You’ve probably gotten over the shock of receiving your credit card bill this past January 2006. All you can remember now is the glow of Christmas cheer, the camaraderie, all those yummy food you stuffed your face with abandon. When you look back, you can remember that beautiful scarf your aunt knitted for you, the Tiffany necklace your husband picked out, the hand-crafted plates your kids crudely constructed in school. Nice memories…but wait…wasn’t there some terrible calamity from last year? Something..something to do with envelopes in the mail, something to do with the ringing of registers — no.
And just like that it’s gone. The memory of Christmas crunch. The crunch of antacids you chomped on from being stressed over the dismaying way your wallet and credit card lost terribly against the ringing of those cash registers. From Ka-ching! to Ka-broke.
And it’s that time again.
I was roused from my stupor by this article from MSN entitled Have a tightwad’s Christmas. Exactly what I plan to do.
To date, I have made a list, checked it twice and set a budget. I’ve made sure to set a gift exchange among my friends and am all set with doing it within my family as well. I am soooo over making sure I look good by giving everybody fabulous gifts. I am a great person! I don’t need to be measured by the price of my gifts! And my friends and family are great people! With or without expensive presents.
I’ve projected my budget and am pretty happy. Even with our impending trips to Florida for Thanksgiving and California for Christmas I’m not gonna have to dip into the credit card. I swear, I’ll cut it up or have Woody bury it in the backyard before I use it.
And on an even more buoyant note, I’m posting a wishlist.
- The complete season of Friends.
- Target, Barnes and Noble, American Eagle, or Abercrombie and Fitch gift cards.
- iPod car charger and FM transmitter.
- A new mattress. Firm.
- A new coach purse
- A new down jacket, black.
- A new pair of sleek and sexy high-heeled Aldo boots.
Hey, I didn’t say I stopped wanting expensive presents, did I? {Insert Evil Grin here}
Have you been bad or good? Santa will know. Hehehe…
Linnor: I’ve been good! Promise!
I know exactly what you mean! I have a big family, so we draw names and only buy one gift so that is nice. We are actually putting the money we would spend at Christmas towards our Hawaiian vacation next summer. We tend to lose sight of why we are celebrating Christmas in the first place, this year I want that to be my focus.
Pixie: I commend you! That is really an amazing focus.
i’m so doing the same thing this year. everyone can call me cheap. i absolutely don’t care.
G: Yes, you’ll know who your true friends are too in the process.
you know what they say, it’s the thought that counts
Denden: you’re right. I absolutely agree.
What happens when you’ve got over 30 kids to shop for?! I buy during the year and *gasp* on sale. No credit cards here!
hello there
My gift to you is my wish that you’ll get everything in your wishlist hehe Goodluck on the christmas shopping!
Thanks Verns! For the kind comment and the visit.
when i left philippines, i thought i’m saved by the unmerciful list. it starts from the first degree to the nth degree relative. but the list has not changed a bit. i forgot that i have a big family here as well. now, i decided to give just the kiddos. and maybe a package of goodies for each family. this is my plan and still i bought nothing. i guess, i’m not yet in the spirit.
Filipino families, by their sheer size, is really a challenge when it comes to this time of year.
Hehe… all my relatives are not with me… so they’re getting Christmas cards.
And if I’m real cheap e-cards pa! Mwahahahahahahahaha! 
Toe: Ecards?!!! Bwahaahah! I dare you.
iPod fm transmitter? you are better off with the cassette iPod transmitter….it delivers better quality sound and most of all your signal is stable.
happy holidays!
I’m all for the wishlist. It’s such a waste when someone gets you something you don’t like, when that person would have gotten you something off the wishlist had he known.
I want the iKaraoke!!! I can’t wait for it to come out.
proud to say I’m 90% done with my Christmas Shopping and i’m not overbudgtet!
having had a huge raise towards the end of the year when i’ve already budgeted possible Xmas Expenses was a great big help. Now all the raise and bonuses i got went straight to savings (which hopefully will take us to Australia or Hong Kong Disneyland sometime next year =))
I’m glad my mom taught me a thing or two about budgeting now i can spend my money where it matters most – helping my mom with house bills and helping my uncle with my cousin’s Chemotherapy bills. and it feels more like christmas that way. I’m very very proud to say that.
I am good at budgeting so if you need help i’m ready hahah