Less on family gifts, only because we have a baby on the way. I still plan to sponsor at least 2 kids from the Angel Tree. My husband took 4 cards from the tree at work for the women's shelter in that area. I am going to try to find some gifts this weekend for the Salvation Army's Santa's Workshop for the kids to pick out gifts for their parents. We'll probably donate less this year in the name of saving, but I'm donating my time as well (baking, ringing bells). I'm lucky that I have a family that doesn't find itself in need this Christmas season, so I intend to do as much to help those that are as I can. Besides, some of the white elephant gag gifts (with a $10 spending limit) the adults in my family have exchanged have led to more hilarity and enjoyment of our day together than anything else. That's really what it's all about anyway.

wow. did someone actually offer to help packrat's family? That's really awesome of you if you did. That says a lot for the community and people that are willing to step up and help someone out. I have a great tip for saving money...I always search for coupon codes or promo codes before shopping or on your smart phone while at the store. I usually forget to check until i am there, but i can usually save 15-20% at Payless or at Old Navy with coupon codes. Certain stores have them often and others (like Target and JCP) don't. Happy Holidays!!

We'll probably spend about the same as last year, Several years ago our family decided to start drawing names, and it has worked great! You don't go broke and everyone gets something nice to open for Christmas. Spending time with family, having a good meal and just enjoying being together is what makes Christmas special. It reminds you of what the true meaning of Christmas is. God's love for us all. Also with Obama re-elected we may as well try to enjoy what we can now because he is sure going to try taking what he can from all of us, not just the top people. Everyone buys into that theory but we are certainly not rich and right after the election our home owners insurance went up 15%. Coincidence? I don't think so. So, hopefully everyone reading this will have a very blessed Christmas and enjoy being with family and friends. Merry Christmas!!!

Less since Obama was re-elected. He has left us no choice.

I've often thought it would be cool to have a "re-gift" Christmast of sorts. Look around your house and pick out items that you can gift to others. I think it would be fun! I would like to spend less on Christmas, but hubby won't have that. Especially when it comes to the grandkids.

analertcitizen - thank you for the clarification. I've been reading some of Robert Fulford's columns at: http://www.robertfulford.com/columns.htm...

He has a number of columns about Islam. He has also admonished liberals for embracing "multiculuralism". "Since Plato and Aristotle, the great thinkers have assumed that their principles have universal value. Do we still believe that, or have we been so influenced by multiculturalism that we consider the West's philosophy no better or worse than others? There's a profound difference between a culture that possesses Western characteristics (free speech, democracy, independent judges, economic freedom, scientific independence) and a culture that doesn't."

I found two columns mentioning Mark Steyn. I got the impression from them that Fulford likes Steyn.

http://www.robertfulford.com/2005-11-19-...

"When the National Post was founded in 1998, Steyn began contributing a hugely popular column; he withdrew his services in 2003 out of a disagreement with management," and "he's an opinionmonger we admire as much for his enemies as for his friends."

http://www.robertfulford.com/ConradBlack...
had an interesting comment about Mark Steyn: " But the editors of the National Post, under Mr. Black's corporate umbrella, have created an editorial culture that is generous, creative, and encouraging. To write for the Post is a pleasure.

Even so, some other friends ask: How can you stand its opinions? Stand them? I love them -- and love them best when I agree with them least, particularly when they are the work of self-described right-wing bastards like Mark Steyn. Those of us who have spent our working lives with left-wing bastards deserve a change."

@janesvillecomments: I am impressed at your knowledge and your passion. Carry on! (No sarcasm intended.)

less. We stopped exchanging gifts for adults in our family about 6 years ago. We now only buy for the children. Much less stress. We've all remarked how much more enjoyable Christmas is now. The adult "kids" have to travel from all over the world to be home for Christmas, which in itself is a financial burden. Just having the family together for a few days is the greatest gift.

@packrat- You are an amazing individual. I love your spirit.

Our family is smaller than previously, and the older we get, the less STUFF we want people to give us, since we are trying very hard to unload STUFF that previous generations foisted upon us and which we over time collected without forethought. Bring a dish to pass at a gathering, or ask me what I really want, which without fail will be something practical and not bric-a-brac. I have the Christmas decorations I want and like, and can't use them all as it is. My husband likes to pick out his own reading material. The kids are enough older that they don't need a bunch of toys. We try to do more for others who don't have enough than we used to, so if you like, ask us which charities we would like to provide for and go that way. We are at a point in our lives where spending time with people is more important, and now more easily accomplished than when kids were young and needed constant minding. I could not believe that over the holiday weekend shoppers spent something like an average of $500 per shopper. YIKES. That means that there must be people who spent thousands to make up for people like us, who only spent about $50 and not even on Christmas presents!

