It doesn't matter if you've been naughty or nice ... if you're a mom, Santa is going to pass you over anyway.
With holiday budgets on a shoestring this year, moms are going to feel the pinch more than anyone else, the New York Times
Because mothers do most of the holiday shopping, they're going to skimp when it comes to buying a little something extra for themselves. Every woman knows that holiday shopping means padding the shopping bag with a new little black dress for yours truly. Women treat themselves to a new pair of jeans when they're at the mall getting Junior his Game Boy. Or when a woman buys her sister a sweater, she throws another one into the bag for herself. But not this year. This year moms will not only forego a sweater for themselves, they probably won't get one for their sister either. The retail industry is bracing itself for a brutal holiday season.
Couples are agreeing to forego gifts for each other so the kids don't miss out on Christmas. And extended families are deciding that gifts are for kids only this year. So what does this mean for mamas? This winter's little black dress comes straight from the back of your closet.
What are you doing to save money this holiday season? Comment in the momlogic community.
filed under: ronda kaysen
Email12 comments so far | Post a comment now >>
my husband and i agreed we weren’t getting anything this year for eachother but to focus on the kids….they are having a great christmas….but isn’t that what parents are supposed to do? we will go without on christmas day but we always get the things we want throughout the year so there isn’t much we need….plus we have our love and a couple days when my parents take the kids to make it up to eachother :) that’s what counts.
- Trina
Oh good grief. Who cares. So the middle class has had to learn to cut back and make sacrifices. Going without Christmas gifts is par for the course for those of us who fall into the category of “the working poor”. The middle class have had to adjust their grocery budgets, and in doing so have *discovered* that most store brand food items are just as good as name brand? Well good for you. But for those of us who have been buying generic all along out of necessity are the ones REALLY feeling the financial strain these days. Our grocery budgets need to be cut down too. What’s below store brand for us?
- Mom
While I’ve been one to pick up a thing for myself here and there while Christmas shopping, I’m not bothered about it this year. I’ve actually enjoyed the challenge of finding gifts that are meaningful and budget-friendly. This year I’m more focused on making sure friends and family know how much we love them and are grateful that they are a part of our lives.
- Jenn
Aside from the fact that the whole gift giving thing has gotten way over the top anyway, the story behind this story is that, in years past, if the Moms wanted something they got it for themselves while shopping for others. Would that be because no one was going to get THEM anything at all, or no one was going to bother to get them anything that they really wanted.
- Colleen
A relative of mine wanted an Xbox game for christmas and I said ok. But after I found out how much it cost, $65, NO WAY! That amount for a game?! Sorry, but there are more important things. Guess he’s gonna get something cheap.
- just sayin'
I agree w/Mom that it is hard to be sympathetic. OMG no Zales this year. My husband is in the military and money is always tight for us. I haven’t gotten a Christmas gift for many years. This year we have to cut back on our children’s Christmas too just so we can pay the bill and eat. Maybe its for the best seeing that Christmas is about something bigger than presents. I think we forget it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. Way more important than Christmas!
- Mom of five angels
Every year my husbands family has a huge gift exchange. Even the extended family are in on it, the problem is that only families with kids have kids in the exchange. Aunt What’s-her-name would only buy one present while my family of three had to pick up the slack for one b-i-l’s family of six and the other’s family of four so that all the kids could have presents on top of two adult exchange presents. It is only marginally better this year; adult presents are going to be baked goods, so Aunt What’s-her-name can now just bake cookies while three families are trying to divide up getting presents for seven kids as well as still having something under the tree just for their own children (and two sets of baked goods per family!). I’m considering a revolt, with my second child due in Feb and having to buy baby things all over again this is financially ridiculous.
- birdsfly
When I was a kid we always drew names. With about 12 cousins that worked out so much better. The adults even drew names. It just makes so much more sense than trying to buy for everyone. This year my husband is talking about buying me jewelry and spending a bunch of money. I told him if he does I will take it all back. It’s absolutely ridiculous to spend that much money on jewlery that I don’t need. I told him just to give me a hundred buck to go shopping. I need new clothes more than anything. As for our friends and neighbors, I am making chocolate and white chocolate covered pretzels and peanut butter ritz crackers and going to the dollar tree and buying some tins. Thank goodness we only have 2 kids to buy for!!
- ashley
Birdsfly- Do not feel like you have to give anyone anything for christmas. YOUR kid (s) come first, and with other people get them something cheap. If every parent got their kid something nice, then the poor kid can deal with something cheap from everyone else. Sorry, but kids today are so spoiled. But you know the funny thing? Sometimes we all feel like we have to get them a nice gift because their parent, not them, will judge us.
- just sayin'
Birdsfly, we always have the children draw names. It doesn’t matter if siblings get each others’ names or not. It ends up working out because a family with one child only buys one present. You only buy for the amount of children you have!
- Renee
Renee- That would make sense and I would love to do it that way unfortunately I was the last one to marry into this little “tradition” so I’m stuck unless I want to risk causing a problem. The attitude seems to be that since we make ends meet and only have one child we should pick up the holiday slack.
- birdsfly
Birdsfly, Ive got 1 store that will solve a problem like this: The dollar store. Most kids don’t notice.
- just sayin'
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