Christmas in the 90’s was like Spendapalooza.
But things changed at the end of the decade, when I became a SAHM in 1999, and I simply could not afford the insanity anymore.
We were on a budget and I was determined not to go back into the credit card debt I’d escaped a few years earlier.
I opened a separate account online through ING Direct and named it, “Christmas Fund”. The account was set it up so every month $50 would automatically transfer from my checking account to the Christmas fund.
I never saw the money, so it didn’t really hurt to part with it.
We would have $600 to spend on Christmas at the end of the 12 months. We had parents, siblings, in laws, each other, and our baby girl to buy for, so it wasn’t so much money per person.
When Shawn and I were both working, we would go nuts at Christmas, spending hundreds of dollars on each other and our parents. This was going to be quite a difference.
I told all of our loved ones we were pinching pennies, and nobody seemed to care. I know it’s the thought that counts, but I would feel like a Grinch if they got me a Coach purse and I gave a CD and scarf.
I also started shopping early. If I saw something I thought a loved one would like, I bought it and hid it in my closet. Preparing earlier and getting better deals helped tremendously, and it gave me a chance to actually enjoy the holiday season.
I was totally done the week leading up to Christmas. So, instead of fighting with the crowds in the mall, I was home enjoying the best gift I ever got… my baby girl.
