...and checkin' it twice. Egad! We have 26 people so far, and that's just M's family! Counting my family and some friends, that is a long enough list for cards and gifts guaranteed to drive anyone crazy in an already hectic holiday season. We do have some of the gifts already but we are so very far from done. We usually do our Christmas shopping all throughout the year. By Thanksgiving, we have all the cards ready to be mailed out and the gifts ready for wrapping. We do this to keep our sanity intact—and our budget. Buying a couple of items each month does not make much of a dent as opposed to getting everything in December. Buying all the gifts then and having to show up wherever the party might be can prove to be an extremely costly affair. You see, M’s family likes to get together for the holidays. So if the party ends up being in a state other than Massachusetts, it’s another expense to factor in.
With that to consider, we have to find creative and frugal ways to get the perfect gifts. Perfect -- meaning it matches the giftee’s personality without breaking our bank. That’s why our hunt for those gifts start right after Christmas. When we see items that are reasonably priced and ideal for someone whom we know will be on our list, we snatch it up immediately. When we see storefronts that have the sign "SALE", we check out their stuff. We also hit online stores like Smartbargains, Overstock, Amazon, Victoria’s Secret and peruse their bargain bins. We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the things that they had on sale before, and they usually offer free shipping to boot!
It's always a great challenge to complete our long Christmas list. The hunt, braving the crowds, long lines at the cash register, the ever-shrinking balance in our bank account--just thinking of these things that make us pray for God's strength and provision as this retail-driven season approaches.
Okay, I gotta stop prattling. We have some shopping to do!!!
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