Christmas is not fun as an adult

My husband's (30s) family is big into Christmas gifts. They go all out on stocking stuffers and gifts. His sisters family is 6 people total, then his parents and grandparents plus one of his cousins and their kid.

My family was smaller scale with gifts and you got each person (4 of us total) one gift.

I can't keep up with the cost and consumerism. Each year we end up spending at least 1000$ just on gifts for his family. His sister has 4 kids plus the 2 adults. I get frustrated that we're spending at LEAST 50$ per person and then they typically end up spending about 80$ on us. Its baffles me every year and every year my husband and I say we need to set boundaries with gifts but never do.

I wasnt working this year and just got a job so am working on paying my debts. Its so stressful to spend money on stupid things for other people. I know they kids get so ridiculously spoiled by their grandparents that nothing we get could compare. Its happened before where I've given a gift and the kids will say "is that it?" Or "what else is there?".

Christmas gift shopping has turned me into a humbug.

Posted Dec 7, 2025, 10:45 PM UTC

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