Ok, so I'm going to throw my thoughts out here, a little late I know, but here it goes....oh and this will ramble and this is like Leslie not just for me but in mind of others....I would agree money is tight. However, I am still torn on this issue. As for budgeting for Christmas...well we had to budget for the big Branson trip, then for an impromptu trip to AR to TN and back in a not very gas friendly truck pulling a U-haul (though we really appreciated being able to use it!) Various car parts and sewer problems have swarmed us with unexpected charges, we are trying our best to insulate the house as much as possible for winter to help with our ridiculous CIPS bills, I made another trip to TN, we are currently budgeting for another TN trip at the end of the month complete with a ridiculous dog hotel bill, there was an emergency vet trip, there will be another trip to TN in December complete with a week of unpaid shutdown for Rocky. And all this on top of the far too many monthly bills we seem to have accumulated. Now I'm not saying this to make anyone feel bad for us or say we are without any money at all, but I'm just being upfront and honest about a good example of how things can be. Budgeting can't always fit it all in when there is not a large enough sum to work with! I would agree that at least a $20 limit would help. That can still add up quickly for families however. And I know there may be some in the family who are having a very rough time right now but don't want to speak up and come forward for whatever their reason may be, maybe I am wrong, I'm not trying to speak for anyone. This is a very sensitive subject I know. Part of me says to buy a gift for everyone I always have before. Part of me looks at the numbers and the other things pulling for pieces of the budget and think, wow, this is really hard. I truly enjoy Christmas and I LOVE giving gifts, more than receiving believe it or not. Actually, there is no material gift that I can think of that I really need this year and I would like to say if it would help someone in our family not to spend even just $20 on me than please don't! I like Leslie's saying about going into 2009 with less debt, to me that is the greatest gift of all at this point in my life! BUT I also see the other side of people who can afford it easily, whether it be because things are just going well for them or they just mananged to save money here and there to prepare for it, wanting to buy gifts for their loved ones. And I see the point that some have begun shopping already so it's somewhat late. But I'll let you in on a secret, and I'm sure I'm not the only one (or maybe I am, who knows!)...I have not bought one single gift yet. So now is the time when I'm preparing to start (honestly not for another month still though) as I'm running out of time and now is the time that it's hitting me what all I need money for and what all I have to put towards those things, as I stated earlier, it's not a lack of budgeting, it's that I could not budget for everything at once. And I will also let you know, writing this is even hard. I want to voice my personal experience on behalf of myself but also for others that may be struggling even more, because I know with us at least it's just Rocky and I and it's hard enough and we haven't even added any child factors in, but on the other hand I feel guilty even talking about not buying gifts. So I have stated at least some of my rambling thoughts but don't really have a clear answer. But I will say we will find a way to go with whatever decision is made.