The Buying Season is Upon Us

The "Holiday Season" is fast approaching.  Because we live so far from most of our family, it begins a bit early, to allow for shipping time.  I have begun the process of choosing things, mainly for the kids of the family, we don't really purchase gifts for EVERYONE anymore.   However, in the current money situation it seems that most people are not buying in the same way.  I know I have made jams and jellies to share with friends instead of purchasing "stuff".  It already seems like the retailers are desperate to get every dollar. There was Christmas stuff in the stores before Halloween this year. There are coupons flying around and sale signs everywhere.  Is it just me or does it seem like there are more sales earlier in the season than in the past? Well, for us we won't be using credit to buy presents.  We have all of our debt paid off and I refuse to step back into that trap. So, this Christmas we are making more, buying less and canceling extravagance.   Last year we purchased a permit to cut down our own Christmas tree from BLM.  It's $5, for a tree that is less than 12 feet tall and has to be growing within 20 feet of another tree.  The Bureau of Land Management gets trees thinned that are too close to existing trees, they get $5 for BLM and we get a tree and  an adventure.  We can go into the woods behind our house and tromp around in the snow and choose a tree, not a perfectly sculpted tree, but a lovely tree all the same.  Last year we found a 10 ft tall tree and it was wonderful.  Then we hiked out to the car, drove home, made a fire in the wood stove and spiked some hot cocoa to warm up.  Makes me wish we had kids to drag along, but it was a really fun day anyway.  It took a lot longer than going to the tree lot, and finding a tree that is under 12 feet tall is a challenge.  We have a stick, when held over head is 12 ft, because when you are out there in the woods, trees look smaller and you can end up getting a tree that's 30 feet tall and realizing that it won't fit into the house once you get it home. Well, I'm looking forward to the Holidays, but it's weird having a Christmas Eve with just my dear husband and myself.  Being so far from the family is difficult this time of year, when a crowed living room, a tree too large, tables of way too much food, more people than the room can hold and kids yelling and running amok, is what Christmas Eve has always been with our crazy family.  I miss the chaos of our family Christmas.  So, on Christmas Eve I'll be calling the family, when I know the chaos will be at the highest and talk to who ever has a moment to hold the phone, just so I can hear the lovely sound of my family being loud and obnoxious on Christmas Eve. I can't wait.