Winter holiday season (Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.) gifts?

[Marie13]

I'm new and my search-fu is bad today. How do you fellow MMMers handle winter holiday (Christmas, Hannukkah, etc.) gifts? No gifts at all, draw names, etc.?

I'm single with no kids. I bought my tween goddaughter's gift already. I usually only exchanged small gifts with her parents (close friends), but I just contacted her mom to let her know I'd be buying for goddaughter and that's it. She has a number of sibs, but the parents said in the past I didn't have to buy for them (I'd buy art supplies and the like). I love doing cards and will continue to do those, but that is it.

[Asdfg]

We haven't been buying presents for anyone except our kids for several years already. This seems to be a growing trend around here. I think I've never bought a gift to my wife and vice versa. I'm also requesting friends and family not to give our kids too many gifts. I just hate seeing those noisy and flashy toys that the kids enjoy for one or two days and then ignore. The thing for small kids is the joy of opening a present. So maybe think of something that lasts a longer.

For example think if you can make something yourself? Or an experience such as a card saying that you will take her to the theater to the play of her choosing? Theater costs money though, so maybe change the experience to something free?

[AZDude]

Gift giving to adults should be optional, although some non-mustachians will inexcusably take offense to not getting a gift. I try to get something for everyone, but often that *something* costs $10(or less) and is basically just giving them a present to unwrap so they dont feel left out.

I go out of my way to tell anyone who will listen they dont have to buy me anything, but I still get loads of random crap that eventually just gets sold/donated.

[FiguringItOut]

I only need gifts for my two kids, 11 and 13 for Hanukkah (we don't do 8 days of gifts, they just get what they get on the first day).
Last year I spend aprox $60 on each of them and they weren't happy.  When I posted here about it, I got a more or less confirmation that it didn't seem to be enough based on amount/items I got them (books and some other stuff, all items they asked for). 

I am planning to spend around $100 on each of them this year, but still haven't figured out what to get them.  They are harder and harder to shop for. 

So my holiday budget is $200.

[couponvan]

Each of my kids gets "one want, one need, one wear, one read" for Christmas.  I shop for nieces and nephews, an elderly aunt, my grandmother, and DH's parents. DH's parents go crazy for Christmas.  I've asked them to tone it down, but they just enjoy buying things I think.

I grew up without Christmas due to may parent's religion (so no Christmas gifts to buy on that side), but they did allow us to make gingerbread houses at the holiday times with our cousins.  I think most of Christmas is over-the-top crazy. 

My tradition is Gingerbread House Party which I've been doing for the past 13 years with friends/kids.  This year, we're throwing the party for my daughter's Girl Scout troop.  It is likely the last year of the large parties, as she'll be in middle school next year and I've discovered MMM.  It will be 23 gingerbread houses, with the party costing roughly $200....BUT I will take a tax deduction for the donation to Girl Scouts.  There are girls of all different religions in her girl scout troop, and everyone can participate since it isn't religious. 

I'd like to stop doing the holiday cards since I see everyone on Facebook often enough, but DH would have a fit....