Holiday Stressing

Seems for the past few years around this time I start to feel sad and stressed about the upcoming holidays. Don't get me wrong, I do love Christmas and the nice parts of this time of year. What gets me down is being alone for yet another Christmas, and then just the general stress of gift giving. Worrying about money and if my gifts will be liked by the receivers, fearing they may just be a waste of money that is tight to begin with. Every year I wish Christmas didn't have to be so commercial, but it really is. Think about it, what's usually the first thing people ask after the holidays.. "what did you get for Christmas?" I get so tired of hearing that.

I love Christmas songs, decorating the tree, holiday treats, time spent with loved ones, Christmas cards and taking my gram to church every Christmas Eve. I love the feeling when you know someone really enjoys the gift you tried so hard to make perfect for them. I love watching the Grinch ( the original one) and all the holiday classics. I just don't love feeling so alone, or so broke I guess.  Haven't even been able to do any shopping except for my bf and his family and my mom. That too stresses me out, but need to wait for payday to get anything else now.. need to just listen to Christmas music and chill out I think.. ha rant over now. 

I solved this problem a few years ago.  I always put a lot of thought into gifts for friends and their children and found that in return we were give a box of chocolate and WH Smith gift vouchers bought at the last minute because they couldn't be bothered.  None of us needed yet another gift so I phone them all up and told them I was no longer giving gifts to friends as we all had too much anyway and was going to take that money and donate to a charity instead and that I hoped they too would do the same.  They seemed delighted.

I solved this problem a few years ago.  I always put a lot of thought into gifts for friends and their children and found that in return we were give a box of chocolate and WH Smith gift vouchers bought at the last minute because they couldn't be bothered.  None of us needed yet another gift so I phone them all up and told them I was no longer giving gifts to friends as we all had too much anyway and was going to take that money and donate to a charity instead and that I hoped they too would do the same.  They seemed delighted.

I did this for a few years with my ex and his large family.  Then we did a sort of Secret Santa thing so everyone got one present.

In previous years I'd simply told everyone no gifts.  Period.  But I was single at the time and my own family didn't celebrate Christmas at all so it was pretty easy to do that.  I'm pretty sure I did bake and gave out cookies instead.

Honestly, I don't do gifts either, except for my nearest and dearest (which pretty much is just my husband right now- if we had more money we'd probably buy a little something for our parents as well.  But that's it.)  I grew up in a family where everyone just got one present or group of small presents at Christmas, so it is hard for me to get used to giving gifts to lots of people in the extended family (as is the culture with my in-laws.)  I find it much simpler and less stressful to limit the gift giving and everyone else can get either a christmas card (I limit those too though and have scrapped them entirely this year due to drowning in wedding thank you notes) or a phone call giving my best wishes for the holiday.

you read my mind Sillysprite.

every year, though I enjoy the holidays to some degree, I always get down and upset and dislike it!

I get stressed and find it's cheesy and forced and very commercialised. I'm not religious but religon flies right out the window these days, when the holidays were meant to celebrate different religons beliefs!

I'm also not around any children, my niece and nephew live back in the states and I really think Christmas is about the children. I love seeing the joy on their faces. For the past couple of years I haven't been around kids so that magic is lost.

I love the lights and decorations, and that people get together etc but it is stressful and tiresome.

I don't know how I cope, presents wise and money wise I try and do as little as possible. Everyone (close family) agreed this year that gifts would be on the small side which is fine with us. I never buy unless I absolutely need to. I find buying christmas cards the year before helps with cost (since cards are big here) and they're usually cheap after season.

To save me the anxiety of shopping in crowded hot stores I bought whatever I could online! Thank goodness for the internet! I also find it easier to compare prices and save money!!

Other than that I relax as much as I can and enjoy the time I spend with loved ones.

I hope you get through!
x

I know what you mean.  One year when my entire family seemed to be broke, we started a white elephant gag gift exchange... it was the best Christmas ever!  We each just bought a gag gift of some kind, mostly novelty stuff from the dollar store, then drew numbers to get presents in turn, then took the other guy's present if we wanted instead of drawing one out of the pile.  It was great fun, and no one spent a lot of money or was stuck with a gift they didn't like or want.  It's hard to buy gifts for people, some of which you only ever see on the holidays in the first place!  There were other years when we drew names for a Secret Santa, so we each only had to buy one gift.  In DH's family, everyone really only gets gifts for the kids, but we have 3 nephews, one niece, and a boy of our own!!!!  So thank goodness we only have to buy for them!   

I understand as well. It's a difficult time. On my side of the family, we only have four to buy for, on DB's it's twice that and everything has to be mailed.

I feel like the stress is extra bad this year because on top of all the normal holiday craziness, the global economy is in the pisser.  We drew names out of a hat and are only getting/receiving one gift apiece.  I'm so glad for it.  We don't have any room for new stuff, anyway!  I hope you have a lovely season.

Well we survived, and really enjoyed Christmas this year. It gets harder because as kids grow, the gifts they want get smaller, but the prices get bigger. I still managed to spend more than I should have, but it was manageable. Just convinced myself I wasn't going to stress about the glitz and glitter. We have had more fun taking goofy pictures around the tree, listening to me pretend to know how to sing and just being lazy. It's been very nice. I hope you all are enjoying the season and that it has been as nice for you. 

I'm glad it all went well! At least the smaller presents are easier to transport if you have to travel.