Christmas Shopping - Just doing my part to help the economy

I can't believe I just dropped $600.00 today! Add that to the $190.00 for grandparents gifts, the $170.00 from yesterday, ooops I almost forgot the money spent at Chapters - $100.00. All I have left is my brother and my dad - the two hardest to buy for on my list.

This is the cheapest year so far, usually I'm well over a grand for the kids alone. I know my mom cut back big time because the year was slow for business and they are retiring in January. We had no choice but to cut back because I'm not working yet and with rent being $700.00 a month more then our mortgage was a month we are a little shorter on cash then in the past.

The kids really don't need more then we got them, they'll be finished unwrapping in record time, but they still don't need anything else.

I know that Christmas has gotten too commercial and too expensive for families trying to keep up to the Joneses, whoever they are, but I still shop. I know that there are families who need money just to survive, but I still shop. I hate how much stuff we have, since we've moved it twice this year and we have another move yet to come, but I still shop. I know Christmas is suppose to be about love and Jesus not presents, but I still shop.

We run ourselves ragged preparing for the season, baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, mailing, and for what? Do we really appreciate what we get? Do we really need what we receive? Do we really want what we unwrap? What do we really get anyway? Broke! I feel like a just took 3 large steps backwards financially today, but I'm not about to take any of it back.

I'm off to get started on the Christmas baking and getting my Christmas cards in the mail. Cards that I know will get set aside or thrown out, and yet I still make them. It's Christmas after - 'tis the season of added stress!