So I asked someone today if they were ready for Christmas and I got 'I'm just ready for it to be over!'. I have been getting that response a lot lately and I find it so sad and puzzling. At what point did people trade the excitement of the season for yet another excuse to be stressed out and anxious? I will admit that I am a big Christmas fan but even if you choose not to love the season, PLEASE don't make it a chore. That just makes me sad. I honestly would rather never get another gift for Christmas than to know that the thought of seeking out gifts is making someone wish the whole thing was just over. It isn't a root canal! I know it has become the consumer holiday to end all holidays but the core of it is still there. The birth of a Saviour, the celebration of love and redemption - a season that breeds kindness and reminds us to shower those we care most about with affection and visible signs of our love. Not to sound like a cheesy holiday album but that really is what Christmas means to me.
To thwart the spirit of seasonal overspending and to gear up for the sub compact project (now just weeks away from it's inception), I have been on a spending fast this week. I was on a spending fast last week too but I ran out of cat food the first day and wasn't prepared to chance it and then was caught unprepared and starving on Thursday. Aside from the cat food purchase and the coffee shop splurge though, I made it through the week without spending. This week has been going much better as I have made it through today (Wed) without spending a cent. That is three whole days. Not an astounding feat really but certainly not my modus operandi.
It has actually been kind of fun getting into the mind set of this project. Sunday, I actually saved more than I spent at the grocery store. I saved $74.57 (with my frequent shopper card and a $3 off coupon) and only spent $65.93. I was so proud of myself! It was an especially nice recovery from Saturday when, within hours of posting my last blog, I nearly spent $62 on a child sized overstuffed upholstered chair. So much for passing up the next deal of a life time and not trying to buy love with things. Thank goodness my friend Holly convinced me that although she appreciated the thought, it really wasn't practical to buy a chair for a child that they do not yet have and that will obviously not be sitting upright for some time. Plus, we would have had a real space issue in the car. Not to mention the fact that that was roughly equivalent to my grocery bill.
I have a problem. Hi. I'm Cat. I am a spendaholic.
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