After re-reading my post, I realized I painted a picture of "doom and gloom" and for this, I apologize.
...
For those who personally offered to help, thank you. However, there are others in our community with greater needs than us.
...
It is absolutely wonderful knowing there are still individuals in our community willing to sacrifice what they may have to help those truly in need.
...
Thank you all again, we are doing OK.
...
May everyone have a safe and pleasant holiday season!

Less. We went from buying for everyone to a name draw this yr for the 1st time. So, I will be spending 60% less.

Have been unemployed for over 3 years. Gift giving has been less with every year. With the exception of a few inexpensive gifts for small children, exchanging gifts no longer happen in our family. Family time is better than any other material thing anyway!

@janesvillecomments- Robert Fulford- Canadian journalist.

LESS

analertcitizen - Who is this Fulford you are referring to? Not the Canadian journalist Benjamin Fulford, I hope. Wikipedia states he claimed the American government along with the Federal Reserve, the Rockefellers, and other powerful groups, were planning to cause the Mt. Fuji Volcano in Japan to erupt in 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Fu...

I found a weird Bejamin Fulford blog http://benjaminfulford.net/2012/10/01/un... accusing the Queen of England and the Pope of financing Obama's re-election campaign.

Please identify the Fulford you are referring to. Thanks.

janesvillecomments- did a little research on your boy Steyn. Big rush Limbaugh fan so I take him as silly. In fact, here is a quote from..." Longtime editor and admirer Fulford also wrote, "Steyn, a self-styled 'right-wing bastard,' violates everyone's sense of good taste." I tend to agree with Fulford.

I will have to spend more or less is Holiday Season, I do have gifts to buy.

mgcarguy - they don't think they are wrecking it, those are just the unintended consequences of their actions. Richard Nixon thought he was doing what was best for his country when he authorized the Watergate break-in. William Jefferson Clinton thought it was ok to hold "meetings" with Monica Lewinsky and nobody would be hurt. George Bush thought he could improve "the war on terror" by invading Afghanistan, apparently without adequately considering it's history with both the extended British and Soviet attempts to control and change it. Barack Obama probably thinks he is maintaining good foreign relations when he appeases Islamic nations and snubs Israel.

"They are just people like all of us."

You mean like we who continue to let the government spend more money than it has or can ever collect in fees and taxes? What bank will let you keep borrowing money without collateral just because you promise to pay it all back some day?

You mean like we who continue to let the government wage a "war on drugs" keeping criminal syndicates in Afghanistan, Colombia, Mexico and The United States in business, with absolutely no reduction in illegal drug use for DECADES? Decriminalization and regulation is what the government needs to do. Evidently nobody in office studied the Volstead Act.

You mean like we who let drunks with 5 intoxicated driving convictions get behind the wheel of a car and commit DUI #6?

You mean people like us who have our local governments (like Janesville) spend money on ice arenas, but not adequately fund the police department; or (like Chicago) deplore the violent crime rate and yet understaff the police department for DECADES?

You mean people like us who are so self-indulgent (myself included), we are starting to lower our life expectancy compared to previous generations by eating too much and exercising too little?

Yes, they ARE people just like us, but with the extra power we have given them, they need to be monitored and controlled much more closely than regular citizens.

To answer the question, we will spend about the same. What we don't spend on our grand children who are rapidly growing up and need less, we will spend on those who we have run across that have very little. We live on about 1/4th of what we did when we were working but we get along pretty good. We have learned to save for what we want which is what we did 46 years ago when we were first married. Life is more fun when you have to plan for what you want.

To comment again on Mr. Janesville guy, life is better today than it was when I grew up. Those in government would not wish to wreck our country because they live here also and they have kids and some have grand kids. Why would they want to mess things up ? They are just people like all of us.

Perhaps The Gazette should rebrand itself as a community therapy magazine. ☺

analertcitizen - all nation-states have life cycles. Sooner or later every country undergoes an extreme change that redefines it. It may be due to outside forces, such as Poland and France experienced in 1940, or internal forces such as Tsarist Russia experienced in 1917.

I can think of a number of countries which have undergone at least one unpleasant major change of government in my adult lifetime: Vietnam, Iraq, Grenada, Afghanistan come to mind. Other countries, such as Poland and East Germany have also had major changes, for the better, but not without some problems for their people.

We Americans believe our country is special - which it was in a good way, and still is in some ways, but has become bad in some ways. Some Americans also believe (incorrectly) that it will exist forever. I'm sure the citizens of Imperial Rome thought they were pretty special and figured their nation would last forever. After all, nobody could beat their army Legions when they sent them off to other countries and an occasional crucifixion would keep those Monothiests from ever becoming a significant influence in Rome, right? I grew up watching a lot of movies about the 1000 year Reich, but I'll never have a Customs stamp from the Third Reich on my passport.

