11 October 2012

Freaking out about The Christmas

Let's start with the obvious. I'm underemployed. That means that there is no way in hell that I can afford The Christmas. I can barely pay my phone bill, much less buy all the things for all the people at The Christmas Time.

Then there's the fact that we live in a magic bus, which is only slightly larger than a tiny house. Where does one put The Christmas? Last year, we put up the big tree outside, and that was both nice and a total disaster at the same time. Obviously, it felt more like The Christmas because we had a tree with bubbles and twinkle lights. We also had rain and mud and a doggie that thought it was her mission in life to destroy all the ornaments she could reach. I did find a small tree pre-lit with twinkly lights that (sort of) fits inside the magic bus, and it greatly improved the atmosphere in here; it made it feel more like The Christmas.

The tiny twinkle tree didn't solve the problem of where to put all the presents for all the people. I sort of stacked them in the vicinity of the tiny twinkle tree, but it still got really messy really fast.

Now, if you look back through my old posts, you can see pictures of some of the original decor that came in this magic bus. It was big, it was bulky, it was tacky, it was ugly, it was overstuffed, it was gross...

We have gotten most of the ugly furniture out of here. We are still dealing with the gross carpet, but that is a sacrifice I chose to make so that we could pay off some debt and get rid of monthly payments. The new furniture has opened up floor space, so this year might not be so bad when it comes time to try and figure out where to put The Christmas.

However, it doesn't end with The Christmas.

There is The After Christmas. That's the part where we put away The Christmas and try to figure out where to put all the things given to us by all the people. Being underemployed, at least I'll have The Time to do this; however, being underemployed has made me a clothes-hoarder again. I find it difficult to get rid of older or less worn items because I have no Money to buy more clothes.

Which brings me to my original point. I have no money to buy all the things for all the people for The Christmas. So, if you have any ideas for The Christmas on The Cheap, please let me know. Or better yet, go visit my dear Aunt Becky, who has a Deals/Life on The Frugal Side blog, and she has repeatedly stated that she welcomes guest posts to help er learn how to live on The Frugal Side. If she doesn't already know you, just tell her I sent you.

7 comments:

  1. I feel your pain. People always say "make homemade stuff" but I'm not a "maker", I'm a "buyer." And being a buyer, it means spending $ that I usually don't have. That's a problem :) I think I'll go visit dear Aunt Becky.

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    1. I'm a buyer. I am sort of crafty, but I don't know how to turn my sort of skills into things that peoples would actually want.

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  2. I'm trying to ignore the fact that Christmas is coming...I usually like it but the thought of spending all that money is filling me with panic this year. It's been an expensive year!

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    1. Oh, Crys, it has been a rough year for you guys. You've just given me a whole new sense of gratitude for my own situation, and a new level of respect for your strength. Much love and hugs!

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  3. I know this is tough one, but we have stopped buying things for anyone but the kids. Everyone has been understanding. At least to my face.

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    1. My list has been greatly shortened, which does relieve some tension. And luckily, my family has gotten used to me being broke over the last 16 or more years, so they don't expect much except my presence, which is nice.

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