I use to be one of those who after my fill of turkey would linger over those ads and map out the plan of attack for shopping the next day. Haven't done this in 3 years and don't miss one bit of it. The few items I will purchase, and not make myself, will be done online. The temptation to buy extra just because the price is too good to pass up is too great when I am actually in the store. Plus I can't afford the extra gas it takes to go shopping.

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With only one adult child to buy for, Christmas generally costs  me about $300. This year it will cost nothing, because he said he wants a KitchenAid stand mixer, and so he's getting the one that collects dust in my back closet.

What does Christmas cost?

*Sleepless nights spent wondering where you'll come up with the moola to pay for presents

*Tooth-grinding stress from driving through mobs of traffic, even when you're not on the way to a mall

*More stress trying to come up with an answer for people who won't take "nothing" or "just your company" for an answer when they ask what you want for Christmas

*Worry about whether the targets of your affection will like what you got for them

*Sadness when you see the look of disappointment not fully masked by the weakly faked smile on the faces of people who already have the piece of junk you bought for them

*Weight gain from munching the mounds of sweets people bring into the office or deliver to your home, or...

*More stress brought on by trying to figure out a polite way to turn down the sweets without offending the person who baked them (or, more likely, ponied up a ton money buying them)

*Annoyance at the constant din of irritating Christmas jingles and advertising hammering at you in every store you enter, on every commercial radio station, and in every public space across the land

*Depression when you get to spend the holiday alone while you're being propagandized from all directions about the alleged "joy" everyone else is experiencing with their allegedly happy families

*Sorrow and guilt that you can no longer afford to buy a mountain of Christmas cards and pay for the postage to mail them to all your friends, to say nothing of not having enough time to address scores of envelopes

*Tedious and time-wasting Christmas "traditions" at the office for which you are required to buy "Secret Santa" gag gifts and to pretend great amusement when you're given one of the darn things

*And the expenditure of way more than you can afford to spend on the after-Christmas sales

Grand holiday, really grand!

Three years ago my family and I moved overseas.  No Christmas gifts to buy EVERYONE, no cards to send out, no TV commercials to make me feel guilty for not buying EVERYONE I know a Christmas gift... it was pure heaven!  So last year, and this year, I took my camera everywhere.  I take pictures of my friends and family whenever we see each other.  I never realized how many people I have in my life who are so dear to me that I've never had a picture of before.  I take GREAT pictures and then send them, framed to my friends and family.  You would think that I'd sent an entire load of gifts!  People SO APPRECIATE a great picture of themselves with you!  It has been the cheapest, the greatest and the most loved gift I have ever given to people.  I also HAND WRITE a card to each person and tell them why I think s/he is so wonderful.  It's pennies spent.  About two to three hours of my time per person during the year and the photos end up displayed like trophies (:  It also hits every age bracket - from my niece who is 10 to my parents who have everything they need and are in their 70's.