Christmas Budget

Every year I look at what we have to spend and what we need to buy. This year (IF everything works out we should have a total budget of about $1500. We have done well in the last few years (cutting down on what we spend and still being happy with what we get everyone) so I think we'll do about the same as years past. But this year we're ahead of the ball game. We have bought "out of pocket" so to speak a few gifts already, we've purchased one gift for the big boys, 2 gifts for each of the girls and pajamas for all the boys (I bought them on clearance last year but didn't want to buy for the girls and have to deal with the emotions if we didn't have the girls). Which will save us about $600 out of our budget this year.

So I sat down and made a list of those we'll be buying for:
Lane Michael
Ethan
Ryan
Gracie
Macie
Mom
Step Dad            
Grandma Sweet  
Cathy                
John                  
Jen                    
Dina                  
Pace                 
Office Staff 1    
Office Staff 2     
Driver 1            
Driver 2             
Driver 3
Driver 4
Driver 5
Driver 6
Teachers at preschool
Teachers and Aide at elementary

The nice part is that most of these are easily budgeted for (most teachers, aides and drivers will be getting gift cards) I know what I'm getting for my Mom and Step Dad (easy) but the kids. Impossible to budget! IMPOSSIBLE Especially since they aren't giving me complete lists. Ryan and the Twincesses have never chosen a gift so they dont' have a clue HOW to choose something! The big boys big gift is being fixed up and changed right now so I don't know what to expect from this. I just don't know. I don't know what to expect for the girls gowns (being sewn by a local seamstress) what to budget for that. There's just so much up in the air right now.