This Christmas is going to be different. I still have to swallow back a little regret when I think of Christmas in our house… There isn’t enough room here for a full sized tree, and most of our Christmas decorations are buried in our storage unit. There simply wasn’t enough room here, plus I totally forgot to pack some of them.
This is also the first year that I have finished my Christmas shopping before Dec 1st. We didn’t have to borrow from savings or put any money on the credit card. It feels so great to have budgeted for Christmas. I don’t have any anxiety about how this month will go budget-wise, and I don’t feel like I over-spent. Our Christmas morning has never been extravagant, but this year it is going to be more modest. The kids have so many toys, and we are so incredibly blessed, I don’t want them to focus on the presents this year. We are trying to do something Christmas-y every weekend as a family to make some really meaningful traditions rather than gifts.
Speaking of traditions, Elvis, our Elf on the Shelf has made a re-appearance to great success this year. Ford has been talking to him, and wants to write him a letter to explain his school behavior and how he is going to try harder. I can’t believe the difference. Last year he threw a shoe at Elvis because he was convinced he was not real. I don’t know what changed, but I am not complaining. His belief only makes it better for the younger kids.
Besides Ford seeming to actually believe in Santa this year, my best present is being debt free this year. We worked very hard, and it took us less than a year to pay off $32,000 worth of debt including our cars. Having more money in our budget makes it possible for us to save more and give more. We give first, and that is a huge change to our budget this year. I so admire those people who give a full 10% of their income to the church or charitable organizations. I hope someday we will be able to do that. For now we are giving and we are able to save 30% of Paul’s income a month. Having our focus in the right place has given me so much peace of mind, I don’t really need anything for Christmas. This is really the first year that I feel content… and that is pure GOLD as far as I am concerned.
