Are you watching your pocketbook this Christmas?

We are definitely watching our pocketbook this year. Actually, we have been watching it closely for several years. We have always enjoyed giving gifts to friends and family. But this year we asked that our parents forgo the gifts this year. We don’t need or want anything and are happy just to visit and eat. We are also attempting to downsize so this helps tremendously.

I am happy to say our little tradition at my mother-in-laws is still going on as this is fun. We call it the “grab bag”. Someone plays Santa and gets to pass out the gifts. Everyone brings 2-$5 or under wrapped gifts per person in your family. They are then added to the basket and numbered based on how many family members there are.

Each person will draw 2 numbers then Santa passes out the goodies. We all unwrapped our gifts then the process of bartering begins. If you get an item you can’t use then you look for someone who can and see if they are willing to trade if not move on to another person. It is fun and entertaining as some of the gifts are silly and some are useful. One year I remember someone got a green bottle of ketchup. Well now everyone eats ketchup and we all laughed at the green.

But this year has been a heck of a year financially. We have had several car repairs to boot! Our daughter’s car needed over $1100 worth of repairs that where safety issues. So hubby and I decided this year her Christmas was a car repair. She will graduate in May 2010, has been and excellent student all these years and a terrific kid who NEVER got into teenage trouble. As well, she has held a part-time job since she was 16 even while going to college full-time. She deserves it and she couldn’t afford it so we helped out!

I told her about this Christmas present “before” she knew the cost and she did seem a little disappointed but after she saw the bill and we paid for it she did fess up that it was a pretty good gift just not very fun. I reminded her that as a grownup she will have years she gets fun stuff, loving stuff (from her soon to be hubby) and practical stuff like the year her and daddy picked me out an awesome double set of dishes, glasses, silverware and some other stuff to go with it. It was practical, not especially “fun” but something I had wanted for a long time. I still love my dish set but have broken all the glasses and got some more

So this year, while not fun for her, she is learning that being a grown up is sometimes a drag but we love her and want her to be safe. I have decided I will still stuff her stocking so she gets teeny little goodies.  

Now she better not read this post or the cats out of the bag.

Hope everyone has a loving family to be with this Christmas.

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Tagged as: Christmas, christmas spending