Are you going to spend less this year on Christmas and/or Thanksgiving?

[Gefn]

It seems like a lot of people are reducing the price of a Thanksgiving dinner, or telling people not to exchange Holiday presents with them- whether it's for families or Secret Santa at work. This is the first year where my neighbors and I won't be exchanging gifts.

So, has the Grinch stolen the holiday spirit, or are people just worried and prices are high people are cutting back?

Up to three options per person. Guests allowed and welcome to vote.


 

[Wingnut]

Bidenomics is forcing me to spend more, for much less. 

[SZonian]

Traveling to see the kids and grandson for his first Christmas, so by default, will be spending a lot more.

For Thanksgiving, about the same...

[DefiantMassRINO]

No matter how much I spend, I'll be getting less.  Thank you, Bidenomics.

[libertybele]

Trying to spend less which isn't easy considering the ridiculous prices of everything. It's not a gift, but I went out and bought foil tins to make zucchini bread. I got home, looked at the receipt and they charged me $8.99!  I can get them at the dollar store so they are going back.  It's not a huge amount, but the point is the item is absolutely overpriced.

P.S. I did set aside some $$ for Christmas brownies.

[roamer_1]

Ours doesn't cost all that much... Most of it is coming from one garden or the other - I shot one of the turkeys, and my boy raised up the other... though I did hear the pumpkin is from a can this year. But other than that, the cranberries, the walnuts, mushroom soup, condensed milk, marshmallows, and various spices... oh, and them crunchy onion things... That's about all that's coming from off-farm, so the cost is kinda incidental and hard to figure against last year. 

[Loree G]

About 30 years ago, my late hubby and I decided that for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we would not even bother to decorate.  Instead, we would volunteer at either a shelter or a veterans' organization and help with the cooking and serving of meals.  We would either go out to eat or cook our holiday meal on a different day.  After he died, I continued to help out at veterans' organizations until the last two years since I went back to work and was usually working those days. 

[jafo2010]

Spend next to nothing this year.  Wife and daughter are out of the country, so I will be alone for Thanksgiving.  Won't spend a dime more than I have to under that circumstance.

With Christmas, I did not receive a gift last year from my bride, which I thought odd, so I am not spending much this year.  Tired of being slighted.  I usually do not want much, tell them to not spend much, and they don't, but nothing, wasn't looking for that!

Ba humbug!

[berdie]

Spend next to nothing this year.  Wife and daughter are out of the country, so I will be alone for Thanksgiving.  Won't spend a dime more than I have to under that circumstance.

With Christmas, I did not receive a gift last year from my bride, which I thought odd, so I am not spending much this year.  Tired of being slighted.  I usually do not want much, tell them to not spend much, and they don't, but nothing, wasn't looking for that!

Ba humbug!

The best spirit is to give...not receive. Not trying to be nasty, but that is what it is supposed to be about.

[jmyrlefuller]

Thanksgiving is my "splurge" day. I make a nice gourmet cheese and cracker tray for appetizers, and the rest of the (adult) family members each handle a dish, with the host cooking the bird.

All in all, the cost of the crackers is down a little, the cheese is slightly up (though I have stretched it by way of using Aldi cheese for a couple of things)... all in all, it's about the same as last year.

[mountaineer]

I'm doing the entire meal this year - not asking anyone to bring anything. Fortunately, Kroger had the turkey for .49 per pound and sweet potatoes for .39 per pound, so we'll save some money there. Otherwise, it really won't cost much - green beans from my garden (previously blanched and frozen) and applesauce made from my sister's apples (also going into an applesauce-pumpkin cake for the non-gluten sensitive). A couple of bottles of my favorite wine from our extensive cellar (a rack beneath the basement stairs), a couple of bottles of San Pellegrino for the hip younger set, and we're good to go, even with the gluten-free measures required because of our niece's celiac disease.

[Hoodat]

Spending more, but getting less.

[libertybele]

Spend next to nothing this year.  Wife and daughter are out of the country, so I will be alone for Thanksgiving.  Won't spend a dime more than I have to under that circumstance.

With Christmas, I did not receive a gift last year from my bride, which I thought odd, so I am not spending much this year.  Tired of being slighted.  I usually do not want much, tell them to not spend much, and they don't, but nothing, wasn't looking for that!

Ba humbug!

...hmmm  I can certainly understand the Ba humbug, but hopefully things will turn out to be Merry and Bright.

[catfish1957]

Thanksgiving is my "splurge" day. I make a nice gourmet cheese and cracker tray for appetizers, and the rest of the (adult) family members each handle a dish, with the host cooking the bird.

All in all, the cost of the crackers is down a little, the cheese is slightly up (though I have stretched it by way of using Aldi cheese for a couple of things)... all in all, it's about the same as last year.

Has anyone else noticed the rapidly shrinking aisle space for beef?  And the escalating prices?  Our cheapest grocery store has ribeyes at $16.99/lb.

[catfish1957]

Traveling to see the kids and grandson for his first Christmas, so by default, will be spending a lot more.

For Thanksgiving, about the same...

Feel for you.  Our similar grandkids trip  last summer to CA ended costing about $15K (and by truck).  I don't see how many Californians can afford groceries.  Overall, it was easily about 50% more than what we pay in Texas.

[libertybele]

Has anyone else noticed the rapidly shrinking aisle space for beef?  And the escalating prices?  Our cheapest grocery store has ribeyes at $16.99/lb.

Yes. I was surprised last time I was into Farmer Joe's who had quite an extensive and elaborate display of meats has filled some of their meat cases with prepared meals. The cost of beef is indeed astronomical - even the sales prices. Pork and chicken are still fairly reasonable. I haven't filled up the freezers in quite awhile and I know after the holidays it'll probably be a major sticker shock to fill them up, or they won't get entirely filled. 

[LMAO]

I picked the stoner option

[Wingnut]

Has anyone else noticed the rapidly shrinking aisle space for beef?  And the escalating prices?  Our cheapest grocery store has ribeyes at $16.99/lb.

We have been buying the "lesser cut" of beef when we can find them.  But mostly we have been buying pork as it seems to have leveled off as far as price goes. 

[SZonian]

Feel for you.  Our similar grandkids trip  last summer to CA ended costing about $15K (and by truck).  I don't see how many Californians can afford groceries.  Overall, it was easily about 50% more than what we pay in Texas.

@catfish1957 Prices here in CA are getting crazy stupid. So much so that when we drove to CO in October to welcome the grandson, we actually brought some stuff home that was much cheaper than here.

[Gefn]

Just got home.

We definitely spent less.

[Smokin Joe]

The best spirit is to give...not receive. Not trying to be nasty, but that is what it is supposed to be about.

At this point, there isn't much I need, so spend the gift money on the youngsters, (great grandchildren).  I don't mind giving, but with 12 of them, it adds up fast.

[Gefn]

At this point, there isn't much I need, so spend the gift money on the youngsters, (great grandchildren).  I don't mind giving, but with 12 of them, it adds up fast.

my local police dept did a drive for pets at the local animal shelter.

I brought over quite a few brand new toys and food.

I give about 100 a year to the local food bank

And I am going to buy some toys this weekend for toys for tots.

I want to give back, it's not a lot but I do.