My family only buys for kids that believe in Santa....Everyone else get nothing but a Merry Christmas....I have the money but i am tired of swapping money....That’s what my father called it....Kids get toys....That’s it for them...Between me and my wife it is Religious.
Well that’s not the point here......and I think your father’s curmudgeon spirit has rubbed off on you. To look at exchanging gifts as “swapping money” - wow, very cynical. It’s only that if there is an obsession with knowing how much so and so spent on the gift. Then again, maybe that is important to you.
Now I’ll agree with you that the real meaning of Christmas is more important. And we gave our kids “memories and not stuff” - by taking nice family trips - usually somewhere warm and tropical. Best decision we ever made as a family.