Every year we say we are going to set lower limits, but never seem to do it. I say I'm going to start cutting out the older nieces, nephews, etc. and just buy for the little ones, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it. I think next year with new grandchildren and all, we are going to have to. Time for the younger ones, I think.

As far as my kids, I always spend the same on my daughter and my son. My husband buys for his kids and does the same. We both buy special gifts for each other's kids, just from us. We keep that even too. My son always says his sister gets more. It's become a family joke. When they were little, she took so long to open her gifts and he ripped through his, so it seemed to him that she "got more." Now that he is older, he likes one big gift usually. Like this year, he wants gift certificates to Best Buy so he can get a new tv. I will give him one substantial gift card. His sister likes opening little things, so I usually get her one good gift and then a lot of little stuff. She ends up with a pile of gifts and it starts. Now, my daughter says that once the baby is here, she won't get as much. They love to tease me about this, but they really know they get the same and they do they spend more than they should on us.