Thanks to a series of unforeseen circumstances (major natural disaster, car repairs, pestilence, economic downturn, etc.) our family is approaching the upcoming holidays in um, slightly diminished circumstances. Our situation is not dire- we are not about to lose our home, my husband holds a well paying job which allows me to stay home and take care of my family and we have more blessings than we can count. We are comfortably middle class. We do however have a mortgage, two car notes and an unhealthy amount of credit card debt. Our savings is at a spectacular new low, and we have a son headed of to college next fall. And now, here come the holidays. We typically spend between (gulp!) two and three thousand dollars at Christmas time. This includes gifts, decorating, entertaining, travel and liquor (need a lot of that this time of year.) That kind of money simply is not an option this year. Neither is cancelling Christmas.

So I've read all of the articles about how much better off we would be by having a simpler, more meaningful Christmas by "Unplugging the Christmas Machine". I have to say that I remain unconvinced that handmade gifts and working in a soup kitchen (not that either of those are bad things) is going to fly with my kids. It isn't that they are terribly spoiled, but I have spent the last 18 years trying to make each Christmas more spectacular than the last, so expectations are high. I realize how obnoxiously materialistic that makes our family sound and it isn't that we don't know "THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS" but honestly, if the Grinch stole all our presents Christmas morning, we would not be standing around holding hands and singing some song that doesn't even have real lyrics.

As I mentioned, we have no option but to downsize this year. I know that we are not alone in this, and I think that instead of reading one more article about how blissfully happy we will be if we all make presents out of popsicle sticks, or each other those cheesy coupon books (Good for one free unloading of the dishwasher, etc.) I am going to record or honest efforts to make do with less.

Wish me luck, because tonight, I present the plan to the family.