361 days until Christmas

Posted on December 29, 2007
Filed Under budget |

Christmas is over for another year and I managed not to blow my Christmas budget. I stuck to my guns and no one got a gift that cost more than $20. It was damnably difficult and depressing.

Now that it is over, I can look back and determine why it is such a hard time of the year. It seems that for 11 months of the year I can deal with being broke pretty easily. For myself, it doesn’t bother me that much to sacrifice most of the luxuries in life.

However, where my kids are concerned I find this exceedingly difficult. My children are mostly grown and understand all too well about budgets. And yet, I still find that I want to make their eyes light up on Christmas day.

So looking at the New Year, it’s time to set up a Christmas budget for next year. I look at my goals and resolutions for the next year and wonder what I can squeeze to put a few dollars in the Christmas envelope.

I already have a few ideas of things to make for gifts. Thanks to Leo at Zen Habits for a reader input post on Frugal Christmas gifts.

Help keep me awake to write by buying me a cup of coffee! .