Ye Olde Humbuggers Corner

I've never been one to get into the whole christmas thing, especially the stressful hyper consumerism side of things - in our family it is £10 max per gift (if you choose to buy anything) so it is something novel and amusing, so even if it is 'wrong' it's the thought that counts.

What we do is buy some especially nice wines (plenty of champers, natch!!), good food and hopefully some boardgames and some rubbish telly and share with family and friends over the holiday period, as well as calls to those who we can't see who are flung far and wide around the globe.

I'd like to wish everyone on GC (what an all round warm-hearted bunch of people!) a happy xmas/holidays/solstice/humbug time, whatever you do and stay safe and well.

Bah humbug "santa hat""santa hat""santa hat""santa hat""santa hat""santa hat""santa hat"

GG

 

All the best GG......have a lovely time. "sleigh2"

 

BAH HUMBUG to you too GG and a "mer xm"

Val

 

Unlike any other month, we aim to only spend around half our income in December and save a substantial wedge.

Presents for others are mainly bargain/free purchases together with home made preserves, wines, etc.

Presents for ourselves fluctuate wildly in value/cost (don't know which one to strikeout!). The principle is that it must be either very good or exceptional value for money, something that's either needed/would get regularly used and also provide a commensurate level of enjoyment. So could be between 10p & £1,000.

 

have a wonderful time , I have decided its me thats going to have the most spent on for a change

 

Yep, the annual festival of greed is nearly upon us. Humbug to the lot of you!

 

We'll spend some of what we've saved this month next year on cheap, reduced presents for the following year and most of the remainder on loads of cheap off-peak bargain holidays.

 

Whatever happened to 'it's better to give than to receive'? I don't agree with the blatant consumerism that Christmas has become, but the only point left to it all, for me, was to choose and give presents to people I love. (Not necessarily to people I should have given to i.e. family)

 

The main point of Christmas for me is to get together with people I love, preferably to eat some delicious food together, or sing, or dance, or listen to lovely music together. To celebrate that, and to make the effort to be in contact with people that perhaps have drifted away over the past year.

I just don't see the point of spending hours buying stuff that people neither need nor want, or if they did would just go straight out and buy it for themselves anyway. I know that for a lot of people the present-buying is a physical, emotional and financial drain that most people over the age of about 12 would be perfectly well off without.

Of course, if something is wanted, needed or can't easily be afforded I can see the point - but how often is that true? Most gift-giving is a treadmill of mutual obligation and I think it has got out of hand.

 

The main point of Christmas to me is to have something nice to eat for my dinner and exchange a few gifts with the people I care about. In saying that there has been a couple of occasions in my life when due to various reasons, I didn't bother with Christmas at all. I can honestly say I didn't miss it. Thinking about it, there are more things I dislike about Christmas than like so I tend to go with the flow for the other people in my life who enjoy it all and stick a smile on my face. Left to my own devices, I'd probably doss about in my PJ's all day, eat copious amounts of chocolate and a large veggie pizza while reading a very good book. Heaven!!

 

the other day some Chistmas card arrived. Husband says We should send a card to them also. So I thought no WE in this , might as well turn the W upside down and that will be how it is.