Are you a Santa to yourself?

[mikelz777]

Is anyone here going to be a Santa to themselves this Christmas season? I know the people in my life don't like giving me expensive music from artists they've never heard of or can't pick up at their local Target or Walmart. Maybe the season of giving will just inspire you to give to yourself. Maybe you'll be getting some money for Christmas and will be picking up that music/box set you've had your eye on or that you normally wouldn't spend as much money on. For me, I wouldn't mind picking up some Bear Family box sets for myself.

[Chuck Nessa]

No

[GA Russell]

Two family members have given me a little money to buy myself some Christmas presents. The idea is that nowadays the prices are better before Christmas, and if they wait till Christmas Day to give me the cash, I won't get as much.

So I have already spent the money on a few items.

[paul secor]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

[Quincy]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

Close to what Paul says. However as the Black Friday sales happen earlier each year & are so irresistible I invariably end up buying something for myself. I don't save it for Christmas but open it right off.

[JSngry]

I don't plan on coming down my own chimney, if that's what you mean.

[Chuck Nessa]

You could not make the journey.

[JSngry]

Not without a map, anyway...

[Dan Gould]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

I'm the opposite. I hardly ever buy anything during the year anymore, but always buy something for myself this time of year, usually a CD or two added to a December Amazon order. This year it was two Venus label CDRs from Amazon.

This time I also ordered something as a "backup" to a Christmas request - a two disc compilation of singles put out on Cobra Records. I requested it from my wife's side of the family, gave them the link to several cheap, sealed copies on Amazon Marketplace, but experience shows that despite the fact that they ask for requests, and I keep them limited to easy-to-order-online items, they never actually manage to find anything I ask for.

So, when I did my shopping a couple of weeks ago, I ordered it for myself. If, surprise of surprises, it somehow turns out to be under the tree, it will go to my brother who has a birthday in January. If it doesn't, its my gift to myself and I'll finally have something I've had my eye on for about three years.

[mikelz777]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

I play Santa to myself as well throughout the year but what I was getting at for people reading the post was doing something special or out of the ordinary for yourself for Christmas. I mentioned that I would like to pick up some Bear Family box sets. Normally, they would be a luxury I wouldn't allow myself because they are so expensive. If I get some money for Christmas, I may be a Santa to myself and get myself a Bear Family box which I wouldn't have gotten myself otherwise.

[BeBop]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

I don't get gifts from anyone, anytime. (My gift giving is limited to my father and friends and relatives under 18 years of age, so fair enough.) I don't/can't buy myself "Stuff", but meals and side-trips, yes. Anytime.

[Stefan Wood]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

Close to what Paul says. However as the Black Friday sales happen earlier each year & are so irresistible I invariably end up buying something for myself. I don't save it for Christmas but open it right off.

Same here. Picked up recently the Fania All Stars box set and the massive Africa music box from Sterns' label.

[ejp626]

I play Santa to myself during the rest of the year. I don't have any need to do that during the Christmas season.

Close to what Paul says. However as the Black Friday sales happen earlier each year & are so irresistible I invariably end up buying something for myself. I don't save it for Christmas but open it right off.

Same here. Picked up recently the Fania All Stars box set and the massive Africa music box from Sterns' label.

I did feel kind of bad about getting the Sterns box (Africa 50 years of Music) for myself, but the pre-order price was awfully tempting (apparently UK residents had an even better sale price). I have, so far at least, held off from the new Ellington box from Mosaic. Maybe after I file my taxes...

One other luxury item was the beautiful book A History of the World in 100 Objects, which is by Director of the British Museum: http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-World-100-Objects/dp/1846144132/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292761453&sr=1-1. This edition has already gone out of print (in its first printing) but I managed to snag one of the last copies from Amazon at 50% off! It will certainly be reprinted and will probably eventually be published over here, but it really seemed to be an exceptional book, and I didn't want to wait. I also wasn't sure if the US edition would be quite as well made.

Edited December 19, 2010 by ejp626

[A Lark Ascending]

I imagine I spend the same on myself over Xmas as I do the rest of the year. Santa comes to me downloaded these days rather than down the chimney.

I think buying gifts for kids is a wonderful tradition. But, to my mind, so much is spent on unwanted gifts between adults (especially once outside the very immediate family). I've switched over to getting everyone (apart from kids) an Oxfam donation. I imagine the money gets spent on all manner of good works - but I like the idea of buying a goat or a camel or a well. I try to encouage those who want to buy Xmas gifts for me to do the same.

[BillF]

Santa comes to me downloaded these days rather than down the chimney.

[Dan Gould]

I think buying gifts for kids is a wonderful tradition. But, to my mind, so much is spent on unwanted gifts between adults (especially once outside the very immediate family).

I solve that problem by limiting my adult gifts to people I know, love, and have a good idea of what they'd enjoy. But then again, if not for unwanted gifts between adults, where would we get our stash of items for re-gifting?

[mikelz777]

Carl Smith - Satisfaction Guaranteed (5-CD, Bear Family)

Well, I treated myself to my first Bear Family box set. I'm a bit concerned I'm starting an expensive trend for myself, I've already got my eye on 3 more. I spent about what a Mosaic would cost but rationalized my purchase since some CD sales and some easy side money covered a little more than half of it.

Edited December 20, 2010 by mikelz777