Christmas time is the hardest time to lose weight or save money. Life can get in the way when you are working on the goal of not adding more debt or trying to pay off old bills. But look at that Christmas shopping list a second time. Do you really need to buy all those gifts? Do you really need to buy the most expensive mobile phone for your preteen child? Do you and your husband have to take a vacation at the most exclusive resort when there are others that are more within your price range?
My husband and I do not exchange Christmas presents. Nor do we buy anyone else any presents. Does it cause anyone not to like us? Not that I know of. We just told everyone a few years back, "No presents." And that is the way it has been ever since. Do I miss presents? No, because if I want something I buy it for myself anytime of the year.
If you still want to make Christmas special with no presents, you can still do that. I know this is not for people with children. I could not have done it when my son was a child. I spoiled him at Christmas time, but I liked that part of it. It was when I had to buy for so many other people too that it stopped being fun.
Many ways to still enjoy your holiday is to decorate your house. After all you probably still have all your decorations so you may as well use them. I don't do this though. My reason is that I have 3 rambunctious cats. They are older cats who should know better, but I would not trust them with a tree full of decorations. We have a great big dog and she is not one of those ladylike, graceful dogs. No, she'd plow right through a tree I am afraid. We have absolutely no space to put one in and we have a huge woodstove in our living room that would dry it out immediately. So no tree.
You can decorate other ways though. Hang some tinsel or other decorations. Put a wreath up. Get out a Christmas table cloth. You can do what you want there. Load up your CD player with Christmas music. Get out all your Christmas movie DVDs and watch one every night. Bake a lot of Christmas goodies and your spouse won't even be worried about decorations or Christmas gifts. I know my husband would love for me to spend a day baking goodies that we are not giving away! No need to get depressed over your holiday, it is up to you what you make it................
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
