Christmas List thread (with a little dreaming)

[Chino]

What's everyone got on their Christmas list this year? I thought it'd be fun to have what you're really asking for, as well as what you'd as for if money was less of an object. You're not allowed to request cash or have money given to charity.

Reality:
I asked for a 32" Vizio for the bedroom in our new house from the parents. I couldn't think of what to request from my girlfriend, but I'm sure she'll come through.

$1,000 limit
An Axial Yeti XL - https://www.rcnitrotalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/axial-yeti-xl-ax90032-action.jpg

$10,000 limit:
I'd like a week long get away in a baller hotel (maybe a room in an ice hotel somewhere). Vegas would be cool, or maybe somewhere with monkeys on the beach.

$100,000 limit:
A Tesla would be pretty awesome, but I'm not sure I could afford the taxes and insurance. If those weren't a factor, definitely a Tesla.

 

[gmillerdrake]

Reality:
We moved into a new home in April so....we have a ton of 'little' things we'd like to get just to decorate the house. The reality of it is we have (3) little kiddos who we just shopped for to give them a good X-Mas from Santa.....and, we rarely buy each other gifts as to save $$. I guess you could say that's pretty sad that we don't buy gifts for each other but this being the 'reality' part we'd rather save the $$   

$1,000 limit
I'd love to get a new Flat Screen TV for our living room. We have a 4 year old Panasonic 42".....I'd love to have a 60" Sony or comparative Co. hanging on the Wall.

$10,000 limit:
Trade my 2005 Malibu that has 155k miles on it in and use that trade in and $10k to get a nice slightly used car

$100,000 limit:
Turn my basement into an incredible Movie Viewing / Entertainment Room with all the latest and greatest technologies!!

[black_biff_stadler]

Reality:
Basically, already done. I got the PS4 GTA V/TLOU bundle which came with a free controller charger, Super Smash Bros., Arkham City (Wii U, as a $10 bargain bin impulse buy), and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, all between black friday and this past friday. I guess it'd be cool to also have Mario Sunshine and Galaxy 2 since those are my only two remaining home console main line Mario games I'm missing. Beyond that, I'd really like to get the new 3DS whenever Nintendo stops toying with the North American market since I'm definitely not squandering good scratch on the old model now.

$1,000 limit:
Proper guitar amp and nice effects pedal (POD Line 6 is my default but I'd look around to be sure.)

$10,000 limit:
Tuition for any kind of certification which will give me better job opportunities.

$100,000 limit:
Down payment on house and clear out all debt. Or 20,000 blowjobs from Dark Castle

$1 limit:
Empanada.

[Kotowboy]

Reality: I really don't want/need anything but £100 cash or That Mastodon Remission Remastered CD would do me. Oh and i'm 36 this year so lots of new socks and underwear. Oh, and a nice office chair for my room


£1,000 limit Another Epiphone SIlverburst Custom Les Paul with the James Hetfield EMG pickups


£10,000 limit: A new iMac, A Gibson Les Paul Custom in Silverburst with the Het Set And a new Tama Starclassic Drum set.


£100,000 limit: Everything I said above and new new recording gear, and a house to myself with a garage I can convert into a small studio **





** I know £100,000 won't buy a house - I meant deposit and rent upfront.

[Big Hath]

$1 limit:
Empanada.

Sarah's Empanadas in Durham (RTP, really).  Good stuff.

[The King in Crimson]

Reality
Asked for some movies, CD's, books, and a jacket.

$1,000
Some new gear to upgrade my computer.

$10,000
A motorcycle would be pretty cool I guess plus the license and assorted gear. Not a Harley though, I'm not a complete douchebag. Maybe a tattoo or something too? The entire Criterion Collection on Blu-Ray plus a big TV to watch them all on. I think that would probably be around $10,000 worth of stuff.

$100,000
A modest-sized home.

[The Curious Orange]

Reality - I don't like to ask for stuff, because I like surprises - who knows what Santa will bring??? I have asked for a few little things, though.

£1,000 - I'd love a car, a second hand banger would do. Some nice clothes might also be in order.

£10,000 - Home improvements - I need a new bathroom, I could do with refurnishing the lounge too, new couch and carpets, etc.

£100,000 - New house, new car. Holiday.

[puppyonacid]

Reality: I really don't want/need anything but £100 cash or That Mastodon Remission Remastered CD would do me. Oh and i'm 36 this year so lots of new socks and underwear. Oh, and a nice office chair for my room


£1,000 limit Another Epiphone SIlverburst Custom Les Paul with the James Hetfield EMG pickups


£10,000 limit: A new iMac, A Gibson Les Paul Custom in Silverburst with the Het Set And a new Tama Starclassic Drum set.


