Can you believe that in nineteen days it will be Thanksgiving? One month after that and it’s already Christmas! With two major Holidays around the corner I wanted to make sure that we here at Repo Nation maintain our focus of surviving the holidays without losing an arm and a leg.
I know from experience that it can be very tough to power through the jingle bells, apple pies, and turkeys. Fear not. I have gathered and worked meticulously to create this holiday guide to make sure that this holiday season can truly be a blessing from above.
Have a Plan
Don’t go crazy on all the food and go overboard with the decorations. Sometimes simplifying works best. If you have a smaller family, plan out which dish can be made without having to be in the kitchen all day along. Main dish I love for Thanksgiving would be turkey, potato, sweet potato, canned cranberry, and apple pie. Simple. If you have a larger family coming over, my suggestion would be to have everyone bring one dish from their home so you’re not stuck with having to cook everything.
Don’t Feel Obligated on Buying Everyone a Present
Remember, there is only one of you and many of them. I remember as a 23 year old man going to school full-time buying my whole family presents. Just off the top of my head, I’m looking at seven people that I bought gifts for. When I’m going to school full-time and not working how do I buy those gifts? Credit cards. Was it really worth it for me to get into debt just so I can buy my family a few trinkets that won’t even matter in a few days?
No.
Would my family understand if I couldn’t buy anything based on my situation? Of course. I didn’t see it that way at the time and I ended up suffering for it. My suggestion would be to get Mom and Pop something small and thoughtful or how about making it yourself and getting the artistic side out. The wife, husband and kids can have one present from the list they wrote and only if they are not on Santa’s naughty list.
One Present Rule
I broke this rule year after year growing up. There was one particular year where I really saw the light. Christmas 2007 I dressed up as Santa and had a bag full of present for both my sisters. They were so happy and excited so see me and could not wait to find out what I had in store for them. What bothered me was each time they opened a gift, the excitement wore off and the appreciation faded. It just felt like my sisters was more excited in just ripping the wrappers and didn’t really care about what’s inside. When it comes to gifts: Less is more.
Do not get caught up in the Marketing Madness
After Halloween, companies spend millions of dollars getting you hyped on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and last minute Christmas sales. Don’t fall for it! Relax, take a deep breath and realize that all that craziness is designed to get us in a buying frenzy and lose track of what’s really important…
Find the purpose and meaning of the holidays
With all the marketing, decorations, and sales, we lose focus on the true meaning of the holidays. For me personally, the true meaning of the holidays is about getting together as a family and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, not the latest gadgets or biggest sales. Find your true purpose and meaning. If you enjoyed this post please feel free to share or subscribe to my newsletter. Mahalo for reading.
Leave a Reply