Have a merry, cheaper Christmas

[primsong]

Our family has decided we're tired of 'doing Christmas' the same old way and having the stress of figuring out presents for everyone and the expense of buying them and the weariness of wrapping all of them.

SO...

This year we aren't buying any new gifts. We're just using our little fake tree. We're going to take a couple trips to 'The Bins' (the local Good Will distribution center), where everything being rotated out of Good Will stores is very cheaply sold by the pound. Our only rule is all of our gifts must be dug out of the heaped bins. We might spend $10, I estimate - for ALL of us, total. Maybe less.

Then we're taking the money we saved and getting a nice movie camera for our family, something all of us have wished for but it cost too much.

I am amazed at how heavy the 'presents burden' was for me, I knew it was getting to feel like more and more of a bother, instead of a pleasure, but I feel like I've been miraculously freed from a huge obligatory job. I can't wait to go dig in the bins! It's been a long time since I was truly excited about Christmas shopping.

Comments

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

Yay for that, Prim! I'm going to use a tiny fake tree. I mean, I'll be at Mom's for Christmas anyway. Also, Mom and I are going to donate some food to a food bank instead of gifts for us.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Thank you for doing that - I know our own food ministry at our church has been hard hit, we can barely keep up with the people coming to us and need every donation we can get. Soaps and feminine hygiene things are especially needed, btw - food stamps and the food banks don't usually have them and they're rarely donated... if you give food, consider jams and syrups, another thing that rarely comes in and is always wanted.