Sunday, November 30, 2008

Shopping Conundrum

I was not a Black Friday participant this year. Actually, I haven't shopped the day after Thanksgiving since my dad would wake us up in the dark hours of the early morning to go buy socks at Fred Meyers. My father....the millionaire who bought his tube socks in bulk, half-price, at Fred Meyers.

It would be a lie to say I hate shopping, but I do have to be in the right mood. Shopping with hundreds of trigger-happy suburbanites coked up on Starbucks and leftover pumpkin pie doesn't get me in that mood.

This year I finished my shopping before Thanksgiving and pretty much avoided shopping malls altogether. I should be relieved, but what I mostly feel is guilt. I keep thinking that maybe I should be shopping and helping to save people's jobs right now. If people like me aren't shopping, then maybe the economy will collapse even more. But then again, if something were to happen to our jobs, and we had spent money on Christmas and thus had less in our emergency savings .... well, that would be a problem.

And on the green side of things, I rocked it this Christmas. I bought two gifts for the boys used on craigslist. They were practically new, but with no packaging, gas spent on shipping, etc. I even made a couple of small gifts.

Yeah for me!!! My carbon snow print this Christmas will be pretty small. Boo for me!!! I'm putting people out of work as I avoid the mall. Yeah for me!!! I am preserving our savings.

Ohhhh.....what to do?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

yeah for you! I think you will be able to enjoy Christmas more, with some of the things done early. It seems like the last half of December flies by way too fast. I remember being in the bedroom wrapping gifts as you and your family were coming in the front door. I think that was the only time I might have had high blood pressure. My eyes were doing weird things, Tami was in there helping me, thank goodness. I had the grandkids for acouple of days after Thanksgiving, so we put our tree up and let them decorate it. Then Saturday, it was so nice outside, I got Rocky to put the lights up. I have never started so early. But I have mom and dads house to decorate too. SO, Have A Merriest Christmas Love, and hohoho, Aunti Jan

Jen said...

well, it helps that I have to ship most of my gifts off to the West Coast and I know they won't arrive on time if I'm late....

I haven't made the trip to the post office, so I'm not all the way done....

Razzy said...

Don't feel bad because you are one of the smart ones who will have enough money to pay their mortgage. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!