I’m trying to stick to a commitment to not buy personal items for myself for the month of December. Do you know how hard that is in the midst of all the Christmas sales?! Do you know how many cute things I can find to buy for me?!
My budget is tight this year. I’m really trying not to use my plastic cards that the devil gave me. I’ve been so nervous about my budgeting for Christmas, I haven’t even made out my list yet, much less checked it twice. I’ve got some ideas that I’m toying with, but I haven’t come to any conclusions on what the official shopping list will be.
So, one way to make sure I have some extra dough to buy gifts is to stop buying gifts for myself. Not that I am a shop-a-holic or anything, but I do have the tendency to pick up a shirt or pair of little shoes from Target every now and then. And perhaps I might have a weakness for those little make-up gift sets at the mall.
I will resist the urge.
Last night, I bought some things at Target, and then wound up taking something back two hours later. (Is this a form of shopping bulimia?)
What things are necessary purchases and what things are frivolous? If Santa didn’t bring me one single thing for Christmas, I might mope, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing. I am stuffed with stuff.
No matter how shiny that iphone looks (which I guarantee I would drop), or how cute those heels are, the only thing that will give me true joy has nothing to do with stuff.
I’m not outlawing gifts in my life—so if you’ve already purchased mine, I will accept it. I’m just trying to get my thoughts and heart wrapped around this Christmas gift thing. I want to be a cheerful giver—even when it involves personal sacrifice. And in turn, I will also be a cheerful and thankful receiver (Historically, this has sometimes been a difficult concept for me.). My view of gift-giving during this time, is that it’s a way to show honor and love to people we care about, like the wise men gave to Jesus.
This blog post is mainly me preaching to myself today, and I might need to revisit it often during this season, and remember to pray before shopping and to carry the thankfulness of Thanksgiving into Christmas. Isn’t it kind of funny that we’re thankful first, and then we get gifts? I like that.
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