Posted on 12/26/2008 7:05:49 AM PST by HomeschoolMomma
This year was a lean year as far as Christmas presents go. We didn’t exchange with family that was ‘far away” so that cut down out costs, but it also severely cut the number under the tree for the two kids. Our kids knew it had been a tight year and when they gave us their lists, I could tell they were being conservative on purpose (despite being teenagers) by the number of items on their list.
You know, my husband has a well-paying job – and after three friend’s husband’s losing their jobs this year, I am truly grateful for it. They have laid-off 600 where he works, so when he has to work from home practically 7 days a week, I don’t complain – he has a JOB for which I am thankful! Taxes have gone up every year, and new special dietary restriction due to a discovered allergy to wheat for my kids has made my grocery bill skyrocket. I have to shop at natural food store - meaning I pay three times what I should. At least gas has finally come down, by I have maxed out every credit card, and am paying them out the whaazoo each month from the 90 miles a day my husband drives round trip to work plus the miles I drive taking the kids from activity to activity. I literally live paycheck to paycheck; half the time not paying things until they are “on fire”. I really understand the meaning of house-poor. There is nothing left after I pay the bills.
I don’t know about you, but it seems like this was the year God has tested me financially. It was one thing after another. Literally in the week before Christmas – right after payday – the dishwasher blew up spewing hot, soapy water everywhere, needing to be replaced, which then ruined my hardwood floors – ($1000 deductible to fix them), adding insult to injury - my car breaks down not 24 hours later -$750 to repair. THEN a stone flicks off the road and shatters my husband windshield. Ummmmm… DID I MENTION MY CREDIT CARDS ARE ALL MAXED OUT!!!!
So luckily for me the kid’s presents were all bought. Christmas for them was taken care of. But, when it came to buying for my husband and myself, there was literally nothing left. So my present from the kids and my husband was a pair of pj’s (which I was going to buy anyway), and my husband got a dvd -both bought with a gift card that I got for my birthday. Thinking back, my mom and dad NEVER gave each other anything big, but we kids ALWAYS had plenty. Mom just got a little box of her favorite chocolate covered cherries and dad, a cheap bottle of aftershave…and that was all…and they were happy. I used to wonder why.
My husband used to tell a story of how one year, all his mom got was an egg timer, and would make fun of how bad his dad was at picking out that gift and how he made his mom cry. After how horrible things have been this year – I truly know why she cried. She did not cry because she got an egg timer...she cried because she was thought about and was touched that she got any present at all when she truly wasn’t expecting anything. His dad probably sacrificed lunch one day to have the money to buy that egg timer…and my guess is, that egg timer probably meant more to her than any present she ever got in her life!
My sentiments exactly!
Egg timer...pfft...I gave my wife a new toilet plunger. Our old one was broke.
Actually, it was a rather lucrative year around here. Rather than getting a lot of little things, though, we all got one expensive gift and some other smaller things.
I figured a vacuum cleaner would beat out an egg timer any day. Boy was I wrong.
We always just buy for our daughter and other family. By the time we by everyone gifts we have no money to get each other stuff. Plus we get what we need/want all year so no big deal. 2 years ago I got my wife an Ipod, she to this day loves that thing (she loves music).
I got a pack of underwear I bought myself to have something to unwrap. My 7 year old gave me a teddy bear of hers. My 11 year old made me a clam shaped jimclip holder at school and my 13 year old bought me a card. My husband and I spent our budget on the kids and we both were happy to see smiles that Santa really did get to come.
Hubby thought we needed a new shotgun.....so that was our gift to each other.
Story of Hurricane Ike Devestated Kemah area.One Christmass Story!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2154459/posts
I received an enameled cast iron 1 1/2 gallon pot, which I have wanted. It was a promotion at Sam’s Club, 60% off retail.
My birthday is in 2 weeks and I got the money to order plants for next summer’s garden, since it is too cold and dark here to guarantee seedlings will thrive. I could have gotten everything I need to start seeds, but it would have cost about 2x what the plants cost and all the likely spots and outlets are already taken with my container gardening hobby.
My husband got a new computer, the laptop he has wanted and really needed after his desktop began showing signs of imminent death. I got 18 months same as cash from Best Buy and will have it paid off by summer. It is Christmas and birthday.
My son and DIL got a 6-month Netflix subscription. My DIL is knitting us an afghan from yarn I purchased last summer and haven’t had time to knit.
The dog got a Christmas dinner of prime rib scraps and homemade bread pudding. The cat just cares about a warm place to sleep and appreciates the area under the wood stove.
We don’t care. It isn’t about the gifts or the amount of money spent. We are all working, homes paid for, we are experienced in frugality, we are healthy and we love each other.
That is just so sweet.
Yeah. I got a set of measuring spoons and cups. Actually, that was OK, I asked for them, but I thought they would be the 'base' for a nicer gift as well.
Oh well.
Our kids have a $1 gift bazaar at school so we gave our youngest a few bucks to buy his gifts. THe teachers help them make a budget and calculate what they can pick out. He got Sister a tube of lip gloss, a screw driver for dad, a toy car for Bubba and for me ... he snuck in with something behind his back. Eyes got real big when he saw me.
“Mom! Don’t LOOK at your CANDLE!”
STill chuckling about that.
I got the two things on my list; new slippers and underwear.
Both, needed desperately.
The best present was my best friend of 37 years and my son’s Godfather, came with a turkey and some goodies to share with us. And, spent the whole day!
It was a great Christmas! I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Good luck to you...I hope you find a great job fast.
Momma I know what you mean. For me, it was the hot water heater, $1,000.00 to replace due to new regulations here in Nv for earthquake straps, drain pan, and a permit fee of $175.00. The car was two weeks ago. My son is going to Dominican Republic on a health care mission with Project Serve so he needed a passport. Truth is this whole year has been one thing after another. Daughter had a tonsillectomy late in October. Thank God for insurance but we still had to cover some of it. Yes, it was a bad year financially.
That being said, my husband and I have always been more concerned with the kids than with each other. For him, it is always a bottle of his favorite brandy. For me, a hundred dollar bill in my stocking. He hates to shop and usually doesn’t do very well so that is what he does for me. The thing he doesn’t know is that every year, I put that hundred dollars in the bank in anticipation of the credit card bill coming due in January.
Our PTA did that for the kids every year. They were so sweet when they came in and so anxious to get just the right thing. One year my son bought a mug for me that said “Moms like you are an endangered species” and it had a picture of a lion on it. When we were talking with grandma on the phone Christmas day, I told my son to tell grandma about the mug he had gotten for me. He proudly told her the mug said, “Moms like you SHOULD be an endangered species”! Still makes me laugh after more than 10 years.
Dual bags?
LOL!
We are on our second year of the Dave Ramsey plan so we don’t have the credit cards. We’re still paycheck to paycheck though. Thankfully we had budgeted all year and had some Christmas cash. We bought the gifts before all h*ll broke loose over here.
We had to fix my van twice which came to nearly $1800. My husband’s truck rolled out of our driveway and hit the neighbor’s house. He had to buy a suit and sport coat this month and to top it all off the pipes burst in our garage two days before Christmas. I know God REALLY loves us to send us so many challenges in such a short period of time. Our Christmas was low key and despite all the chaos it was one of the nicest Christmas’s we’ve ever had. We focused on the real meaning of Christmas and let go of the material expectations and had a great time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.