The quagmire of Christmas

The holiday shopping season is once again in full gear! The stores are filled with glittering displays of beautiful merchandise. It is all so intoxicating. It's easy to see how we can so easily get sucked in by it. Retail outlets have their pulse on the consumer, knowing just how to merchandise their wares to get our attention, and open our wallets.
Unfortunately, for those of us in deep debt, Christmas is a tricky time. I am very nervous on how to get it all done, make all the purchases, meet everyone's expectations, and still keep my head above water. We made the decision a few years ago to forgo gift giving among the adults, and simply buy Christmas presents for the kids. It's all about keeping costs in line, and everyone seems to think it's a wise idea.
I have made my resolution to try as hard as I can to stay within my budget, and NOT use my credit cards to buy my presents. We'll see how this works. So far, so good. I made one major purchase online, paid with a credit card and paid it right off the next day. For my husband's gifts, I am buying him a new phone for his office using Air Miles (www.airmiles.ca) and a new Bauer electric razor with my Shoppers Optimum points (www.shoppersdrugmart.ca). So I feel good about that, he'll be receiving the things he really wants, and I found a way to do it without spending any money. It'll be more challenging buying all the kids' gifts, but I have done well so far, and no major debt has been incurred. I'll keep you posted on my progress.