Community Chat

[Pook]

It's not about gifts anyway.  With skype, zoom, facetime virtual get togethers are way better than giving and receiving gifts.  It is what you choose to make of it.

[chiclet]

Christmas in July makes me crazy.  Christmas is about an important birthday in December not July.  There have been years in my life where buying gifts at Christmas was not an option.  No big deal...life went on.  Not having money to pay bills and eat is an awful situation at any time of the year and it is a shame that you feel the stress worse at a time you should feel some joy. 

[staciesmom]

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@PamfromCT wrote:

I can bet most of us have plenty of Christmas decor. Our family stopped with the gifting of adults years ago, with the exception of my mother while she was with us.  The focus is on the two children in the family.  It was not only the money involved, but the problem of what to choose for all.  Agreeing to this relieved so much stress.  And it helped us focus more on the true meaning of Christmas.

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ITA - exchanging gifts as adults is a burden. We buy what we want all year long - my husband and his sister still send each other gift cards for their birthdays - an even exchange - I pointed out how silly this is but they continue - my sister and I quir exchanging many many years ago. 

[CalminHeart]

My extended family quit buying everyone gifts a long time ago. We get together Christmas Eve, have so much fun together, and want to focus on that.  We have an exchange, often a white elephant.  I buy a little something for my dad and my kids.  But I do buy gifts for my grandkids, age 2 and twins age 3.

[AuntG]

If money is tight, I'd hope people would budget appropriately. My friend just asked me "what if I can only spend $20 per grandchild?". I know for a fact that would be perfectly fine with the family, as the parents/kids don't want all the junk she buys. They donate a large percentage behind her back.

If I'm afraid of anything, it's family gatherings where Covid could be transmitted to young and old alike. Some people hang on to traditions and don't respect the health related decisions we all should be making. I just read an advice column in which some elderly family members were criticized for not attending a family wedding in another state because they didn't want to gather with a large crowd.

[tototwo]

I don't watch or buy from Q's CIJ.  

I'm afraid that our family and friends won't be able to gather together this year because of the virus.  We've already lost people we know because of the virus and, honestly, I'm not in the mood to celebrate right now.  Maybe I'll change my mind by December.  

[noodleann]

If there ever was a Christmas that cried out for a rethink of excess and pointless gifting, it's Christmas 2020.

Celebrate, connect, and cherish your friends and family, and you'll feel rich.

[gidgetgh]

For me, it's not so much a money issue, it's just an issue of interest.

I didn't even decorate for Christmas last year and, to be honest, didn't miss it.  And it certainly isn't on my radar right now for this year. 

I bought a few early Christmas gifts in early March and right now, I don't have any interest at all in that.  I have a very small family, with a nephew who comes in from out of state,  and with this virus and all the uncertainty, who knows what Christmas will be like this year. 

But I am also not interested at all in shopping for gifts, clothing, purses or shoes right now either so I am probably not the best one to offer an opinion.  

[Meowingkitty]

I am putting up my new tree (first time in many years, stopped because of the cats, so we'll see how this goes with a two year old kitten) that I bought last month while it was on sale and that's it for decorations. We stopped buying gifts years ago and the only gift I give is to our hairdresser and that is a gift card that I buy at Costco. 

[gidgetgh]

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@noodleann wrote:

If there ever was a Christmas that cried out for a rethink of excess and pointless gifting, it's Christmas 2020.

Celebrate, connect, and cherish your friends and family, and you'll feel rich.

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@noodleann - I LOVE your post!!!!