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Christmas and Finances
Christmas and Finances. Those two words don’t really seem to go together for most people. People are encouraged to spend, spend, spend and blow the budget on all things bright, twinkly and must-have wonderful.I was once one of them.
Our first couple of Christmases after getting married weren’t real bad- Mr. Steady and I only had each other to buy for and we didn’t have a lot of extra $$. So we were creative and inventive (coupon booklets). We had a small Christmas club account but we always seemed to need to spend it on other things (like car insurance). But then we got better at budgeting and upped our Christmas club account- and had Maiden. And that is simply what did it to me.
We had children and I automatically went overboard. I became one of the hundreds of thousands that paid for Christmas with plastic- thereby allowing myself to buy more because I spread out the payments. And don’t forget about deferred billing!
One year, with presents all packed under the tree- I found about 10 more gifts in a bag in hidden in the laundry room that I had forgotten about. Another year, the presents extended, stacked, in a perimeter 2 feet out from the tree. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow. Look at all the gifts. What a wonderful Christmas this will be for the girls.”
You may be thinking it was the financial strain that changed our (my) holiday spending- nope. It changed when I opened my eyes- really opened them and saw how much of what was purchased was not only not necessary but contributed to present overload for the girls. Neither girl wanted to keep opening gifts- they wanted to play with what they had opened (or the box it came in). Some wonderful gifts lost their significance buried in the hip deep piles of wrapping paper, boxes and other lesser miscellaneous gifts. In joining all the hoopla I had effectively taken a large chunk of the specialness of Christmas and obliterated it.
And so, the next year – the year we were expecting no. 3 (soon to be Mr. Conductor), we implemented the 3 gifts. First, we explained to the girls that we would be giving gifts a bit differently and the significance of the 3 gifts. They loved the idea from the get-go and were totally on board.
In changing our gift giving habits, we have not only kept Christmas debt free and less stressful but, more importantly, we have put the focus where it should be- on CHRIST.
I am absurdly thankful that my children have never whined or pouted about receiving only 3 gifts. They don’t make long wish lists- they keep their lists short and think in the order of the gift categories when making their lists. They have never sighed in disappointment over a gift we have given them- in fact, since instituting the 3 gifts, our Christmas mornings have been more wonderful and blessed than ever. We munch on Candy Cane Coffee Cake as we listen to the very last part of the Advent story . . . . Everyone oohs and ahhs over the perfect gifts and relishes in getting to play right away (lots of less clean up too!). God has truly blessed us through the giving of 3 gifts.
We have CHRISTmas now.
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2:59 PM, 2007-Dec-3 .. Posted by April in RITwo years ago my husband helped me tackle a big clean-out of "the bad room" (our name for what is now the study, but for years the room where we stored unpacked boxes leftover from moving in, and a variety of things that we couldn't find a place for) and I was SHOCKED to find F-O-U-R wrapped gifts WITH name tags on them in the closet. In my shopping frenzy I had purchased and wrapped gifts for family members and friends who "might" stop by. I truly don't know whether they didn't stop by or I just didn't remember buying those gifts earlier in the season. I resolved then and there to trim my gift-exchange list, and be ready with cookies and bars to gift to loved ones who "might" visit us during the busy season. Thanks Amy, for reminding us about how the excess actually takes AWAY the joy instead of adding to it. It's counter-intuitive, but oh so true.
Blessings,
April
Great idea!
3:01 PM, 2007-Dec-3 .. Posted by AnonymousJust wanted to come by and say thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm glad I came by today and read your post--I think the institution of the "Three Gifts" is a great idea. Thanks again!
Amy @ http://hopeistheword.wordpress.com
Untitled Comment
8:09 PM, 2007-Dec-3 .. Posted by blessedmomof10Growing up we always had 3 gifts only..... it was wonderful .. never too much and it wasn't the focus....some folks really can get out of control. Children get overloaded and they are left being selfish and greedy... there is a better way.
Good for you!
gloria
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8:28 PM, 2007-Dec-3 .. Posted by LauraJust wanted to let you know that we are implementing the 3 gift rule with our kidlets too this year. I explained to our oldest (6) why we were doing it, and he agreed readily. I think it helps that he realizes without my telling him that others are going to give him gifts, but he said that it is only fair for them to get 3 gifts each since Jesus only got 3 gifts. A good analogy, if not exactly what I was going for.
Thanks for the idea!
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