Gift-giving,timing & family near & far

[shootingstar]

When living under the same roof, yes I did try to give birthday gifts on day of family member's birthday.

But admittedly, that practice has fallen apart in my own family over the past 25 years. Even when I lived in same city as my birth family with siblings scattered in their homes and with different personal schedules, etc. Organizing birthday parties was not always on near or exactly on the person's day since it was contingent on coordinating schedules with others and their immediate loved ones (spouse, their children. We always include children no matter what, regardless of age.) Birthday get togethers fell on weekends...by default as easiest for planning.

And now, it hasn't become better now that I live 4,300 kms. away from them.

Part of challenge is having a big family, that well, it can get costly, the gift, shipping, etc. and cost for that. That's buying for 16 people. (then there's Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day) I do impose a budget on myself for gift-giving. I have to... Unless the person is celebrating a milestone birthday, ie. 40th birthday, 80th, etc., they are generally ok getting the gift ..sometimes quite delayed..ie. many wks., months...like when I can fly out to visit. It's just been like this for decades in our family.

So what do some of you do for family who don't live underneath the same roof/in same city/state/province? And are family members very particular if they don't get their gift on the exact day of their special day?