Warding off post-season blues...?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Warding off post-season blues...?
9
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 4:39pm

Sounds like a lot of people are in the doldrums today, post-season blues. And the blues are a dangerous place to be when trying not to spend money--I just spent most of the day in the stores, supposedly for post-Christmas sales, but really because I am just feeling too tired to clean my filthy post-holiday house.

So, what can we do to keep ourselves happy and avoid spending to ward off the blues? Ideas??

Here are some things I'm going to try:

Posting on this board! I already feel better... lol

Clean out a closet. Maybe if I get working and clearing out clutter it will keep me from wanting to go buy something new.

Organize a space for my new "stuff" from Christmas.

Make myself a cup of hot tea and sit in front of the television with some knitting.

Clean the kitchen--I always feel better when the sink's not full of dishes.

Go to bed as early as my kids will let me tonight!!

What I *won't* do any more of, is shopping--ugh! Fortunately, I shop enough yard sales to be horrified at the cost even of sale items in most stores, and so my purchases included only replacing the slippers ds found uncomfortable, buying a pair of slippers (less than $3--beats even some yard sale prices) for my other ds, and some pretty Christmas ornaments I can put in gift baskets next year. BUT, we did end up going out to eat at Steak & Shake, which is something we almost never do, and it was a fiasco anyway with just me and two very tired, very hungry, very cranky young children and a waitress who took forever to bring us anything, let alone think to bring crackers for the kids or enough napkins or to keep our tiny glasses of water filled... agh!!! LOL Why did I spend the money, when I could have come home and had turkey sandwiches almost for free??? And endless water and napkins, and the freedom to set the baby down to play, which is what he wanted?? Reminds me what a waste it is going out to eat most of the time...

Anyway, bring on those ideas for beating the post-holiday blues!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 4:45pm

My blues are just a continuation from the holiday. My dd was with her dad on Christmas (me on Christmas Eve) and I don't have any family around. So I already cleaned my house and did all my dishes, and I didn't get any gifts to make room for (dd has a few that won't be hard to fit in her play area. I did go buy a new daytimer today for $35 and that felt good. But that's about all I have in my spending budget. I only went over my Christmas budget by $15 so I feel good about that.

What I am going to try to do is making it to an exercise class tonight right after work - one that I have not been to before and I am sure it will be very challenging - and try to stay away from threads about everyone's wonderful Christmas.

Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 6:50pm

Ahhhhh... That stinks, not getting to be with your daughter on Christmas! Here are some cyber hugs coming your way----

Congratulations on staying within your Christmas budget--good job!! I had a little help from a freelance check that came just in time to absorb the slight overspending I did (mostly for food, which is my holiday weakness, and dh's co-workers), so I admire you for staying within yours.

Give yourself a pat on the back, and know that you will feel better about the coming year knowing that you are not starting out with an additional debt burden.

Blessings,

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2004
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 7:32pm

This past Sunday I had to work so that kept me out of the stores ;)

Yet it was slow at work (and we're allowed to work on personal stuff we bring in) so I wrapped up my 2004 Bill Due/Budget Binder and made a spreadsheet of my tax deductible receipts for the tax preparer and started creating my 2005 Binder and spreadsheets.

I also made a list of what I "need" to go shopping for (like toothpaste and vegis) instead of what I "want" to go shopping for. I also cleaned out my coupon orgaziner which felt great because I found some coupons I can use before the end of the month and some things that I can double coupon (one store coupon and one manufactor coupon).

When I got home I did a check of my cubards and was able to cross a couple of things off my list (isn't it amazing how you "forget" what you already have). I also pulled out some things to prepare this week before they are "banned" with the diet kick off next week ;)

It's amazing how much I can get done when I just dig in and to it! Tonight I'm just tidying up here and there and putting things back in their places that got put where ever when the holidays were here, also making a couple of calls to old friends and trying to leave that gosh dang teevee off ~ that thing just zaps all my time up when I get in front of it ;)

Oh, I also put a empty box in the hallway (sort of center of the house) and have been adding things to it for the spring garage sale, I've already filled 2 boxes and almost done filling the 3rd, it's decluttering and simplifing my life and it will hopefully turn out to be profitable as well.

So the "little things" I guess are what is keeping me busy and fighting off the blues.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 10:04pm

Ideas...

Exercise! Even just going for a walk around the block would be great! But, not a good time for mall walking!

Go to the library! Take some time for yourself to read in a library atmosphere free of spending temptations. Take a good book home to enjoy with a cup of tea!

Invite a few friends over for tea and cookies and to dish on your holidays good and bad.

Play with the kids....make a few snow angels!

Start a journal.

Enjoy a long bath. Enjoy a long nap!

Practice your computer skills....learn a new skill thru the web.

Littlesbigs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Tue, 12-28-2004 - 3:25am
I bet just about everyone could do their own version of this: Today, I decided to go on a treasure hunt in the basement. Seriously, since we just moved a couple months ago, I found some pretty cool stuff down there that I had long forgotten about. Even the kids were excited because I made such a big deal out of it. However, i did not find my gloves, so that was a bummer. Went to Kohls and bought a nice new warm pair. I walked around the store but did not buy anything else, because I don't have any money! Actually, that is a lie. i got a pretty good sized check for Christmas, but I am not even going to the bank with it until I figure out what I want to do with it (so it doesn't get nickled and dimed into nonexistence) Tomorrow I am going to cook a pineapple upside down cake. There is something about having good food and warm clothes that makes me feel like I have everything that I could want. Heather
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Tue, 12-28-2004 - 7:25am

Honestly we don't have it so bad...if we have food, shelter, clothes, and our family life is good. Think about all the other things going on in this world right now...so many sad things. Not to be a downer but the death pole due to the tsunami is now over 44,000.

I think taking it one day at a time and turning over A new leaf now and again is a good thing...and maybe clean the house...LOL.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Tue, 12-28-2004 - 8:31am
You are right. And the people who survived the tsunami have nothing. There was a report on it this morning saying where it hit was already an economically empoverished area that depends soley on fishing for survival, but all the boats were destroyed by the tsunami so they will not be able to fish. Plus there are so many who survived but their children were killed. It's really one of the worst things that can happen to you. It makes you put your problems into perspective.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2004
Tue, 12-28-2004 - 9:41am
I agree, such an awful thing to deal with. It has helped put things in perspective in a big way!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-2003
Tue, 12-28-2004 - 10:24am

Natural disasters have a way of putting things in perspective. I send my condolences to all who lost loved ones.

To ward off my season's blues. I bought a book I wanted at Barnes & Noble yesterday to read during my lunch hour. I miss the days when I travelled the tube in London and could read on my way to work, instead of navigating through a traffic like now. I'm not a big shopper, never have been so I rarely go to a mall and when I do I find it kind of stressful. It snowed on Sunday, so I was thinking of exchanging a pair of jeans I had bought that were too small but I decided just to stay in with my boyfriend and watch TV.

I want to start a journal up again, especially now that I have quit smoking! Looking forward to the New Year and new challenges. I want to start running again, but don't like it i the cold weather. BRRRRRRRRR