Is anyone else freaking out that there is only…
I may be freaking out about Christmas, but something is different this year.
As I was walking through the Christmas filled aisles of my local Walgreen’s drugstore I realized I was NOT infatuated with the Christmas consumerist buzz this year*. No more rose colored glasses honing me in with my “oohs” and “ahhs”. I was asking myself as I passed the aisles of plastic garland, cheap ornaments, Snuggies, cheap lotions and perfume, specialized coffee machines that only use one kind of pod, “who needs all this stuff?”. I can make ornaments with flour, salt and water, string up colored paper chains, wrap my self in a comfortable throw blanket, and sip on some home brewed coffee from my old school coffee maker or French press. Gadget-smadgets! It’s just a consumer’s society to produce ‘stuff’ and take our money.
I want to have a real Christmas with homemade ornaments that make wonderful keepsakes, the smell of home baked cookies, peppermint bark, and breads that make wonderful Christmas gifts, cinnamon-vanilla lattes to bring warm-fuzzies, and seasonal holiday get together’s with my friends and family.
So, I am freaking out because I haven’t planned my calendar or made my lists; what cookies and breads to bake, what day to have a Christmas get together (tis a potluck gathering for a frugal fun day), when we are going to take our family’s Christmas photo (matching reindeer sweaters? LOL. Just kidding), and when I will be able to steal my quiet time with my husband to enjoy cinnamon-vanilla home made lattes in front of the fireplace while watching a White Christmas 
Don’t get me wrong, I do plan on buying gifts for family and friends. In fact, I already picked up one of my daughter’s gifts this weekend (and keeping within budget – thank you). But there are things I am going to differently this year.
- owning my money this season and staying within my budget
- if I need to make gifts more abundant or have a last minute gift outside my budgetary range – time to whip up the good ole’ home baked sweets and adorn with a bow & tag
- making sure the holiday season is about family and not the glitter-n-shopping factor
- keeping to my gift list and not being persuaded by ads (unless I can get a better price on my listed item)
- making a donation to the city’s mission service to help feed the homeless
- finding frugal and fun ways to have a happy holiday season – the city’s tree lighting ceremony, listening to the high school choir sing, building paper chains with my daughter, watching Christmas movies in the living room with the family
I know it can be tough to stay away from the glitter-n-shopping factor! There is some really pretty stuff out there. But help yourself out – throw away the ads after you’re done skimming them, stick to your guns, take up Enemy of Debt’s Christmas challenge, and read these great posts to stay on your DEBT-FREE mission! 🙂
Major Holiday Busters by Fabulously Broke in City
Have you ever had a DEBT FREE CHRISTMAS, And will you accept my challenge by Enemy of Debt – YES YOU WILL!
Homemade Christmas Ornaments and Decorations by Debt Free Adventure
My favorite article (I come back to it year after year), Bankrate’s 12 ways to de-commercialize Christmas
*Christmas = the holiday celebration you enjoy. I believe all and any religious holiday aspect receives the same consumeristic buzz 🙂
Great work money Funk!! De-commercializing Christmas is in everyone’s best interest…well…except for the stores.
I’ve got a HUGE project in the works for around Christmas time. I cannot wait to reveal it.
Thanks. As the holiday gets closer and the stress mounts, I have to make sure to stick to the home for the holidays plan. It’ll be a challenge.
I can’t wait to hear about your project! Can’t believe Christmas is so close!
Christine: I’m back from 4 days away and catching up on my blog reading–love this! Thought a lot about Christmas actually while I was away–during down time–and like you am coming up with homemade/baking/etc. Pretty calm about it until I read “only 39 days ” and then I gulped. Okay, so I can’t learn to crochet and make a sweater by then, but….stay tuned!
LOL. Ya 39 days is WAY too close. Here in So. California it is still in the 70 – 80’s. makes it very hard to get into the holiday spirit. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week! Then it’s fast paced to Christmas after that!
I am baking this year! Told my daughter we’re scheduled for it! Of course, I can’t finish all my projects that started either or learn to crochet those knit dishclothes. LOL. I think I may look at ordering from Etsy.com real soon!
Thank you for stopping by! Keep those spirits up! 🙂
Great post Christine, this is how I’m treating Christmas. I’ve had lots of conversations with family members, which was easier than I thought, and we’re all cutting back this year
It seems family members are quite accepting of cutting back this year. I’ve had a few friends tell me the same.
I’m all for homebaked goodies. They go great with my holiday movie watching time. Hot chocolate and sugar cookies! 😉
Love the post today. My plans for homemade gifts this year include helping a friend make homemade Tia Maria, with Alcool( its a type of hard liquor you buy in Quebec), plus my muffin mix. My mom makes usall baked goods instead of a gift, and she includes our favorite Christams treat. I’m not a big sweet fan but DD is.
I cringed last week when I saw the Christmas commercials on TV last week. Plus on XM, the 40’s channel is now the Christams channel until Dec 25. I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for 2 weeks, and having my annual Christmas Eve get together with my family. Food, homemade wine and some beer and lots of laughs!
PS I thin you should buy the rights to the Bulk Barn and open one. I spent 60 cents for over a cup of coarse sea salt and 31 cents for enough peppercorns to fill my grinder twice. Plus the Christmas mints are oh so good. Plus you could have chicken bones ( hot pink candy flavored with cinnamon and filled with dark chocolate but only Ganong’s will do).
Well thank you. Homemade Tia Maria…yum. Funny you name that in your comment. My mother gave me some Crystal glasses that I recently wrote about in, Cleaning out the Garage. The small crystal glasses in this collection were frequently and mainly used for drinking Tia Maria. Hmmm… Omen to keep the collection? 😉
Sounds yummy. That is very cool of your mom. I wish that my mother would do that for me – she is a fabulous cook/baker (mom are you reading this? I want homebaked treats for Christmas!)
I agree on the cringe with the up and coming Christmas content! Cha-ching! is what I envision people doing with their credit cards – tis a shame. More people need to take suit with taking on a Debt Free Christmas. Even if the economy is in shambles. Raise financially responsible people and the long-term outcome would be awesome.
I wish I could buy the rights to Bulk Barn. However, I see they only franchise in Canada (plus require a $350K start up). I didn’t think you were in Canada. Are there US rights? Hmmm… It sounds like such a cool place! And the quality is always optimal there? Okay, I love chicken bones. LOL. Perhaps the place would be my enemy…luring me in with it’s sweets. haha.
Pass me on some of that homemade wine. You make it yourself? I had friends that used to make some great wine and beer in their garage. Miss that!
Thanks for adding your little disclaimer at the bottom about Christmas = all winter holidays.
You’re welcome. 🙂
Well I wasn’t freaking out until you brought it up!! 🙂 Seriously, ever since I went to Italy and realized that at the heart of Rome, no one was hyping Christmas buying, I’ve lost my taste for a really consumerist Christmas. It just felt more right to celebrate winter, family, friends, togetherness and not worry about all the materialistic stuff.
Don’t tell my daughter you’ve been to Italy. She is Italy obsessed! I hope to take here there w/in 5 years (I’d do it over buying a house – lol).
LOL. Well, I am freaking because we didn’t set a Christmas budget this year. Doing it out of our allotted cash allowance set up during the week. So far, we are doing okay. And I am also okay with not buying tons of useless stuff this year for everyone. Least I know if I bake, everyone will eat it up!
It really is nice not to worry about the consumerist stuff. Although, it takes a bit of getting used to when the rest of us are still living that lifestyle. I have to say, Frugal being the new Fad helps too. 🙂