I just sniffed out my Christmas present due to online banking. Stinks. Surprises are nicer than not-surprises, but as part of my faux disciplined financial management strategy I check the bank account… Christmas Presents via debit cards + Online Banking = FAIL. 
What do you do about this in your household? Should we switch to cash only? Do you work out things like this with accomplices to make sure that it doesn’t show up on your statements?
If it matters, then you should switch to cash for the both of you in the amount you are willing to spend on gifts.
On a funny note because this has happended to us I share the following. Last year the day before my birthday I checked the bank account and saw 2 – $100 charges to Lerner. So I say to Mike “Oh my gosh, it looks like a bad charge on our card. Who could have gotten it? Oh no……..” Mike was very non committal becuase he thought he had been busted for getting my present from New York and Company. So all along he thought I knew and I was worried for days that someone had stolen our card!!! I totally didn’t get it or see it coming as a gift. Hee hee.
Cash is a good idea but what about all those online purchases? We have two bank accounts – one for Paypal/ebay stuff and another for everything else. One of us uses one account and the other uses the other for the month or so around Christmas. “The other” stays out of that bank account’s online banking until after the holiday.
Tammy has a credit card that we keep for “emergencies”. It works for secret gift buying too. She also has a paypal account that is tied to that credit card. Just have to be sure and pay it all off after the big day.
It’s completely logical. I’m the same way. I won’t do any kind of banking or bill paying online. I still pay my bills the old fashioned way…..the check’s in the mail. Online banking is not a risk I’m willing to take.