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SeaStar
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| Posted: Nov 29 2013 at 9:23am | IP Logged
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I was struck today by this post from the Becoming Minimalist site:
Holiday Shopping. We Can Do Better.
I have been thinking the past week how the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales tempt me to buy on impulse- how things I did not even know existed until I saw them on sale for half off suddenly lure me into spending.
Argh. Then I read this article. Will we really spend $60 billion in the next three days trying to "buy" Christmas? Wow. That floored me.
Because... we already have Christmas, don't we? We have our families, and untold blessings, and Jesus as Our Savior. And a big birthday coming up to celebrate it all. I hate to think that one lego set more or less can outweigh all that, yk?
Anyway, the article is good. The challenge at the end is this: instead of spending 15 hours shopping this weekend (the average time people spend holiday shopping), take that 15 hours and spend it with your family and friends.
I think that is an awesome frugal challenge for this whole Advent.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Nov 29 2013 at 12:59pm | IP Logged
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Hey, Melinda, I love, love, love just hanging out at home on Black Friday. i was just telling my son, Ian, how I think I extra love this restful day because it is in contrast to everyone who is out there exhausting themselves!
Yet, I don't begrudge anyone from doing Black Friday right. i have several women friends and relatives who make it a fun day...an annual outing. I love traditions and making sure to see friends, so I see this as one way to do that.
Also, some of them are amazing shoppers... I mean amazing. I'll always claim to be an amateur shopper, so I leave Black Friday to the professionals, but I could use a bit more of what they have as far as finding great deals.
So a little later today I'll shop online and hope I find some frugal winners!
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Nov 29 2013 at 4:14pm | IP Logged
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I used to shop BF with my sisters wayyyyy back when. It was always fun, so I get the whole BF thing- though we shopped in the days before midnight openings, etc.
I also like this extra-restful day. I had a glorious sewing day today- I was much looking forward to that. I did make one trip out to Walgreens to buy sparkling grape juice- on sale for $1.50 a bottle with the in store coupon (then I had coupons for $1 off 2 bottles, so they wound up being only $1 each  ).
And I am definitely keeping my cyber eyes open for a couple of things.
I guess I have never really sat down with pencil and paper and calculated how much I spend at Christmas. The average family spends about $1,000 when all is said and done, according to what I have read. 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Nov 29 2013 at 4:52pm | IP Logged
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I tweeted this quote out yesterday
Quote:
| If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. - J.R.R. Tolkien |
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It breaks my heart to see people overspend or hoard. A frugal lifestyle can help families to live within their means and avoid both by extremes by being frugal in some spaces in order to be generous in other places.
We spend quite a bit at Christmas, but enjoy saving throughout the year in order to afford it! I like to have all of my gifts purchased the end of November in order to have extra money for FOOD throughout December  .
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Becky Parker
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I love that quote!  I've been trying to think of ways to do just that for our Christmas celebrations this year. Keeping, of course, the main focus on Christ. We try so hard every year, and maybe it's just because we have young children but it all seems to boil down to present opening. I would love for my children to enjoy all of the aspects of the Christmas celebration as much as they enjoy the present opening! 
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
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guitarnan
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One way we've found to keep the focus on the real meaning of Christmas is to give our children beautiful picture books about Advent and Christmas. We built up a lovely collection over the years, and I still get them out so we can enjoy them. (My younger child is almost 16.) We also have a few Advent and Christmas CDs that we play...I put them on when I'm making edible gifts.
One nice thing about making edible gifts is that I can involve my daughter in that process...she loves to cook, and packing up yummies to give away is a tangible way to celebrate Christmas as a giving season, not a getting one.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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SeaStar
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Last year we did the O Antiphons for the first time, and I was surprised this year that my ds asked right away if we could do them again this year.
So while it often seems, like Becky mentioned, that it all boils down to opening presents, I have hope that our dc will look back and remember reading special books, cooking together, saying the St. Andrew Novena, etc.
All those things make Christmas special. They are not likely to remember that in 2012 Uncle Mike sent legos, but they will remember the Jesse Tree and all the other wonderful traditions.. I hope!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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JodieLyn
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Doing these things does work. Of course presents are exciting, and they're kids, they're gonna be excited about that. Hey, I get excited about it too. But I find when I ask the kids about Christmas at other times of the year it's the baking together or the activities even going to Midnight Mass that gets remembered rather than the opening presents.
So don't take excitment over presents as meaning that's all they care about.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Frugal Friday: Can we do better?
