Anyone on a low budget X-mas this year?

[EweSheep]

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If you had understanding families, they will know you are in hard times but its the thoughts it counts when you simply give them a beautiful Christmas card!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Our families, meaning my husbands side as well as my own, have decided that we will not exchange gifts at all this year. We are just going to have a nice dinner with each houshold providing one dish, like a pot luck dinner, and spend time with all our loved ones. I am looking forward to that.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Well, - we are having a no-budget Christmas this year since my DH got laid off last week - It was tough before, it's worse now

 

[crossgirl]

It's comforting to know there are a lot of us out there struggling! The kids will get gifts this year but they know it won't be as much as in years past (and that was never that much!) . I've already told the adults they're not getting anything. I always make cookies though so there's that. It wouldnt' be Christmas for me without the baking. Butter cookies = Christmas. I'm hoping I can get a tree off of Craigslist. We've never had a fake tree but real ones are insanely expensive here since they're imported from parts north. I can't justify spending that much on something that's dying before I even get it and can't even be used for kindling!

 

[Avalon1984]

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If you had understanding families, they will know you are in hard times but its the thoughts it counts when you simply give them a beautiful Christmas card!

Thank you Ewesheep. My families are mostly aware fo whats going on and most of my gifts are christmas tree ornaments and some chicken supplies for my dad who is getting into chickens again. I am trying to keep everybodys budget at $5 per gift per person but it racks up to quite a bit.

 

[Avalon1984]

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Hang in there. Hopefully something good will come up soon!

 

[EweSheep]

A beautiful meal would be a wonderful Christmas too! Sharing the memories too. Oh yeah, the baking and cooking....just priceless!

Bring out the old board games, and card games, lots of fun with that!

 

[Marcymom3]

Spook, what a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it with us. To everyone else, I love your holiday idea and that so many are focusing on the real meaning of Christmas. The family and friends potluck sounds awesome! We have a friend who has been doing this for 35 years. Her party has grown huge, and we sometimes have to park several blocks away, but it is always amazing!

“"God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all”
- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

 

[Marcymom3]

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That is such an awesome tradition that your family does. I love to bake cookies, to be in your house during the Christmas season probably smells like heaven. I like the idea that your family had about giving gifts that you already had to another member who admired it. That is something that they will never forget.

Thank you! We enjoy it very much! Over the years we've collected lots of great recipes so now our variety is huge. Usually we only make one batch of each except for everyone's favorites: Toll House cookies and Monster cookies. We usually eat the first batch of those as we're baking them. LOL

 

[sparkles2307]

We are always on a tight budget Christmas. Usually my kids get need items instead of want items... this year they will get the new shoes they've both been needing for 3 months.....