Posted on 11/23/2008 5:19:01 PM PST by narses
Please share the best deals you find as well as your observations about consumer behavior, your own and others. This is an early indicator of how the year will end and I am fascinated by the phenomena.
The 9 siblings, PLUS their MANY children, LOL, is why I buy for the adults. The children are all fine, the extended family falls all over itself to buy for them, so they get plenty. Sometimes the adults get lost in the shuffle, after all, they’re adults. So I get a little something for them, or something for them and the family-like treats from Swiss Colony :) Sometimes I throw some cute little item-a small gloss palette or something from Sephora-in for my sisters. They have kids, so they can’t buy too many things like that for themselves.
My husband would rather I knocked myself out on the Christmas dinner than anything, and made enough for his sons and their wives to take some home, so I do. Especially my gumbo :)
Cache is closing down ALL stores? I’ve got to check into this - I love their stuff, but it’s usually WAY out of my price range.
I’m not thinking of gift cards... I’m probably going to get a video game I’d like to play too for my brother, then go find something with the Jonas Brothers or Zac Efron or Edward Cullen on it for my little sister, and I don’t know about my parents... I’ve got an idea or two and a tidy cash stash that I’ve been saving up for Christmas shopping.
I don’t have a Christmas list per se, but an Amazon.com wish list that’s got lots of affordable things, and anything with Star Wars or superheroes on it is also a hit with me, so I’m not hard to shop for.
My Mom never bought on credit (or at least not credit as we know today). My Dad did and that caused some debates in our house, lol.
I don’t buy on credit (other than major appliances or car repairs).
Oh gosh. I know that feeling. My oldest is a senior now and even though most colleges have waived the application fee, all these things cost money. And now junior is taking the SATS, more money, and yearbook money is due ($100), etc.
Last year, my junior (then a soph) had to buy her ring. I paid the deposit but the rest was due early December so I borrowed it from my senior (then a junior). I was planning on paying her back but she said “don’t worry about it, you don’t have to pay me back.” So my oldest basically bought her sister her ring. My husband was adamant about paying her back but I said no...she offered and what a great gift the sisters shared. Oldest treated her littlest sister to the movies and lunch today. I think it’s wonderful. These are the things the kids will really cherish.
Congrats on the MCAT prep course, too. These are the things that are really important.
Funny thing, my husband is such a softie when it comes to this stuff. I’m usually the rigid one, counting pennies. But he also doesn’t know girls and all their accessories, etc. Anyway, he was at a lunch...at Prospectors(sp) - a bar/restaurant in this area, paid for by their client Verizon. So I call him, not knowing this, asking if I could order this gift and he’s “oh sure, just get it” so I immediately knew he had a couple. I call him on it and he tells me if there’s anything else I want to buy to do it now, lol. It was hilarious.
Joking aside, we really do have to cut back more so than we already do. We live within our means and it’s getting more difficult to do so.
Absolutely you have every right to spend Christmas (and your money) however and wherever you and your husband choose, and I don’t think that’s selfish either. Your reared your children, your obligation’s done. Although sounds like you are very fond of your large family, and probably have lavished plenty of love on them. That is what matters, not gifts, and not being there at a certain time or day, if you would enjoy it more being away with your husband.
Wonderful food. Gracious hospitality. Great prices. Grateful economy. Celebration 365.
We are just going to make a ham sandwich and sit on the couch and watch old Christmas movies, that is if our DirectTV is not cut off for non-payment, or they don’t turn off the power from our house.
SirKit might go out to do a couple, at Lowe's maybe or the Home Despot, but he's not looking to buy much either.
Our kids are older; the youngest is a Freshman in college, and they know we aren't rolling in the dough right now, so they've already said they don't expect any gifts. I'm going to make some homemade candies and lavender sachets, stencil a t-shirt or two, and frame some interesting sayings. I also have to make some new stockings, because all the old ones are in the trailer. D'OH!
I can't do Black Friday sales, anyway, because I'm going into the hospital on the 26th to have a Cardiac Ablation. I'll come home on Thanksgiving Day, and our oldest son, and his girlfriend are coming over on Friday to fix our Turkey Day dinner! I'll be taking it easy all weekend!
