Bah to Bell Ringers!

It’s that time of year again. The time when I realize financially we’re going to explode into a kajillion pieces and go bankrupt. That could be a slight exaggeration but I tend to panic about things and unfortunately, I am not changing anytime soon.

I WANT to love Christmas. I mean, my kids adore it, and I adore them, so it should just make sense that I cherish and treasure it just as much as they do. But let’s be honest here, Christmas pretty much burns bottomless holes in our pockets that can’t be repaired with a simple sewing kit. I absolutely HATE the stress it puts us under, I ABHOR that we make ourselves feel like we have to buy a gift for every child birthed in our gene pool, and I DETEST the guilt I feel when I pass by a bell ringer and lower my head. So guess what I do? I dig around in my purse and pull out ANY loose change I can possibly find. I don’t have enough extra cash to put fucking chocolate in my kids stocking, but I am sure as hell not going to walk by without donating something ‘yo!

And to make matters worse this year, the bell ringers and the cadets and the food bank and the door-to-door World Vision reps went into full swing THE MINUTE HALLOWEEN WAS OVER. Like maybe even midnight October 31^st. How is this even remotely OK?

It’s not enough to stress the regular folk in December, let’s stick a knife in ‘em in November too!

(This is what I believe those CEO’s say at their staff meetings in August when they determine their fundraising schedules, and then they jump into their Mercedes and/or BMW’s to take a vacation in the Hamptons with their families while drinking Courvousier and smoking real Cubans)

This year, my husband and I have decided to only do stockings for each other. While this alleviates some of the stress, I can’t help but wonder where the disposable income is going to come from to purchase all the gifts for our extended families. And like many of us broke middle class families – it seems like that list of people is endless. I have considered doing something crafty, like bottling wine (the ship has sailed on that one huh) and making fun, creative bags to hold them, or perhaps putting together those do-it-yourself cookie jars, but even then, the cost of the ingredients might set me back more than I really want to spend.

So my RL and Internet friends, please share with me some cost-saving ideas that you have to stay thrifty this holiday season…because I need it, and because I will beg for it.

And my commitment? To stop dumping change into those charity buckets and walk by with my head held up. Because damn it, I need charity too and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.