Cheap Christmas ideas for family?

This Christmas my husband’s side of the family all agreed to only give the kids Christmas gifts this year. (They say this every year but sometimes they don’t stick to it) we are the only ones left with kids in the house. We have 6 total. Should I buy a Christmas gift for the family members who buy my kids something? I dont want to come off as needy or unappreciative for the gifts. I know 6 kids is a lot to buy for. We don’t have much money after buying Christmas gifts for our kids ourselves. If I buy them all something what do I get? We literally only see them a couple times a year and I also feel like they are just buying them gifts cause they feel like they have to.

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I have that problem and I ended up getting a family gift

Do you have little ones? We made this for my parents, but she decided she wanted to keep it. :sweat_smile: but good idea for the little ones…

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Maybe u could bake or buy some treats and divide a small plate for each family.

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We make stockings for all the adults, as we have an “only kids” policy as well

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Here are some Dollar Tree ideas https://pin.it/1FeqE3q

Well , they are doing the same as you “ wanting to buy them something because you have to not because you want to “

In my case when I buy someone something I never expect anything in return , I have bought Christmas gifts for people and their kids that have never bought me or my daughter anything .

The cheapest you can do is to bake them something and putting in cute Christmas boxes

Or bake cookies and put it on a dollar store tray. Lol. Relax it’s Christmas.

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5 below. They have so many cheap gifts. Lots of different craft items. Most under $5

You could get the children to help make some cookies and decorate and put each persons name on them. You could put them in cookie tins. They are not expensive. Also handmade ornaments. Anything kids can do to show their appreciation would be wonderful.


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Do what you can afford, your kids and family come first. BUY THEM NOTHING!!! That’s not what Christmas is about. Maybe next year things will change.

Buy small gift bags for the females and go to the dollar store and buy facial care,like under eye puffy patches,bath bombs stuff like that,and buy the men those cutting boards with salami and cheese :tipping_hand_woman: that’s what I did

Buy every couple a box of chocolates. Singles got theor own box. Simple amd I expensive

Get some grocery store bouquets (carnations, alstroemerias last longest). Put them in a vase and tie a pretty ribbon around the vase. Use as part of your decor and have everyone grab a stem to take home at the end.

Make salt and flour dough. Roll out and cut with holiday cookie cutters. Poke a hole at the top. Let dry & have the kids paint, stencil or otherwise decorate them. Thread a ribbon through the hole to create ornaments for everyone.

Get festive plastic zippered bags. Make flavored popcorn: drizzle/coat them with something like caramel, chocolate, butter and salt or butter and cinnamon sugar, bacon grease, maple syrup, peanut butter, red or green sugar, coconut, grated or melted cheese or cheese powder, BBQ sauce or a little cayenne pepper, spray olive oil and Italian seasonings & grated Parmesan—or whatever sounds good. Or make popcorn balls. Fill bags and hand out or make and label different kinds and let them choose the flavor they want.

Make peanut brittle or chocolate peppermint bark. Break up & put in festive baggies

Collect favorite family recipes, print them on paper & staple one side to make cookbooks.

Not sure how much they cost but you can gather family photos from everyone (including any pets) and get calendars made with twelve of the pix. Or have your kids make drawings and use those.

Give everyone an inexpensive picture frame. Buy a photo paper pack at Staples. Take a family portrait and print a copy sized for the frame for everyone.

Get little zippered or drawstring fabric or plastic pouches. Fill with minis for travel kits: like lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, shampoo, conditioner, little tissue packets, comb/mini brush/pick, little hand sanitizers, mini shaving cream and disposable razors, face scrub, body wash, lip balm, mini dish liquid, magic erasers, bath bomb, deodorant, a wash cloth, mini pack or just a few Band-Aids, mini sunblock, emery board, nail clippers, cheap shower caps, etc.—whatever is available, affordable and useful. Get liquid embroidery at the craft store and use to write everyone’s name and/or a decoration on the pouches if you want.

Get a pack of little jars or containers. Make cranberry relish, salsa, guacamole (I just mash fresh avocado with salsa from the store), homemade fruit spread; add cinnamon, crushed peppermint candy canes, or sweet spices to hot cocoa mix (snack bag of mini marshmallows or red hots cinnamon candy optional), & fill jars. Label them & put a bow on top.

Get a variety of interesting individually wrapped tea bags and/or or K-cups and/or hot cocoa mix, and/or instant apple cider packets, depending on what your family likes. Put a variety in little bags or tins. Or gift small bags of flavored ground coffee if they don’t have a Keurig-type machine.

Get mini Whitman’s samplers or a fancy bag of cookies (like Pepperidge Farms) for everyone.

Get a pack of coffee mugs (I like red or green metallic, but plain white or seasonal design is fine too) & fill with holiday or regular Hershey’s kisses or other individually wrapped candies. Each person gets a candy-filled mug.

Lottery tickets.

I bought butter Christmas cookies that come in the round tin container for every family and taped some chocolate to the top! Something the whole family can share and it’s quick and easy so you’re giving every household something  to show you thought about them. it’s not homemade, but I personalized it with the chocolate on top. :slightly_smiling_face:

I would just make them some type of treat and use those cute dollar tree plastic bowls with lids they always have out this time of year. One of my favorite easy things to make for ppl is ritz crackers with peanut butter in the middle dipped in chocolate.

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I’m not buying for anyone I’m retired