Friday, December 9, 2016

Christmas Time is Here Again

Christmas is rapidly approaching. We were certainly not prepared for this. I won't even begin to lie. I would love to say that we have it all together but holy moly we are a hot mess this year. We became a serious couple in the middle of the year and yes I had intended to buy DS1 and DS2 gifts, but I had not intended how this year would unfold for us. I didn't expect that we would be combining and buy for 5 kids. I didn't expect to not be working due to illness. I didn't expect not to be in our own home but here we are.

So we got word that we will have all 5 boys overnight for Christmas just last week. This is super exciting for us. I am so thankful that Baby Mama is letting us have them! So we will be making the trek out to get them on Christmas morning. Of course, it will be close to 11 before they are down here on Christmas morning. So we are combining traditions. I typically get up with the boys around 7 on Christmas morning and open their gifts. However, Brad won't be back with the boys by then so we are going to have to wait. I have the tradition of making green pancakes and hot cocoa but we will have to do that without the boys.

Trying to make it completely even is really hard. I want all of the kids to experience the same thing! I want them to all know that they are even. There are no steps in our home except the ones that lead to the basement. That is why presents are so hard this year. Do we do the same amount of money on each kid? Do we do the same amount under the tree? Do we combine our limited budget and buy a really large gift for the 5 of them to share?

So this year, due to poor planning we are having to pull some Christmas magic and rely on creativity and lots of prayers. We have a game plan. We are going to take all of our used books, movies and CDs to the local used book store. We are going to opt for store credit instead of cash, because it pays out better. We are going to then look for the boys as many used Xbox games and board games as we can and use the credit and the cash we have on hand to rock this Christmas. Most of the products there are half off. I have been known to get games for $7.

Our kids, always have everything they need and most of what they want. They are thankful for what they receive. They don't care if it is used as long as it is in good condition and has all the pieces they are happy. To kids it's not about what you spend or the packaging it's about the fun and the mystery. I think that is a great start.

Now, we have started a game plan for next Christmas. So we can do it bigger and better! I am scrimping and saving and planning. If everything goes according to plan, we are planning on a family trip to Disney! Here's to hoping!

What are your tricks to provide on a budget?


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