My Thanksgiving Holiday

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
My Thanksgiving Holiday
5
Thu, 11-25-2004 - 8:10am

Hi! I hope everyone is going to enjoy a special holiday with family and friends! I hope we will all be looking back over the year and find many things to be thankful for no matter how silly, personal, or small!

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday next to Christmas and my birthday! I really will enjoy the 4 day holiday my employer allows, but this year I'm not getting paid for the 2 workdays I miss which is a bummer, esp. since Christmas is on the way, and I have gifts to buy (and a higher heating bill to pay)....and I have to take extra unpaid time off, too, next month for doctor visits and home repairs.....

This year I usually take some of the family elders out to the fancy buffet dinner across town, but this year I am bringing dinner over, and I know a few are disappointed, but I can't afford it. I think we'll hav some fun anyway. I have to spend some time preparing all the stuff I have to bring over to entertain them(like old pictures and the video camera).........I'm buying the turkey dinner because I just don't have the ability to cook this year, but it much less expensive than the fancy buffet.

Tomorrow I will be at the gym, not the mall.........I WANT to be shopping SO BAD, but I checked the balance in my checking account last night, and I had $5.00 in it after all the bills had cleared.......Reality check.......I'll really need to be at the gym rather than the mall anyway! And then I have projects inside the house that have to be done that I thought I'd work on all weekend.....I will try to distract myself from the idea of shopping, but I can't be stuck inside the house the whole weekend.....Small house, small office building.....getting clostrophobic!!!!!!!!!

Feeling thankful, Littlesbigs

Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-25-2004 - 9:33am

You know, a few may be disappointed not going to the fancy buffet...however, you never know, many may end up liking this a lot better and it could become the new tradition!!!


Hang in there, you can make it through the weekend (just come to the board instead of the mall if you can't quite get out of the house!!)

Becky -

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Fri, 11-26-2004 - 10:36am

The meal turned out okay, and I really enjoyed the dinner I bought and brought over....I may actually have been converted to this method for holiday meals permanently because it was so easy, and there was very little mess to clean up! It was much, much less expensive than the buffet out would have been. Also, the weather here was horrible, so I was happy to not have to drive all over the place to get to a restaurant.

I have not left the house yet to do anything....I am enjoying being a bum this morning. I may head out to buy gas, go to the bank, buy stamps.....Watching the shoppers competing to get in the door of stores on the TV this morning looked SO DANGEROUS! I was so glad to be home......I will eventually hit the gym to work off my gobble.......but the shopping/buying urge is low this morning.

Whew!

Littlesbigs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Fri, 11-26-2004 - 3:51pm
You did great!! Congratulations! Sometimes it is so easy to get in that spend because you have the have to feeling, but we are working on cutting expenses right now too. It is so hard when you've been doing the same things over the year to finally change and do things within your budget, but you are truly an inspiration!! And going to the gym instead of shopping? I'm not shopping today (in fact I had my husband take $20 out of the bank and told him that that is all the money we can spend until Wednesday..to which he seemed a bit disappointed because he wanted to buy Shrek 2), but I'm not going to the gym. If the spirit moves me, I will try to catch up on the laundry! How much money do you figure you saved? I bet it was a lot, and it didn't sound too awfully painful! So WHOOhoo to YOU!!! Heather
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Sat, 11-27-2004 - 9:28am

Hi, Heather! I think I saved $100 not going to the buffet. I went to one store that was not crowded to buy something small for myself, so I spent $20.00 yesterday. Didn't go to the gym after all, but will today. I'll get out for a ride, too......but I am not particularly interested in Xmas shopping right now. (more interested in cleaning the kitchen in preparation for some improvement work to be done soon and NAPPING) I do have an upcoming family shopping trip coming up, but I may end up mostly taking notes on what everyone wants and possibly get gift cards for them. This is going to be a mellow hliday for me emotionally and FINANCIALLY! I was able to buy a lot more last year before my money situation changed down. But somehow I think I will "get" more out of this one this year.

Littlesbigs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Sat, 11-27-2004 - 12:03pm
Nothing beats a good nap!! I'm interested in cleaning my bedroom..the dumping ground for all of the boxes when we moved, but not THAT interested. I don't spend much time in my bedroom anyhow, sleep deprived as I am!!! Anyhow, good luck making it to the gym. It has been raining here all day. We live in Wisconsin, so it is cold, yucky rain. Perfect napping weather, if only my children weren't being rambunctious!! Heather