I am not going to buy any Christmas gifts this year! (girlfriend, husbands)
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My sister and I decided to exchange names of charities for donations. We send each other the names of 3 charities we like, then we each decide on how much and which of the 3 to donate to in the other's name.
I'm not getting anyone anything. I'm BROKE AS **** and I went over budget last year and had serious money anxiety until March.
Maybe I will cook or bake something and wrap it nicely just for my closest friends and boyfriend but we live in a first world country, in a wealthy city....no one I know actually needs anymore crap than they already have
When I lived in the Back Bay, The Christmas Tree at Copley Square was my way of celebrating. Plus all the places to go out. I walked everywhere and the T was like 1.00 to get to work downtown.
I loved never needing a car, its actually a burden in Boston.
I seldom spend money on gifts for anyone other than my kids. My family and I decided about 25 yrs ago that we should all prioritize and just do for our own children. I live several states away so it really isn't a Christmas together as it was when I was a child.
Since you have soured on Christmas, just do for your own. Don't give a big dinner, etc. If anyone asks, and they may since you obviously have been doing this for years...either share your new philosophy...or say it is the recession....But Merry Christmas to you. And, leave it at that.
The stores in my area are all decked out for the Holiday Season and it has been that way since just after Labor Day. This has put a bad taste in my mouth extra early. I think the Holiday Season" is being promoted even earlier this year than last year, which was extra early. UGH!
Last year my wife and I spent over a thousand dollars on gifts and went to pretty much every shopping mall in the area and fought lots of traffic and crowds to buy tons of gifts for people we only see on Christmas. We live just a few hours or less from most of them but the relationship is not strong enough and the chemistry not good enough to make anyone want to spend any time with them outside of Christmas Day.
A couple of weeks ago we ran into some relatives who come to our house on Christmas (only on Christmas) and we were ill at ease around them. We made about 60 seconds of small talk and then moved on. And to think we spent over $100 apiece on both of them last Christmas! Why?
The only reason any of us get together is tradition and peer pressure from society and each other.
We never got much feedback from anyone regarding our gifts, usually not even a thank you.
Anyone else think this whole Christmas stuff among adults is really crazy?
I don't care about society and their expectations. I don't do anything for anyone who doesn't appreciate it, period. I don't care who it is. I've weeded out the ingrates and the negativity, so I get to enjoy the holidays and just about every other day with the people I have left in my circle.
This is the second thread I've seen from you and there is already a theme. Looks like you need to clean house. You seem bitter.
Not a fan of Christmas and didnt even care for it much as a kid. Probably because my parents ruined it every year. It got better when I had my child even then I found myself in debt buying stuff for people I didnt even like all that much. A few years ago I put a stop to buying stuff for extended family members. I always bought my in-laws kid's stuff. Since we live several hours away I always shipped the stuff. I found that I rarely got a thank you or an acknowledgment. I thought it was pretty stupid I put up with it so long. We stopped going to family get togethers when we moved. Never enjoyed them much and one of the perks of moving away was avoiding the holiday get togethers. Thank goodness my husband and I are in agreement on it. Stop buying gifts and dont feel guilty.
We quit buying Christmas gifts about a decade ago. Kids get stuff from parents but the adults have evolved a system where we put our charity of choice in a bag and one charity gets drawn at Christmas and we all donate individually as we feel fit to that charity. The person who's charity was drawn is in charge of getting donations rounded up and sent off. Works for us and is better than the pointless drill of gift certificate exchanges....
I gave myself a trip last month as an early Christmas gift
Ziplining through the rain forest........ahhhhh.....Merry Christmas to me.
Only gifts I buy this year will be for a needy family; as I do every year.
We only get a couple non electronic items for the grandkids and that is it and have done that for years. We as a family pool our money and give it to an agency who ensures a family in need has utility bills paid, food in the home, clothing, rent help if needed and a few gifts for their children. Otherwise our gatherings for the Holiday are all about the family getting together and the food.
Same here! We pool our money to make sure "a family" has utility, food, clothing, rent, etc. Who's the lucky family? why, OUR family! Merry Christmas to ME and MINE!
All those store decorations put up ~ 4 months in advance really turn me off! By the time its the holiday, the decorations are worn and dusty! Makes you feel like saying "bah humbug" Scrooge had a point!
All those store decorations put up ~ 4 months in advance really turn me off! By the time its the holiday, the decorations are worn and dusty! Makes you feel like saying "bah humbug" Scrooge had a point!
I know--too much, too soon!! I'm just putting up my Autumn decor;which I like much better than the Christmas ones
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