I am starting to hate Christmas as I get older!! JUST KIDDING.... Actually I just hate buying pointless gifts. I love spending time with the family and having holiday spirit. I love seeing the kids get all excited. I love having a real tree. I am even starting my own Santa's village this year. I remember how much I loved them at my grandmother's house when I was a kid. Now my kids can enjoy it.
3 months after Makayla was born we were broke so for Christmas gifts I just made everyone a basket with some mugs, hot chocolate, and homemade goodies like truffles chocolate dipped pretzels, fudge etc. They were a hit and it they seemed so personal. I really enjoyed making everything for everyone. Compared to buying gifts for 5 families it really eased the stress of spending money we didn't have. I haven't really done that since but feel like doing it this year. Actually, I am doing it but I am also giving some other gifts along with the baskets, especially for my mom since my dad won't be here to spoil her at all.
It adds up so fast and I have already used so many credit cards and it stresses me out! We spend way to much on our kids but my husband just says but they are OUR KIDS!! He never thinks their piles are big enough and always makes me go and buy more. I feel like our house is exploding with toys and now we will have even more. He was very spoiled as a child and I can't say that I wasn't but I think everything costs so much today. In total we buy for my mom, sister and her husband, his parents, his sister and baby, and 3 nephew's and nieces plus I am sending a package to my nephew who is deployed during Christmas. No wonder it adds up! I guess I never thought one gift was enough because I always go overboard. I really really need to stop that mentality. I am trying this year....I really am! How much do you spend? I used to just give $20 to the older niece and nephews but the last year I started being more personal but it definitely cost more!
I got some free stuff at Target this week! I love the drug store deals but I love getting products for free just by using coupons so much more!! You have to print Target coupons (off their website) and combine them with manufacturers coupons to get things for FREE! Here is what I got: 3 TGIF frozen meals for one FOR FREE, 5 travel Johnson & Johnson first aid kits FOR FREE (well I actually made $.15), 4 bags of Purina cat treats for FREE (well I actually made $.32), and 1 Rimmel eye shadow for FREE.
TGIF were on sale $1.99 use $1 T coupon and $1 M coupon to make $.01
First aid kit just use $1 M coupon and make $.03 each
Purina Cat treats B1G1 T coupon and $1.50 off two Purina cat treats coupon and make $.16 on two bags
Rimmel eye shadow $1.52 use $1 T coupon and $1 M coupon combined with overage from products I just bought made it free!
I now have 7 bags of Purina Cat Treats to donate to our local animal shelter and am so excited to do this!!
It was Thanksgiving day back in 2002. I was only 23 years old and my life forever changed on that day. I had a placental abruption and Brendan was born at 33 weeks. He lost oxygen during delivery due to incompetent care but was a fighter and turned 17 this year. My journey in life over the past 17 years took many turns I was not expecting but I try to stay strong and have my husband by my side even when I am not.
2 comments:
Amen! Amen! Amen! I could not agree with you more. I love Christmas, but I completely hate the expenses. We have gone way overboard with Emma again this year, and we diligently planned not to. My husband completely spoils Emma, and I do too. So I cannot complain. I feel overwhelmed when I think that we are going to be adding more toys to our evergrowing heap, and we only have Emma. I can't imagine that times 3.
But, the biggest thing that is bugging me is about buying all the pointless gifts for everyone else. Emma will get tons more beyond what we got her too. Much of it she won't even be able to really play with. Having toys around that she cannot work or play with solo gets me crazy!!! We have my parents, my sister and her kids, his parents, and he has 2 brothers and two sisters. They all have at least 2 kids. The older kids are way into very expensive clothing that we cannot afford, let alone give as gifts. So, one some of the gifts we have spent anywhere from $35 to $50, and I am upset about it. It's not that I don't like giving, but it is getting materialistic and that is not what Christmas is supposed to be about. Oh, I could go on all day here. I better not get started.
I a impressed with the free stuff from Target. I love Target. You do so well with managing money though. It shows in your couponing.
I think you made some really valid points in this post.
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