How To Get Through The Next 30 Days

It’s about 29 days until Christmas. How are you going to juggle work, family, money, shopping, kids, weather, food and drink during this overly hectic time?

Living paycheck to paycheck sucks most of the year but trying to find extra money during the holidays sends normal life flying out the window.

Your stress level is at its peak. You have a shopping list and an empty bank account.

What Do You Do?

I come from a large extended family. An older brother and sister plus at one time my grandfather and an uncle lived with us.

Add my two cousins and their extended families and that brings the total up to about 25 or more for Christmas dinner. Depending on who can make it from the four corners of the US.

Since many of the older folks in our family grew up during the depression and didn’t have much we decided to draw names at Thanksgiving.

That way everyone would only have to buy one gift and everyone was assured of getting something.

Not everyone in the family was well to do. So we set a limit on the price of gifts to not make those going through a rough time feel uncomfortable.

It’s supposed to be a Merry Christmas not a bankrupt Christmas. With everyone giving just a little everyone get’s a lot.

Most of the additional money, if there was any, was spent on the kids. That would have been my brother, sister, and cousins and me at that time.

Food was shared throughout the family with everyone pitching in to bring something to Christmas dinner.

Sharing everything makes the season more enjoyable and everyone feels they have contributed to the good of all.

Some Final Thoughts

Christmas isn’t about material stuff or who can bring the coolest present. It’s about friends and family and the creation of lasting of memories.

You don’t have to break the bank to have a happy holiday. Sometimes the simplest things are the things we remember most.

Spend within reason. It’s not a competition. Enjoy the company. And don’t forget the reason for the season.

What money saving tips do you have for a Merry Christmas? Comments below