I would rather Americans fix what is wrong with this country (quit electing politicians who spend more than we can afford on entitlement programs and meddle in foreign countries we have no business being in) than watch it march on to self-destruction or weaken itself to the point where it can be attacked from without. I'm afraid I just don't see that happening in the current political climate.

mgcarguy - my mom passed away before my grandmother and I took care Grandma when she became afflicted with Alzheimer's. I've already spent enough time visiting assisted living and nursing homes. There are a lot of nice things in this world and I know I've had a much bigger share of them than a lot of other people could hope for and I am grateful for that. That doesn't blind me to the bad things that are also in this country, or excuse the politicians (of any party) who try to pass off their agendas and acts of self-aggrandizement as good deeds for their citizens (subjects).

garyprimer - Other than eating too many carbs of Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, I have no intention of hurting myself. I don't have any plans to hurt others, but I want to be prepared to defend myself from anyone else who may have intentions of hurting me. I'm sure most Tories had no problems with King George banning the shipment of gunpowder to the colonies or sending troops to disarm those gun nuts in Concord. - "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

I already got some help when I voted Governor Walker into office. I hope you'll help elect Paul Ryan as President in 2016 to help us both.

I do buy for 3 kids who I don't know- tot for tots- angel tree, and just a lady behind me at one store for her grandchild. That was emotional. I buy for some of my family too. since we started drawing names I picked up kids who don't get anything except what people who donate give them. Yep I am against abuse but the kids are not at fault and they better get to keep their gift and mom-dad pawn it or return it.

JC, get some help
before you hurt yourself
or someone else.

Dear Janesvillecomments: Often a gift that costs nothing is the best gift. I would like to take this opportunity to give you a gift, just a little something that will make you feel better about life. My gift is a little advice which will make you feel nice. Go for a walk in the woods and find something pretty to look at, perhaps a leaf or a stone or a little stream of water. Then stop at a nursing home and find an old lady and hold her hand, then find a little dog to pet and look around and try to see that this world you live in is not as bad as you think it is. We all begin in the fetal position and end in the fetal position. It is what we do for others that makes us happy. Try it and see if you do not feel better. A friend.

janesvillecomments- I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist. Kind of CUCKOO.

No fallout shelter here. I once read that the Soviets had a big nuke aimed at Rock County Airport - to take out both Fairbanks Morse in Beloit and GM in Janesville, as well as destroy an alternate landing field for military aircraft.

American stockholders destroyed GM by moving production to Mexico and Obama's reduction of US Navy vessels means fewer orders for Fairbanks. The Chinese could take us out just by stopping product shipments to Walmart, and the Islamofacists will manipulate our indigenous "useful idiots" into destroying our nation with "cultural diversity". With so many larger targets in the US, Iran won't wait until they have enough nukes to designate one for Janesville. Ahmadinejad will want to attack Israel and the US while he's still around to enjoy the destruction. I'd certainly want a fallout shelter (with bacteriological protection) if I lived in Tel Aviv, or New York, or Washington DC.

Obama is certainly accelerating the bi-partisan political process of destroying America as a world power. Check out Mark Steyn's recently updated "After America: Get Ready For Armageddon". He gives plenty of examples of how Obama's love for European-style socialism is going to plunge this country into bankruptcy. He also criticizes the Republican party for their failure to prevent this.

For some insight into Steyn's outlook, here is a link to a podcast of Steyn on WGN Radio's Extension 720 back in October:

http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/ext720/wgn...

janesvillecomments- Funny comment and I'll bet you have a fallout shelter in your backyard too. Didn't we hear four years ago that the world would end if Obama was elected? waiting...!

I've already spent more this year, due to President Obama's 3rd Presidential debate comments. I purchased some high capacity magazines for my rifle, in case he brings back the pointless assault weapons ban. I also purchased a Glock. It's not what I would consider an inexpensive handgun, but when reacting to a President who doubles the national debt in his first term without blinking an eye, it's hard to tell what price point he was referring to when he mentioned doing something about all those "cheap handguns" that criminals are using in Chicago.

While his politics may help President Obama win the "Firearms Salesman of the Year" award again as he did in 2009, I don't belong to a Mexican drug cartel, so I can't count on free Federal firearms from the FBI's "Fast and Furious" operation.

Woodmans, Farm & Fleet, Gander Mountain, and Ace Hardware handle most of my brick and mortar shopping needs. I buy a lot of little things online but I've found by the time I add the shipping to discounted prices on books at Amazon.com, it's usually cheaper to go to Book World and have them order the books I want, and I get them faster.

Spend less- give more. Who needs all the garbage we spend money on?!

Yes use those gift cards before the store goes out of business or burns down.