My brother is known for saying, at the completion of our extended family’s luncheon on Christmas day, and all the gifts no longer have their wrapping, “This was the best Christmas ever!”
Well, this time, I think he was right. Although we probably spent less money this Christmas than we have since the kids were under 3- we had a great time.
Why is that? Well maybe it was because we had been to several funerals recently, and it brings home the cliché: “Treat everyday like it is your last!”
The kids were home, and we are all healthy and blessed. One of our nieces has let everyone know she is expecting. We all tried extra hard this year to let everyone know our want’s and need’s, and that made most gifts very practical.
I have not finished up my Christmas shopping spreadsheet, so don’t know the final damage, but just having it certainly helps rein in the last-minute shopping impulse.
I have another funeral to go to tomorrow, but in between, we are still visiting with extended family, although my children and their hounds have left the building……
After my rant a couple of days ago about designer clothing, Five Cent Nickle has a great post about buying value vs cheap, so read it for his thoughts on the subject.
Another question I get asked about often is “What is inflation, and why do we hear about it so much on the business channel?” The Mighty Bargain Hunter has a post about inflation with good explanatory examples that are well worth the time. So review that and let me know if you have further questions on the subject. Inflation has been tame for the past year or so, but will be higher over the next 18-24 months, at least as predicted by many financial pundits.
I will discuss in a future post what The Millionaire Nurse will be doing about this expected rise in inflation.
Continue to enjoy the holidays, and I hope your favorite team wins their bowl game.
Tags: buying quality, family time, inflation
