Online Secret Santa Generator

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The wife and I were talking and rather than spend $1500-2000 on everyone

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shite, how many people do you have to buy for?

I think I just have: Wife, Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Niece, Sister in Law. I think I can crank mine out for a few hundred bucks. Christmas has become to over the top with gift giving IMO.

I have this argument every year with my wife's family.

I'm the youngest child in my family. Everyone is grown with kids. I have a niece that is a high school junior. On this side of the family, we buy for the kids and our parents. Everyone gets my parents something and everyone gets my kids something and we get the nieces and nephew something.

I don't need to buy my two brothers and sisters in laws things. They can buy things on their own.

This has morphed from a few years ago, when we did the "draw names" method among the adults.

Now my wife is the oldest sibling in her family, and our kids are the only grandkids. Completely different world. My mother in law insists that everyone buys for everyone. Even extended family. We had a "frick this shite" moment two years ago - and my mother in law came unglued and it basically ruined Christmas. My wife and I have determined that the best course of action is to wait until her younger siblings are married with kids and two sides of families so we can go in together and convince my mother in law its stupid.

But we end up spending a couple hundred bucks of random crap that we give people that we see once a year and it puts me in a bitter mood. No lie, one of these extended family members came in a few years ago and got everyone a small something except for my wife. And then said "I didn't know she was going to be here." The weird thing was that he got me something and didn't even know my name.

Yes, my wife's family is complete trash.

shite, I spend about $400-$600 for 8 people. Our rule of thumb is once you have kids, you don't get much more than a bottle of booze or a gift card. For my sister and bro in law, I give them a gift card to go eat out or something, and buy their kids gifts. Then a lil something for my mom and dad. The gf will get something nice (~$300). We aren't real big spenders for Christmas or birthdays as adults.

Parents and kids only here. My family is too big (4 brothers, 6 nieces and nephews, countless cousins). It's easier and lighter on the wallet this way. But I'm poor so my problem is entirely unique to the OTL.

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rather than spend $1500-2000 on everyone

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You're doing it wrong. It's a gift, not an obligation. There's absolutely no need to spend that much money.

My family used this last year for the first time. Everything seemed to work out pretty well for the most part. It seems like everyone wants to do it again. We just agreed to a spend limit. I think it's a better option for the adults in the family since presents aren't as important, but you still want to keep things festive.

My family has used elfster for a few years now. It'll randomly pick your secret Santa and you can make a wish list and link it to Amazon. Can't beat that.

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on Christmas day

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That ain't gonna happen. Families are spread out all across the country. I like the Elfster, link Amazon thing. I'll check that out.