holiday spending

[corn poffi]

I didn't realize hospital staff were such a burden. We don't really get raises or bonuses so our docs give gifts because they know we work hard and get treated like crap the rest of the year.

[Vanquisher]

It's hard on the docs because they're expected to give, give, give. After all, they're the "rich" dawkters. We are expected to contribute hundreds of dollars to the OR holiday party every year. We give our employees small bonuses, but, yes it is something that adds up. In our case, I don't mind the bonuses for our employees, but footing the exorbitant bill for the OR party every year rubs me the wrong way. I think, if your employer is the hospital, then the hospital should be giving bonuses. The docs sometimes are compelled to give because they don't want to be the Scrooge who didn't. It just all adds up to too much.

[Sheherezade]

We started giving to the employees (not his, the hospital does all hiring and firing), when the hospital started screwing them over. It's not like they aren't doing the same things to the docs - more work, less pay, worse treatment, no security - but the docs are still better off financially. We probably gave 1-2 K in our own "bonuses" to his direct coworkers including scheduler, NPs at each clinic and admin assistant each year for the last 3 years.

Kris - sadly the Christmas budget for us is also about 4 months of groceries! We just overdo Christmas. Always have....

One trick I've started is using my credit card for everything including groceries and then having the points assigned as Amazon points. I had almost 500 dollars in points this year to use towards gifts. Last year, points paid for my kids big ticket gifts through Amazon again.

Angie

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[MrsK]

Sooooo, new attending spouse here . . . is it wrong to just send an assortment of 6 dozen cookies to the nurses? I don't want to make a faux pas or have DrK perceived as a grinch (esp. since he's possibly the only Jewish person in his dept). When I practiced law, I used to bake for the department staff at large and then buy gifts only for assistants and paralegals who worked directly for me. As far as I know, DrK does not have any specific person that works with him.

[mommax3]

DH and his partners do gift cards for their employees (each doc spends $800 each, so $2400 all together) and pay for a nice dinner for the whole office. They also contribute $500 towards a dinner for the L&D nurses, and they buy gifts for each shift on L&D. I didn't include that earlier because it comes out of the business money (that would otherwise be part of DH's piece of the pie, but since it never hits our account, I don't think of it).

[niener]

This will be the first year we've had to buy a Christmas gift that wasn't for a greed/white elephant game. We don't exchange gifts in our families except for our annual $20 limit greed game. The grocery bill goes up a bit from baking so maybe tack on another $50 or so there, and maybe another $30 for packaging and shipping cookies, so on average we spend a whopping grand total of $100. My mom gets her younger nieces and nephews gifts but I think that's about the only people she still buys for. DH and I have a godson now so he'll be the only person on our list.

[SuzySunshine]

Since DH is hospital employed his staff is also, so they're not technically his employees. However two big parties are thrown each year, one for the nurses and one for the OR staff - for some reason they are thrown separately and while one of the surgeons picks up the tab he told DH he's able to expense it so its not at his expense.

Last year we didn't do gifts for anyone except his NP, this year we will do all of his clinical office staff and his NP and his partners - the team really came together this year when they were short and he wants to make sure everyone knows how much he appreciates it. I have not included this in my figures yet because we haven't actually sat down and figured out the cost yet but I suspect it will be more then $500. I will also send a tray of homemade cookies both to the office and to the neuro nurses and to the OR staff - DH says they each have separate break rooms so I want to make sure they know they are appreciated.

[corn poffi]

Food is always a great gift! For the record, We don't expect gifts from the docs. It just makes us feel appreciated when the rest of the hospital just shits on us all year. (And I'm just in administration...the nurses have it way worse!)

[ides]

Dh works for the university hospital- not a private practice. We also pay for staff parties- that money is collected at a different time of the year. I expect to give gifts to dhs steady nurses and other staff who help him a lot and I have made cookies for a day of clinic for everyone but the bonuses thing annoys me. Dh doesn't get a bonus.

Sorry for the tangent!

[houseelf]

Family of 5 and realistically, between $2-3K. I think if most people in the country were really, really honest, they would be surprised by how much they spend: cards, postage, teacher gifts, entertaining, charitable holiday giving, decorations, annual ornament for each child, gifts for the relatives, special holiday memories like Nutcracker or breakfast with Santa, hostess gifts, small stuff at the office, etc. In other words, there are a lot of "hidden" expenses with the holidays.

TBH, we haven't thrown a party in our home for less than $275 in the last few years when you factor in food, drinks, booze, paper plates, etc. This is regardless of whether I cook or order trays.

ETA: This thread took a turn towards "professional gifting". Last year we spent about $750 in professional gifts. Save your receipts for taxes!

[SuzySunshine]

ETA: This thread took a turn towards "professional gifting". Last year we spent about $750 in professional gifts. Save your receipts for taxes!

Where do you claim this on your taxes? Is it just if you're PP?

[Sheherezade]

I think you are right Kelly. There's a reason most retail revenue comes from the holiday season. Black Friday is so called because that's traditionally the first day stores are "in the black" after an entire year of losses. It stands to reason that all that money suddenly flowing in to them is flowing out of us.

Angie


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[avaross09]

Have you visited to Disney land before,its is good place to be with family and friends and good place for vacation.

[Meenah]

Hi Avarossa, welcome. Jump over to the introductions thread and introduce yourself so that we can get to know you.

[spotty_dog]

Where do you claim this on your taxes? Is it just if you're PP?

If you're employed it might fall under unreimbursed job expenses. However, that's in the miscellaneous deductions, which are subject to the 2% AGI floor. That's a lotta Christmas bonuses.