This has been a sensitive subject for a long while now. By 'this', I mean the current spirit of the GE (as compared to what it originally was) and the amount of money that is now spent.
I can lend a bit of perspective on the $$ side of it bc I hear from others behind the scenes regarding this very subject (people who don't want to speak out publicly). It is indeed a fact that many people no longer participate and/or won't start participating for the first time bc of how extravagant the GE has become. There are a few reasons this prevents participation: 1) some simply can't afford it, 2) some are against the excessive spending on principle, 3) some don't support the (perceived) competitive nature of the gifts, and 4) some don't want to risk the fallout if their giving doesn't measure up to others. I'm sure I'm forgetting other reasons, but that's what I hear in a nutshell regarding the GE.
In the beginning, the GE was a fun, inexpensive gift exchange where people got to know each other and where the fun was in the not knowing, the guessing, the wait. That's still part of the fun now, of course. But back then, the GEs were HUGE....soooo many people participated bc everything was very easy and consistent. For sure, as more and more money was spent, less and less people participated. I think that's too bad, bc I really dislike thinking that people are priced out of participating, ya know
? That's no fun.
In these last couple/few pages, I'm hearing some people say they'd *really* appreciate a cap on spending. Like, "you must spend at least $40 and are welcome to spend only that; if you spend more, you must keep the limit under $100" (or whatever amount). Personally, I think there is too big of a disparity btwn $40 and $100....so if it were up to me, I'd put a cap at $80, but that's just me....I think $80 gives off an easier perception of 'doable' than $100.
If people truly do want a cap, then please speak up...and offer what you think is good amount for a potential cap. I'm not saying we'll do a cap for sure, but it's certainly worth discussing.
At the end of the day, the most important aspect of the GE is its spirit - it should be a fun way of giving and receiving.
