Christmas Shopping?

[vagabundo]

What a year what a differance.. Shopping last year was expensive but this year OMG! I was in shock, but then again we do not shop much. Looking at items you want to buy and can afford but you just cannot justify the price.. sky rocket differance. Nike Tshirts 280 pesos.. Play Doh for the kids 90 pesos or lego knock off kits almost 400 pesos. Diner for 4 with friends after shopping 480 pesos, no wine just the basics really, steak diners and salads.. Happy Meals for the kids earlier in the day 30 pesos each which included about 12 french fries in this crazy tiny french fries box with a burger that is about 3 inches in circumferance with a patty that is about a slim as a slice of ham and the prized toy.

Sticker Shock has been redefined for me!

 

[citygirl]

I was just dealing with this yesterday. Was looking at a shirt for the suegra at Rapsodia. Just a basic cotton tunic style. Then I looked at the price. 698 pesos. For a thin, not high quality shirt. Absurd, even at the blue rate.

 

[allcraz]

Ha, we tried Secret Santa last year but the gifts were so extremely diverse in price range that it didn't really work out. No one stuck to the budget (except for my Santa), and I ended up getting the short end of the stick. No one suggested it this year...

 

[Farenheit]

The toys here are up to 5 times more expensive. I just priced a Mr. Potato Head for my little on. In the US it's USD $19.99. Here it's ARS $ 550 or over 110 dollars !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ashley]

I have no idea how people with kids here do it (unless they're extraordinarily wealthy). From what I've seen, the kids here from a similar class to me growing up (lower middle class) seem to receive just one or two things from their parents/Santa, whereas we'd get quite a bit more at Christmas. But even so, the prices that parents have to pay for just one lego kit or a barbie car or something would pay for about 10/15 good toys in the UK! If I were a parent, my salary could stretch to one good gift...and that's without factoring in the cost of all of the Christmas food, etc.
As we're all adults, we decided to ditch presents this year and go out for a nice meal or evening out somewhere instead. Presents/stuff shouldn't make a Christmas but it certainly doesn't feel very Christmassy this year. I'll be glad to spend next year elsewhere!

 

[Gringoboy]

Yesterday was my (to be) wife's birthday and I consciously made an effort to save up the cash to buy her something nice, since I don't have or want a credit card.
I chose some very nice underwear,which I knew she would like. It wasn't a huge amount, but I still asked the lady in the shop to reserve it for me as I paid bits towards it.
She even gave me 15% discount for cash.
In the evening we went out for dinner, which comprised a couple of choripans, a huge home made burger for her growing son, some cokes, beer and a bottle of decent Malbec whilst watching the thunderstorm by the river in Olivos. Cost: $285, very reasonable.
That's it now, no more left for Xmas presents.

 

[NYKate]

Wait, are the prices so high because, as Cristina explained, Santa is a creation of the imperialists so we shouldn't be giving gifts?

I am making cookies for the family this year. We did it last year because we couldn't afford gifts and this year, with a baby on the way and the cost of babies let alone cost of babies HERE...(A crib in babies r us in the US is a quarter of the price and better quality, not to mention a store wanted US$25 for one onesie!! I can get a pack of four for US$12!)
What made last year special I think is that it was a tradition from the U.S. and from my family. We always used to bake cookies for family members and put them in pretty tins. When I did it for my husbands family and friends last year they were surprised and touched.

 

[AngelinBA]

You're right about toy prices, last year we bought the long awaited NERF gun for our son, the smallest one available at the time cost us AR$350. I looked it up in the USA and it is selling at US$10! Last year we budgeted 300 pesos per child but with 3 kids, that's a whole lot of money! As we are going to Disneyworld in January (credit carded and "cuota'd" up to our eyeballs but we're going), we're not doing christmas presents for the kids this year, they're asking Santa for dollars to buy their own toys when we get to Orlando!
Very hard to explain to a 6 year old that santa really REALLY is not bringing toys, not even one but we've spent hours looking at the toys online at Walmart so at least she knows what she can get with the not-wanted dollars!
I'm just happy that they're going to end up with good quality, good brand toys at reasonable prices that won't break within 2 days of opening them!
As for me, I'm going to spend up large on sheets, towels and other items that are just out of my price range here and seem to be very reasonably priced in the US!

 

[citygirl]

Angel - highly recommend you go to Kohls/TJ Maxx or one of those to stock up on sheets/towels, etc. You can pick up really nice, high thread count (600+) egyptian cotton sheet sets (flat/fitted/2 pillow cases) for cheap. I got a king size set of 600 thread count for around $70 USD.

 

[nativexpat]

]

As we are going to Disneyworld in January (credit carded and "cuota'd" up to our eyeballs but we're going), we're not doing christmas presents for the kids this year, they're asking Santa for dollars to buy their own toys when we get to Orlando!
------ we've spent hours looking at the toys online at Walmart so at least she knows what she can get with the not-wanted dollars!

Exact same situation here!