your neighborhood. Being uniformly courteous and putting your trash cans exactly where they can handily reach them every week is the best gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do a big bake and give out baked goods as gifts

Ugh, no. No one wants your cookies.

Speak for yourself--I love it when people bring home-baked goods!

People's home baked goods are never as tasty as they think. It always goes straight in the trash.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher is best gift gift is making sure your kids come to school on time, with homework completed, Chromebook charged, and well rested so they can participate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are nbd. The county even says the limit is $20 per teacher so that’s what I give. The real issue is daycare! My youngest two have 3 daycare teachers each and I feel stingy only giving $75 to each. It’s a ton! And then there’s also ballet. I’m think I need to give the head teachers $100 and the others $75?

I am the OP - and my gift list is out of control but I do not give that much to ballet teachers. I would $25 max each to all of them unless this is some huge thing that I am not familiar with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

hahaha so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do a big bake and give out baked goods as gifts

Ugh, no. No one wants your cookies.

I agree. Nobody wants your cookies whether home baked or store brought, period.