Last year my wife and I had to do a little belt-tightening, and we found that one of our largest line items was gift buying. With small children, the gift buying has gone up exponentially. Not only do you buy for your own kids, but then you have to buy for the kids of everyone who invites your kids to their birthday parties, plus in our case there are small cousins of our kids who we're buying for, too. And, until last year, we were buying Christmas gifts for all our siblings plus parents, even though they were all adults.

The only thing that has changed so far is that we successfully cut back the adult gift buying, going to a system of randomly picking a single name from each side of the family and buying for that person. We get fewer gifts, which is just fine with us because it means we have to buy fewer.

I am all over the joy of giving. I can't even think of too many things I want (at least not many within reason of somene actually buying me), but I like to buy for others. Unfortunately, gifting sometimes becomes more of an obligation than anything else. Even the adults who have to buy for one single person feel tortured at the thought of coming up with an idea for a gift. I have to buy something for my brother-in-law and who knows what I'm going to come up with. My sister-in-law has to buy for me and I almost felt guilty when I saw how pained she looked after chosing my name.

I hope I don't sound Scroogey, because I love Christmas (and any other holiday you might be celebrating this time of year). But the truth is it can be a load on your finances, and a little stressful even beyond the money aspect. Not to mention you have to go shopping. Is there anything I hate more than shopping?

I DO sound Scroogey, like the biggest Bah Humbugger ever. I'm going to go out right now and buy the 55 gifts I have to get this year, all while keeping a goofy grin on my face.

Feliz Navidad!