Underconsumption, minimal, frugal, anti-capitalist; whatever you want to call it, I don’t want to go broke over Christmas. I also don’t want to turn my house into Santa’s Workshop trying to DIY a mass of gifts. I picture myself sewing in the evenings after an easy dinner. Stitching rather than shopping. Baking rather than buying. I see myself calm and peaceful as I enjoy the process of creating instead of consuming. There will be time for hot chocolates and Christmas movies too. When I wrap everything up I won’t worry that it’s not enough, I won’t think that I let anyone down, and I won’t feel the ick of having overspent on stuff that no one really needed.
I’m a good gift giver. By that I mean that I’m good at shopping for people. But I don’t want to shop. Don’t get be wrong; I’ve ordered a few things that were specifically asked for by my husband and daughter. I’ve done some thrifting too but I’ve decided that I’m done. A week before Thanksgiving and I can’t bear the thought of searching the stores for gifts anymore.
I know I have some leftover wrapping paper and ribbon from last year. I have huge stash of well used gift bags. I can make tags out of paper. I have tins from years past that I can use for giving baked goods. I even have all the fabric and supplies that I need for the things I plan on making.
We have an emergency fund and a healthy savings and the student loans are close to being paid off. If I were to shop like I usually do I would most likely dip into the savings or at best wouldn’t be able to put any savings away this month. I certainly wouldn’t be able to pay any extra towards the student loans. Living within our means is important. Paying off the student loans is important. I don’t want to exchange my ability to do those things for the ego boost I get when I watch people open the gifts that I shopped so good for them.
That’s always what shopping comes down to; ego. Ego buys the clothes and the lipstick and all the shiny toys for the girls and boys. That’s the ick. It’s going against my own best interests to feel good in a moment. I want to find my “feel good” in a healthy amount of stoicism.
Mrs. Fresh Tries Her Best 