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When things were horribly tight, I was used to getting a new vacuum cleaner or bedding for Christmas.

When things are horribly tight, I can't imagine letting anyone in the family spend money on Christmas presents, especially luxuries like a new vacuum or bedding. "Tight" must mean something different to you than to me. To me, "tight" means "thank God my son got that deer so we have something to eat."

Oh, my, Ottbmare. I'm truly sorry that things were so bad for you and I'm praying that things are better. There were plenty of times we had to buy groceries on the credit cards because there wasn't enough in the bank to pay cash for it. With little ones in the house, food was always priority.

A friend of mine in NY couldn't believe my husband would "insult" me with a cheapo-vacuum to replace our broken one. Sadly, her husband lost his job a few years ago and they, too, are now living on the edge after having depleted their savings and retirement. She finally gets it.

Yes, you definitely had it a lot worse than either of us did. Hoping that your situation has greatly improved.