Christmas thoughts.....

With today’s economy being like it is, I am wondering how much the average person spent on gifts this year….not the amount but if it is lower or higher than last year or years before.

I found myself really being aware of the price of things this year. Groceries, for one thing, have gone up tremendously. So its going to cost at least 1/4 more to have that great dinner we always have at this time. As for gifts, I scanned the stores for sales and found that even the sale items seemed to be priced way too high. I know I have gotten these same items in previous years for less money…say, perfume, for example. So, for me, I bought less this year. The love is still there, in every present given, but there are not so many this year. I’m grateful that we are able to buy what we do. Don’t get me wrong…the kids are getting some nice things…just not as many. And we adults are not exchanging at all and that has really saved not only money but a lot of stress too.

A friend of mine starts her Christmas shopping in July. I always laughed at her for that and thought it was a bit strange….but now I am seeing that there is a method to her madness. She is able to buy a lot more and not have it strain her budget so much because she’s doing it a little at a time. I think I’m going to start doing that myself this coming year.

While shopping for others, I did see one thing I wanted for me. At night I turn down the heat, so I’m cold when I first get in bed at night. I decided to buy an electric blanket to pre-warm the bed. I received it and took it out of the package and laid it on top of my bed….not plugged in yet or anything. I came back to it about 2 hours later to find a hole chewed in it and the wires pulled out and chewed in half. Yep, my precious little dog at work. Thank God I didn’t have it plugged in. I had no idea she would do such a thing….so it’s a blessing in disguise. What if I would have put it on the bed, plugged in it and gone to sleep (the dog sleeps with me)….wahoo…fried dog and maybe even fried GRANDMA. So there’s $60 down the drain but I learned a lesson.

I am joyous and grateful for everything I have and thank God every day for the blessings He has given me. I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday, whichever it is you prefer. I probably won’t post again until after Christmas, so stay safe and be happy. Big hugs.