Layout:
Home > the season of spending is upon us

the season of spending is upon us

November 14th, 2005 at 10:47 pm

I'm already getting depressed about Christmas shopping. I've spent nearly $170 so far and feel as though I've barely made a dent. We have 11 people to buy for, and I calculated that even if we spend what sounds like a reasonable amount on each of them--$50--that it adds up to $550, which just seems ridiculous. I'm really trying to be a smart shopper, too--I'm buying books from Amazon Marketplace folks, and looking for sales and specials, but it's not doing much good.

Then there are plane tickets (appx. $1000), rental car, and possibly a hotel because we're not sure we want to stay at my parents' house, where it's noisy and crowded and the T.V. is ALWAYS going, despite the fact that we live halfway across the country and they never see us.

Then there's the way my mom shops for Christmas gifts. She sets a limit for each of us and then just buys "stuff" until she reaches that limit. If she goes over on one of us she raises the limits on the others of us. She honestly thinks we compare and care about how much stuff we get. Talk about reducing the holiday season to a purely pecuniary event (and reducing her daughters to preteens, maturity-wise). We have tried to talk her into toning things down for years now. I don't think it'll ever happen.

I've really begun to hate this holiday.

I should probably delete this post.

Bah.

4 Responses to “the season of spending is upon us”

  1. Anonymous Says:
    1132014552

    You know, this is a safe place to vent, so don't worry about getting judged! This is your journal and if Christmas is driving you nuts, then that's how you feel. Smile I read a great book called "the Dance of Anger" a while back and it really helped me relate better to my mother who has a few of your mother's character traits!
    Also, we've used aromatherapy to help calm things down over the holidays...

  2. Anonymous Says:
    1132016043

    I know just how you feel about Christmas. We have 24 people to shop for, at about $30-40 a pop. This year I told everyone that I was not going to do it - it's too much time, money, and energy that I don't have. So for my family we drew names, and for DH's family we set a $20 limit. I am actually really looking forward to shopping this year now! Do you think your family would consider a change? (actually, in my family, the siblings and spouses drew names, but we agreed to buy for my parents still - might a compromise like that appeal to your mom???)
    Good luck!

  3. Anonymous Says:
    1132037756

    I feel for you. A modern Christmas is hell on the frugal.

  4. Anonymous Says:
    1132068153

    I think a lot of people feel the same way about the holidays as you do. It's a trying time for many of us.

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]