£100,000 limit: Everything I said above and new new recording gear, and a house to myself with a garage I can convert into a small studio **





** I know £100,000 won't buy a house - I meant deposit and rent upfront.

I will sell you my house right now for £99,999

[Dark Castle]

Reality: Mom bought me some jeans, and I bought Shadows of Mordor on Black Friday but I'm letting her wrap it up as a Christmas gift when I visit the family. I'm sure there will be a small surprise here or there, but they're going to be helping pay for my loans in the beginning when that rears it's head after I graduate and they're letting me have my car back that they got expensive repairs for, so I don't really expect anything, especially since they've got 4 other kids to get gifts for.

$1,000 limit: PS4, I'd like to round off having all the next gen consoles, and I want to play The Last of Us, and a tattoo I want to get would fit in this as well. Oh Oh and a Stadium Series Tommy Wingels jersey. Images of them leaked and while I will definitely be getting one, I would love to get it asap haha

$10,000 limit: Sessions with a gender specialist, get that shit rolling, and a control surface to use with protools nothing to expensive though.

$100,000: I can't even think what I could possibly want with a $100,000 wish list aside from everything above, or just outright pay off most of my school loans right off the bat because fuck I'm going to be $100k+ in debt when I graduate.

[Chino]

$100,000: I can't even think what I could possibly want with a $100,000 wish list aside from everything above, or just outright pay off most of my school loans right off the bat because fuck I'm going to be $100k+ in debt when I graduate.

I can't even fathom having to owe that much money. Why so much?

[Dark Castle]

Fucking Full Sail University, and then one year at Dakota State.
Should've just stayed at Dakota State and gotten a rinky dink bachelors in game sound for a 1/3rd of the price.

[lonestar]

Reality- Just grateful I get Christmas eve off to spend with my family, and hoping my kid makes it out to California.

$1000- Totally update my computer system, new everything.


$10,000- The above, pay off certain debts, and a full sixteen course at French Laundry.


$100,000- Down payment on a house.

[hefdaddy42]

The reality of it is we have (3) little kiddos who we just shopped for to give them a good X-Mas from Santa.....and, we rarely buy each other gifts as to save $$. I guess you could say that's pretty sad that we don't buy gifts for each other but this being the 'reality' part we'd rather save the $$   

I'm with you, this is what we do.  We set X amount of money aside for Christmas every year, we do what we can for the kids, and everyone else, and if there is anything left, we will use it to get each other something.

My wife just got laid off from her job, so I imagine we will concentrate only on the kids this year.

[gmillerdrake]

My wife just got laid off from her job, so I imagine we will concentrate only on the kids this year.

It's a fun time for us as parents because our boys are in the 'prime' Christmas ages...8,7,and 4. They LOVE the entire 'atmosphere' of Christmas....we go out as a family to pick a live tree out, come home and decorate it together. We go to a couple of our areas larger light displays.....we adopted a less fortunate family and bought gifts for those kids and had our boys wrap the gifts and explain to them 'why' we were doing what we were doing. This Saturday we will do our Ginger Bread houses and bake cookies all night.....We're trying as parents to make it as 'magical' as we remembered.

Meanwhile....I have an internal conflict battling the whole time not to be Mr. Grinch because I utterly cannot stand what this entire 'season' has become. I know it's been discussed before here and everywhere else and this isn't an original thought or emotion....but the commercialization of the entire Holiday season and what is 'expected' as far as spending tons of $$ has driven me to detest this time of year. For me at least....the 'reason for the season' has been lost in the cascade of credit card swipes and cash exchanges that take place.    mini rant over..sorry bout' that.

[Chino]

I had this debate with my girlfriend last weekend. I spend about $40-50 dollars on my parents, and my sister and I don't exchange gifts. I (without really thinking it through) let out a sigh of disgust when she told me that her two sisters and her parents bought me stuff for Christmas. Now I have to pick out shit for them too. Shit they don't even need. I'm going to spend more on her family than mine.

My girlfriend has 31 first cousins and I don't even know how many aunts and uncles she has. She's probably dropping close to a grand on shit made in China for people that already have money and everything they want anyway.  She says that even if they don't need it, it's the gesture of giving something to someone, to show them you appreciate them, that is important. I call bullshit. The funny thing is, her family is crazy religious and her mom will gladly spend $2000 on SHIT this month, and I, who doesn't buy into religion even in the slightest degree, is disgusted by what the once religious holiday has become. She's been stressed to the max for the last week because she doesn't know what to buy everyone. And I'd like to put it out there that I don't feel this way because I am selfish or don't want to spend money on others, it's the buying into this massive societal delusion (ironic that I created this thread) that we need to buy worthless crap for everyone we know. If it is a practical gift, I'm more than alright with that, but spending hard earned money on something that someone doesn't need (and probably doesn't even want) just because you are suppose to is border line insane.

