This year we worked hard to plan our shopping out ahead of time for Christmas and do as much shopping as we could online. We also tried to moderate how much money we were spending, not because we were concerned about how much but more because we just don’t need a lot and are becoming more and more conscious of “stupid spending”. By planning ahead, we’ve found the last week to be pretty enjoyable because we aren’t faced with a daunting deadline.
I decided to run over to the local Fred Meyer store yesterday to grab a few things for dinner and couldn’t help notice the look of desperation on many, many faces there. You could tell a lot of these people were just starting their shopping and were buying anything that looked remotely decent. I would describe a lot of what people had in their carts as “trinkets”. It was almost as if they were buying anything just so that they didn’t come home empty handed. It’s times like this that I wish Christmas was a LOT less commercialized. It’s too bad that it’s become such a gluttonous orgy of spending money on things out of obligation. Okay, okay, I’m ranting.
What I am especially grateful for this year is the health and safety of my family. It sounds cliché but the reality is that I’d give up every dollar I have to keep my family healthy and safe. With all the events of the last few months across our country, I can’t help but think of how lucky I am to have my family happy, healthy and safe this holiday season.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be thankful for the good things in your life!