Its Time to Start the Christmas Shopping List!

OK its the beginning of the school year. Time to make your list of who you need to buy for. Then decided what you are going to buy for them. Then look for just those things on sale and stick to the list! It will keep you from over buying, and don't make impulse purchases - you cant buy too much!

Christmas is about giving, it not about the cost of the present, its the thought. Time to teach our children that now.

I am in charge of all the shopping and wrapping in my house. My husband doesn't get into the shopping, so I do his share. The kids are too small to do there shopping so its all up to me. Here is what we do.

Everyone gets some thing from Santa
Everyone get something from the parents
Everyone gets something from the rest of the kids.
We get something for my brother and his wife (they have any kids so that simplifies it)
We get something for both our parents

Just those things add up. When I was growing up my parents had more money then we do and it was only my brother and me so everyone got something from everyone else. I tried doing that and if we have time and money this year we will do that again. But I don't expect to have the money to do that. And that is OK. We will just teach the kids more about the given then the receiving at Christmas time.

Also this Christmas will be a lot less toys and more things they need. Like we all need a new sheet set, that will probably be arranged by Santa. My husband needs more work pants. My girls will probably get something to play with outside in our backyard. If we can we will get a toy as well, but they have enough really, and hardly play with what they have.

Then about a week before christmas we spend 2 days cooking treats and divide them up on Christmas plates and drop them off at friends homes on the second night.

OK so sit down and make you list - check it twice and have a happy Christmas season and don't spend more then you have. (the list helps A LOT and keep it in your wallet or purse until its all checked off)