seriously?

We're coming down to the wire for Christmas ... no surprise, since it's always been the same date, for, oh, pretty much ever.

I offered to help one of my grandmothers do the shopping for the grandkids (ages 10 (December birthday), 8 1/2 and 7 (December birthday too) in one house and ages 7 and 5 at my house). I managed to get the other crew what I thought was a pretty cool gift, and I know they'll like it, for $52. Not bad. So, I figured that I'd go and find something in the $40 range for my kids, thinking that I was spending per child.

Nope.

I was told yesterday, that the goal was $30 per child, and that I had to spend the same amount per household. I have to go back out and spend an additional $40 for one house and then still some more for my own.

Why does this make me want to cry?

I feel like I am now shopping for spending moneys sake, not for the reason behind the gift. I was thinking that Gram would be pleased, because I came in under budget. Well, nope.

I look at the amount of things that the children in both of these houses already have, and the space limitations we're all working with, and with the thought in mind that they will be getting more "stuff" in the next week. I don't want to shop for shoppings sake, I want to get gifts for these children that I know that they will like, that they will appreciate, that they will take care of. Not just something to open on Christmas morning.

Perhaps I'm looking at it from the wrong angle, I don't know. I know that I've slowly been removing myself from the retail cycle, trying to give experiences and consumables, and things that last. It goes back to the "I just want to live simply" mantra that runs through my head.

So now, as I prepare to head out and shop some more, I don't do it with any joy, but with anxiety.

Am I a scrooge, and do I just not know it?

couponing

I was over visiting on one of the "Mom Boards" that I frequent, and I came across a thread about couponing. I thought it was a "oh my gosh, I saved $X in coupons today" type of thread, but these moms took it beyond that.

I didn't know it, but there is a program at CVS that lets you buy items, and then you get bucks back, to use on your next purchase. Some of the moms go crazy, and buy a ton of things, some that they may or may not use, so they can get the extra bucks. Then, on their next purchase, they use the extra bucks, and get things for very close to free. Some of the shoppers will later have a garage sale and sell a tube of toothpaste that they got for free for a dollar, others donate the items to shelters or send them to soldiers that are currently serving over seas. Hmm ... interesting. I don't know if I could have a garage sale, but I could definitely see adding these things to the boxes that I am sending to "our" soldier.

Last week, I had a coupon for Buy One toothbrush, Get one free. And, on top of that, the store was giving back $5.50 in register rewards. So, for two battery powered toothbrushes, I paid $6.33. Not bad. And it's something we can use.

Today, I saw that they had cereal on sale 3 for $7. I had a coupon for $1 off of two boxes, so I got three boxes for $6. Then, I used the $5.50 in register rewards, and ended up paying $0.62 for three full sized boxes of cereal. Definitely something we use at our house. And, I got two more coupons - one specifically for cereal and another $2 reward for my next purchase, whatever it may be.

In two weeks, I have gotten two battery powered toothbrushes and three boxes of cereal, and I have spent $6.95.

I think I get the idea of couponing, and now I see how some people get caught up in the deal scoring aspect of it. After reading through some of those posts, I didn't know why they were so jazzed ... but now I do. I ended up paying $0.21 per box! The only thing better than that would be free.

With the price of gas what it is, and money tighter than it used to be, I'm paying a bit more attention to coupons and sale flyers, and definitely the money being spent. Now, after having figured this out, I think I have another angle to approach it from.