No presents for Christmas

Christmas is a week away, and I haven't gotten any gifts for anyone. Absolutely no free time lately. Every year it takes me longer to pick things out. What do you get for friends that you've been exchanging gifts with for the past 10 years? There's only so much Body Shop you can give to someone.

I have three friends that are really serious about Xmas present exchanges every year. Ever since high school, we've been getting each other $20 dollar gifts. That's our implied spending limit. Now that we all have decent jobs, and some of us even having bought a house and others of us being investment bankers, we still get each other $20 gifts. I really think all of us can afford to up it to $30 at this point. Not like I'm asking for a cashmere bodysuit. I honestly think it's because no one wants to be the first to be generous, not because we all like receive crappy gifts every year. Would you want to give a shower radio knowing you'll be getting lotion in return? It's a disgraceful cycle.