Nothing says ‘family entertainment’ like going into debt for a candle that no one wants.
One woman says this year’s Christmas spirit is being measured in dollar signs.
She wants to skip the family gathering after an outrageous price is set for Secret Santa.
‘Completely unrealistic’
“This year my family decided to raise the price limit to $250 per gift,” the 29-year-old said.
This is very different from a traditional gift exchange, where a modest Kmart gag gift would suffice.
“To be honest, I’m a little surprised. I guess inflation has hit, but that’s a lot of money for a gift, especially for something that’s supposed to be fun and quirky,” she said.
Obviously, he doesn’t have a budget.
“After paying all my bills and essentials, there is barely anything left to survive. The idea of spending $250 on a gift is completely unrealistic to me,” he shared.
His hesitation has isolated him from both tradition and family.
“My mother thinks I’m ‘frivolous’ and that it’s ‘just a gift.’ My dad says I’m overreacting and it’s not about the price, it’s about the Christmas spirit,” she revealed.
“Some of my brothers and sisters are saying I should just embrace it and join in because it’s about being together.”
This incident doesn’t seem worth the damage it did to his bank account.
“I didn’t want to be the person who had to sit awkwardly and watch everyone exchange expensive gifts while I couldn’t contribute. At the same time, I didn’t want to feel embarrassed for not living up to their expectations,” she said.
Most of her large family – up to 25 people – agreed to the dollar amount with only minor hesitation. Despite the pressure, hope remains.
“$250 is the amount my family ‘agrees on’ when it comes to the price of a gift. I don’t think even the maximum amount was discussed,” he said.
‘Don’t tolerate it’
are taking redditHe sought assurance that not attending the meeting was the right decision.
Many commentators were angered by the requirement of a Secret Santa.
“Your family is bullying you, even if not in a malicious way. Don’t tolerate this,” one commenter wrote.
“Looks like this ‘tradition’ has turned into a luxury spending competition that no one expected,” said another.
Others shared what they do to keep holiday gifts budget-friendly.
“Our family has a rule about gifts: take care of the kids. Adults don’t exchange gifts,” one commenter shared.
Another joked, “We find the weirdest things in our basements or give each other the weirdest things.”
Unfortunately, the Secret Santa gift is only the beginning of the shopping frenzy he’ll have to put up with.
“Although we are not expected to get gifts for every family member, we still give other gifts. So I’ll get that gift in addition to gifts for my parents, siblings and grandparents,” she explained.
One thing’s for sure – if family bonding is worth $250, the sofa is the best place to spend Christmas.
