Will you be spending more or less this Christmas Season?

All my immediate family are up in age except for one great niece. With her, I will go out and buy her some neat things - she is 4. All others get a set amount of money that I determined years ago.

For my friends, I love Lenox china, and after Christmas last year there were some beautiful Christmas bowls, etc. that were on sale - dirt cheap. So I bought up a whole bunch of Lenox stuff and stored them away. Now all I have to do is pull the stuff out and gift wrap them.

I've been cutting back on Christmas for the past few years. It has become way too commercialized for me..

Really don't know I am trying to spend less

probably just a little less

There should be some great sales this year due to the slow economy.

that's true

The best time to buy is a week or 2 before Christmas. Black Friday is NOT the best day.

yeah, that's true. Christmas always wipes me out, i kinda dread it actually

ONe thing I've been doing for years, is buying one size up for the grandkids. But now we only buy for the 5 year old. We are just ATM machines to the 2 teenagers. Also I sometimes buy after Christmas becasue the kids don't come out to our house until a few days after Christmas. So you look for anyway you can to save. There no one way to do it but a combination of things.

that's a great idea. yeah, it's tough, Christmas can be tough

Yes it can, but you have to find what best works for you and then do it. There is no one size fits all.

that's very true, your so right

just not as much crap

Teachers got no raise in our state and are lucky to have our already low paying jobs.

Teachers in my area make about double the average family and are on strike more than anyone else over one issue or the other.

It is illegal for teachers in FL to strike. We are also one of the lowest paying states. Guess the warm weather comes with a price:)

That's not the case with many other states.

Until next year :) new granddaughter will be here. :)

Congrats on the new grandbaby.

Cuz I gotta spend all my pennies on gas.

I hear ya.

My finances are better and I have already started buying.

Happy to hear about your good finances.

Thank you!

everything is so much these days! I'm gonna dread receiving my cc statement!

Not Much of anything a lot of people in our Twon are out of work! Jobs have been scares and people are loosing ther homes around here about 40 0r so evry 3 month! Ive seen a lot of people hit hard around here! we have a lot of farmers and stuff who have been hit with the gas problems as well! So its going to be a diner and just family No gifts this year! just a get together With any one who can make it. but it isn't looking good!.

I hope it gets better for you.

God so do we. But after seeing these poor people in Texas I thank god for what we do have. My Prairs go out to America as a Nation! We are in so much trouble ! All of us. Truth be told we are expecting maricals to happen Right away and I have told every one they won't! I am very intune with things some times and I have had Visions of disaster like we have never seen in America coming many i fear will die and those who servive will see hell on earth . Our weather is deffenetly getting worse Men are deffenetly getting meaner to men. i find my self fighting more with people on SH about our next President more than talking with them because its almost like an ergency to wake people up! I just dont know anymore. I just hope that we as a race servive and learn from such ignorant mistakes we have made .

Fighting over different presidential candidates is nothing new. People have been doing it for 200 years.

Yea True But not with Nukes over are heads! This will be the race that i believes decides the fate of America for year's to come!

We've had nukes over our heads since the 50's.

Good luck on your move. I hope you upgrade your situation.

I'm not sure at this point what I can afford. I'm certainly not having a Visa Christmas.

Yeah its not good to charge your brains out at Christmas time or anytime for that matter.

I will be spending probably about the same, but knowing me I will find something that I think is cute or I will have 1 of the little kids in the family with me and end up going way up high, knowing me

Oh those little ones. They make us all go nuts and spend like drunken sailors.

yep, but its my job to spoil all of them.. cause they dont live with me..=) so I spoil and then send them home...