Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…

Christmas in July? Overlapping holidays? Holidays out of order? 

Yes, a bit premature I agree, considering Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away. No, I do not put my Christmas stuff up prior to Thanksgiving; however, I am the one that starts decorating the tree the Friday after Thanksgiving. Yikes, Black Friday! We’ll save that for another blog.

With that said, the point to my blog is to really get at the heart of what comes to mind every year (keeping in mind that I do understand that Christmas is about so much more than the gifts)…how do I pay for all these gifts…gifts I LOVE giving at an amazing time of year? Now I know I can’t be the only one that asks this question year in and year out.

There are a number of solutions to this issue with some people having Christmas accounts set up at their financial institution, some put their money away in a piggy bank, many create/make their own items (I like to make fleece blankets, knit scarves and sometimes draw pictures for my father), and others just simply start shopping the day after Christmas for the coming year. The latter is my 2010 answer with a sprinkle of creating my own gifts!

I’m not kidding when I tell you that basically all of my shopping was done by August this year. I still have a few items left to buy, but I started early because I will NOT use any credit cards. I say that every year, but this is truly the first year that I can say I didn’t purchase one gift on a credit card. This is a huge accomplishment for me! I started early, cashed in points on a debit card that I had earned and cashed them out for gift cards, and watched for amazing deals.

Again, I understand there is so much more to Christmas than gifts, but it is fun to see the smiles it brings to others faces and by starting early, I can still keep a smile on my face. 

PS – For those people who are against crossing holidays, you might find this site interesting:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Not-celebrating-Christmas-BEFORE-Thanksgiving/207073350279.