Wow.

We aren't buying any gifts this year, for anyone. This is only a slight change from previous years, in which we limited our gift purchasing to $400 in total for the entire Xmas budget, for all gifts purchased, regardless of recipient.

This year we are making ONE (nice) gift per child, and my wife and I are not really sure what we're doing for each other this time, I want a hat and she wants these weight things that hold down fabric when laying out a pattern. I can make those with some lead shot.

I asked that my family not give me any gifts, and instead donate to http://www.mercycorps.org/

We have been working, with some moderate success, at undoing the endless cycle of consume/discard that complicates our lives. Even my "emergency supplies" cache is both comprehensive and trim, if that makes any sense.

I have a long way to go before I can really say I've cleared the packrat mind, I may never do it. But we don't "do" the Christmas buying frenzy, and have not for about 5 years now, and that's working for us.