I'm desperately trying not to stress or whine. My dh gets paid production so I never know from one week to the next what he'll get paid. Therefore I never can plan on anything really. I've been trying to get a job with no luck.

Our families usually never help out as far as making Christmas special either. They may give the boys a little money but then again they may not so I'm not going to fret this year on getting extended family anything. I know it's not always the gifts but when you know that someone thought enough about you to give you something it does make you feel good. In the past I've wanted to do so much for others only to be told that they would get our family something later and later never came.

So my goal is to cherish the ones that cherish me such as my dh and my two sons. As far as holiday dinners it's usually stressful too just because we are either bored out of our minds or feel like they only invited us out of obligation so we are seriously thinking of just going to a restuarant that serves a buffet with the foods we would normally eat on such holiday.

I want to have fun with my immediate family and make memories that we will cherish forever. Spending alot of money that we really don't have and spending time with people that really don't care is not my idea of having a fun filled holiday. Sorry if I seem like I'm just feeling sorry for myself but I've just come to some realizations in my life and wanted to vent.

I had a pleasant suprise the other day. My DH told me he's been saving his pocket change all year and already has xmas paid for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's alot of change!

__________________

pick up gift cards and stuff on clearance all summer long but start now and time christmas comes your done. That way I don't have to worry about getting everyone the gift they love or wan't. I mean for my bro and sil it like $25.00 and then someting little. The people out of town got magazine orders from best deal magazines, some are $5.00 a year they love it also and I always laugh if they only knew!!!

I'm trying to be frugal and make more gifts this year. I found a book with recipes to make soaps and lotions and stuff and I'm learning how to knitt.

I have my 3 kids and DH done, however this year we are going to Florida to spend Christmas with my inlaws, so we have more presents to buy then usual. Family we don't normally exchange with will be at my MIL's big x-mas eve party and everyone exchanges so I need to find some nice inexpensive gifts that travel well!

I am going to take some time this week, to actually work out a Christmas schedule, so I'm not up until 2am Christmas morning, wrapping presents. lol The only presents Brian wraps are the few he gets me...I'm a lucky girl!! LMAO I love wrapping presents though, so it's a good thing. My goal is to have everything wrapped by Dec. 19th (the kids last day of school before their holiday break). Well...have all of their stuff wrapped anyway! If I need to, I'll have them help me finish wrapping presents that are theirs. I'm going to try and get as much of my baking and candy making done in advance as I possibly can too. The kids and I will make "Santa" his favorite cookies, on Christmas Eve, like we normally do. I always spend more than I should, but we've never gone into debt to pay for Christmas...well, not in a very long time anyway!! I try to pay for everything with cash, debit, etc. I've got a Christmas stash in my sock drawer, plus I'll roll some of our loose change, and cash that in as well, to help finish paying for the rest of Christmas.

__________________
~*~ Angie~*~
Wife to Brian
SAHM to Sarah & Andy 2/11/2000

OMG, when you put it at 5 more paychecks, that makes it sound really close. I am about half done with Christmas. My kids are overdone, I am actually gonna take a few things back and change them for other things. My nieces and nephews are half done, and all my teachers gifts and friends gifts are done. I have some for my hubby and some for the grandparents house. They have not made up there mind how we are doing all the grandparents Christmas this year, so I have the kids over there a toy a piece. If we do not use, they make great b-day gifts.

It's gotten a LOT easier for us since we started drawing names, so I don't have as many people to buy for. I start buying early - spread it out. Last week we were on vacation in Northern Michigan so we hit some wineries & the Cherry Republic. We decided all of our friends that we exchange with are getting wine or cherry republic stuff this year. That made it easier & allowed us to buy stuff while on vacation, but it's for other people (instead of just shopping for ourselves). DH has also taken some really lovely photos of the fall colors this year - leaf close ups & such - so we'll print them on photo paper & frame them & give those out as gifts. People often ask for copies of his photos we have framed around the house. I just have a couple more gifts to buy, and then DH. DH is harder for me now, but I'll find something!

I'm usually close to done with Christmas shopping by now. But, because money has been tighter this year, I still have quite a bit to do. I'm trying not to stress too much, but it isn't working very well LOL! We've cut our Christmas list and are scaling waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back on the gifts we're giving. The kids aren't the biggie - we usually do three gifts and a stocking from Santa and pjs and a new book from us on Xmas Eve. They're nearly done. But, we have a rather extensive list of others that we've pared down to the minimum this year. We've also reduced the amount of money we're going to spend on everyone else by half. We have to find something for each other, too. We usually try to get each other something nice because we don't spend on anything besides necessities during the year. We'll see what's left to split for each other. We're actually focusing more on traditions this year than stuff. Fingers crossed that it works!
Michelle

This year I sat hubby down and told him that I WILL NOT GET STRESSED OVER CHRISTMAS! I realized that we stressed ourselves out every year by trying to get everyone a gift (we have no kids) and to make sure that each gift was equal in value. My hubby's philosophy is that you buy someone something that they may not need because you just HAVE to get them a gift as good as everyone else's. That does not fly with me! So this year everyone is getting the same exact gift, just so happens to be handpainted movie bowls filled with popcorn, etc. and I am personalizing them. It's killing him to know that we can't blow $1000 on Christmas, but he'll thank me when we have an RV or travel to Europe. I just crack up thinking that we bought each other horrible presents because we were more worried about everyone else! If we had kids, I would of course go overboard on them, but auntie cousin's grandma's brother just doesn't need a $60 gift!

__________________
Soon to be married and learning to stretch a dollar!