I decided to go ahead and have the ablation done this week, since the other three won't be here for Thanksgiving anyway. They'll be home in mid-Dec., when colleges break for Christmas, and by that time, I'll be back on my feet and ready to get started decorating for Christmas, and they can help!
One year I was talking to a clerk while paying for some power tool I was getting for my husband. Told her if it cuts something, drills something, breaks something up or makes a lot of noise it was sure to make my husband happy.
The man in line behind me started laughing and asked me to marry him. His wife thought tools were not personal enough.
My husband came from a very different background than me. We met in college, at Penn State (WE ARE PENN STATE). During his senior year, job interviews, he could have chosen anywhere in the country to work. He chose D.C. because it was close to Philly. I made it clear I wasn’t moving too far from my parents (as they were pretty old, I’m the youngest and they were in their 40s when I was born). He gave up a lot of job opportunities then and even now because I wanted to be close, distance/location wise, to my family. Since my parents have died, I’m all for moving anywhere once the youngest graduates high school in 7 1/2 yrs. It’s way too expensive to live here. Plus, it’s way liberal.
When we lived in D.C, my parents would take turns staying a week here and there with us when our oldest was born. Even though it was only 2 hours away, lol. Same thing once we moved to NJ (south jersey, across the bridge from philly). It was like I was living in another country.
Maybe since I was the youngest, or the only girl, my parents were very involved in our lives, in the lives of their granddaughters. I couldn’t understand the disinterest of their paternal grandparents but then again I couldn’t understand the disinterest they had with their own kids. I chalked it up to regional, ethnic things (strong Italian/Irish family on my side).
My husband was really unfamiliar with those choosing to live in the area they grew up in, near family, etc. It’s different now that he has children, he never wants them to move out, lol.
It’s great you make it to the Grandparents days, etc. It means so much to the kids. I know my oldest brother dreads attending, lol, (he has to sit through the Mass, then the reception, bitching the whole time, but has fun with the classroom visitation, spending time with his nieces in their school). He had a heart attack last January (and two since) and my two little ones were so worried he wouldn’t be able to do Grandparents Day in February. He promised them from his hospital bed he’d be there. So much for being an old cranky man ;).
It’s cool you do a family thing down where you live, too. I know once all my kids are out on their own, I hope they all come home, wherever that may be, so we can celebrate holidays or summer vacations together.
I could give you the link, lol.
My kids and I are going to the store and I’m buying each one of us a gun and ammo. The first for all of us! Plus, I’m paying for gun instruction for each of us!
You forgot one.
The United States Government. Bankrupt, but they don’t really care.
I like your style and thinking.
Wise man.
LMAO!!!
Great video. They wear them here all the time, any kind of weather, any kind of clothing. Even our athletes wear them with their uniform when they’re not on the court or field.
I hear they’re really comfortable so I was considering buying a pair for myself. I’m all about comfort, I live in flip flops but can’t wear them in cold weather. My teens and 7th grader have no interest in them, they say they’re ugly. They live in sneakers so what do they know?
Have you ever worn crocs? I haven’t but again heard how comfortable they are (they’re ugly too) so considering trying them.
Somehow I don’t think Amazon.com is going anywhere. I’m going to get some gift cards for our three younger ones, one in Grad school, and two in college, for downloads for their MP3 players.
Many years ago, we quit drawing names, because several of us had moved away from family, and didn’t really know what the other folks wanted anymore. Mama and Daddy decided instead to concentrate on the grandchildren. We create stockings for each of the grands and now great grands who haven’t yet graduated high school. Each family buys something for each child, trying to stay around one dollar; typically we can get away with spending no more than $25 for gifts, which isn’t bad. The kids don’t care what they get, they just like getting a bunch of STUFF! The adults just stuff their faces. ;o)
When our sons were about 7 and 8 we bought them something for Christmas that required a lot of assembly. My husband was usually pretty good at this sort of stuff but he finally had to look at the instructions.
Got a good laugh from them. The first page was blank. The next page said "Ok, you tried it your way so now it's time to try it our way".
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