[gmillerdrake]

And I'd like to put it out there that I don't feel this way because I am selfish or don't want to spend money on others, it's the buying into this massive societal delusion  that we need to buy worthless crap for everyone we know. If it is a practical gift, I'm more than alright with that, but spending hard earned money on something that someone doesn't need (and probably doesn't even want) just because you are suppose to is border line insane.

Exactly. I consider myself a very giving person...in fact, my wife just complimented me for the fact that I just spent a solid 20+ hrs working on my DTF Secret Santa gift for someone 'I don't even know'. Thing is....I enjoyed it and enjoy giving genuine gifts and had fun making that gift.....but in general....the gifts received and given at Christmans aren't genuine gestures of giving....it's an obligatory offer often attached to a gift that is extremely overpriced and that as you said....someone doesn't need or want....and/or won't be using in a week anyway.

Case and point especially for kids. My mother....Bless her....is one of the grandmothers who buys any and everything for her grandkids. Problem is...my mother is very poor. She can hardly afford to keep her water bill on much less spend the type of $$ she does on my kids at Christmas. Every year I BEG her not to buy these toys and what not that my boys mention in passing because they will play with these things for a couple days and then they disappear into the abyss of the 'toy junkyard' that is now our basement. It's sad...but it's the truth. 

her family is crazy religious and her mom will gladly spend $2000 on SHIT this month, and I, who doesn't buy into religion even in the slightest degree, is disgusted by what the once religious holiday has become.

Yeah....I don't think I can fully comment on this part without hijacking the thread and turning it into a P/R deal. But I don't think it takes a member of Menza to realize the entire 'Christmas' season has a completely different meaning and 'feel' to it than it did even as recent as 15-20 years ago. Just not the same at all.

[lucky7]

Reality: Books, dvd's, cd's, tix to The Hobbit for Boxing Day.

$1000  New computer, Tix to Theatre shows The Lion King, Once.


$10,000 Trip around Australia, New furniture, New Guitar.


$100,000 That could do two 5 Star U.S. Trips one West Coast, one East Coast and South AND money for my bro for his trip there next July.

[PuffyPat]

Reality: Any one of the effects pedal from a long list of pedals or a Gift Card for the drum shop I go to.

1K: Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Set

10K: Guitar Rig (Vintage Jazzmaster w/ matching headstock, Blackface Super Reverb, the rest on pedals)

100K: Home Recording Studio

[ZKX-2099]

I'm a humble man.

[Nick]

Most of this is going to be rather boring, but stems from still being under a ton of student debt and preparing for a medical procedure.

Reality: Probably going to get a Vernon Davis jersey, and money to go towards bills.

1K: More money towards bills.

10: Bills paid, let's start working on debt!

100k: Well, now everything is paid off with plenty to spare. Would likely put 5-10k aside from some vacations during the year, spend maybe 20k (added with my trade in value of current car) to get my first new car, spend another 5k on taking my very nice audio/video setup at home and making it a fucking sweet setup, and put the rest in the bank to start saving for a house.

[MoraWintersoul]

gmillerdrake and Chino, you'd probably like Christmas in Serbia then. New Years Eve is the commercialized holiday, and it's not so much about lavish gift giving but instead about attending an overpriced party in overpriced clothes. Christmas (celebrated on the 7th of January because our church calender is 13 days behind the real world one) is a quiet family holiday with a festive lunch (not Thanksgiving-level-festive though, at least not in my family) and you can partake in various religious rituals during Christmas eve and Christmas day if you so desire.

[Podaar]

gmillerdrake and Chino, you'd probably like Christmas in Serbia then. New Years Eve is the commercialized holiday, and it's not so much about lavish gift giving but instead about attending an overpriced party in overpriced clothes. Christmas (celebrated on the 7th of January because our church calender is 13 days behind the real world one) is a quiet family holiday with a festive lunch (not Thanksgiving-level-festive though, at least not in my family) and you can partake in various religious rituals during Christmas eve and Christmas day if you so desire.

I like this. Sounds great!

[MoraWintersoul]

To be fair, societies with less consumerism = societies with A LOT less money. Like, when people critique consumerism around these parts, they'll say something like "everyone now has to have a smartphone and change it every other year" when at least one smart device per person was the norm in civilized societies like 5 years ago if you have a car (per family) less than ten years old you're a "rich sucker" etc etc. So I'm not saying it's an ideal picture, but it has its charms - in between being frustrated by not being able to afford anything you need (let alone want), you are forced to focus on what matters and in the long term it makes you happy, if this society ever stops imploding every twenty-ish years that is