The quagmire of Christmas part 2

I was out running some errands today, and went into a book shop to get my brother a birthday gift, and into the Hallmark store to get him a birthday card. In both cases, the person ahead of me in the checkout line tried to pay for their purchase with a debit card, and in both cases the purchases were declined. Unbelievable, but true. So many times, I feel alone in this process, like no one understands how much it sucks being broke, and then something like this occurs, and suddenly I realize, there's a whole lotta folks just like me. We're all running on empty, trying to purchase yet another gift, with only the hint of a whiff of gas left in the tank.

Yesterday, I mentioned as part of my need to be thrifty this year, I purchased both my husband's Christmas gifts using rewards points. I also used rewards points to purchase a free photobook from Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com). I plan on giving my Dad and stepmom a photobook of my oldest son's first year. Using rewards points is one way to try to minimize costs at Christmas. With the many types of rewards programs out there, there is certainly a wide range of gifts you could select.

Another aspect of my gift giving this year will be to give the gift of Christmas treats. I did this last year, and it turned out well. I'll make a few dozen cookies and bars, buy some decorative boxes and ribbons at the dollar store, and voila, instant personalized gift that most people will appreciate! It certainly didn't cost me much money, maybe $30 total on baking supplies, and $10 at the dollar store. A really smart Christmas idea for the cash strapped consumer!