Can You Afford Christmas?

Ok..no Happy Holidays then...Have a super solstice!! Almost every civilization, society, and religion has a major holiday or festival this time of year. And the vast majority of them stress the same themes.
Lights in the darkness blazing or twinkling merrily.
Eating a large and feast like meal.
Giving gifts to those you like and love.
Spending time with family and friends.

It is all the celebration of the return of the light as the shortest days of the year end and the hours of sunlight begin to return. It is a celebration, however elaborate or simple YOU choose to make it, that says spring is on its way.

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Afford Christmas? Not as much as last year. Enjoy Christmas? Just as much as ever. What's it about anyway?

Give me a break whiners. Christmas is about Christ. God didn't want stress. The only people to blame for having a leaner Christmas is yourselves. If you can't save it and plan ahead, that's your problem. Don't think Obami is going to help. What does the middle class expect this season? Going to the gas pump and paying some "middle class" price? Maybe the middle class thinks they should have their own price for the WII. This gets political....I'm sick and tired of gloom and doom. Christmas is "CHRISTmas" We only have it because Jesus was born. If I hear one more bleeding heart liberal say "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!" I'm going to scream. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

Can I afford Christmas this year? Of course, because the true meaning of Christmas is an everyday occurrence. Since Christmas is really all about Easter, why couldn't one afford it? Remember Christ was born for only one reason; TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF ALL MANKIND. This so-called "holiday shopping" fiasco is a man made folly. The Bible clearly states we are not to invest in things that can rot, be stolen or eaten by moths. Believe whatever you want, I BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.

Dolce m'appare.

Dolce m'appar
del sol la poesia,
l'aurora beata
al fior della vita
e la timida quiete
co trilli a' passar
de giovin chiarore:
odo il bagliore,
vivo l'eterno
co lieta novella.

Francesco Sinibaldi

The last couple of years our Christmas has been non-exsistent. I've had cancer 5 times since Nov. 2006 and my daughter has been very ill. We are barely able to pay our bills and are in debt up to our eyeballs thanks to our lovely insurance companies and government. Christmas is for children and I don't understand all the fuss about buying gifts you can't afford. The whole holiday revolves around how much money the stores can make and has nothing to do with family and friends. Folks, this year, welcome to the world of paying cash, layaway or not buying anything. It's time people start living on cash and let the credit card companies step off their high horse and see what kind of mess they created.

Christmas Gifts are..for children. Otherwise I'm knitting everyone I know a scarf or hat for Christmas. Besides..

Who honestly needs one more piece of crud to have to find a place for and dust regularly for the next year?

All of my adult friends and I are pooling small amouints of money and supporting a charity this year, thus making us feel closer together through a shared cause. (We've had some very good conversations choosing a charity we all support), and giving someone who really needs it a gift of support at the holidays. And we're giving ourselves, a party and some good karma to start the new year.

Perpetual hymn of an open book.

Like an iced
dream my mind
disappears in
the heart of
an innocent
nurse, when a
clamour appears
and a delicate
blackbird discovers
a glimmer.

Francesco Sinibaldi

I have a 2 year old and a 6 year old and those poor babies aren't getting anything for Christmas. If I get Christmas gifts for them that means I can't pay our electric or rent...or something else we have to have. I am trying to teach them what the season is really about. We are making cards for our troops and trying to put together a small care package to send to them for Christmas.
I just wish there was something I could do for them so they don't feel forgotten....

Not this year or next year, I will look every dolar to spend and save as much I cut my family agree with me we have all we need right now I will save my money for what is coming for one side is coming some help but for the other side a ugly surprise is looming, only I can said save your money spend only what you can afford.
and Good luck to all. sorry can't said marry christmas for all these folks they loose everything and most they are by the door, I said one more time SAVE YOUR MONEY,!!

L'étoile du soleil.

Quand la neige
disparaît et un voile
de brouillard m'appelle
silencieux dans la
délicate pluie, j'attends
le matin; une douce
émotion me donne
une pensée, et comme
le chant du matin
qui décrit la lumière
de la naturelle voix,
ainsi, dans mon coeur,
j'écoute le soupir
de la chère illusion:
et alors je comprends,
l'étoile du soleil qui
rappelle la jeunesse.

Francesco Sinibaldi

Of course I can afford Christmas. Even if I have no money, Christmas will come right on along. I will spend the day with my family and buy what I can afford and buy it on the Internet to find the best price. My kids are grown but if I had little kids, there are many organizations that will make sure they have nice things on Christmas day. The company I work for has run out of "wish lists" 3 times and my office is still waiting on one. If the big kids don't like it, it's time they grew up a bit. Oh Christmas will be great...I get tired of reading about the gloom and doom!

America needed this economic crisis to wake it up out of it's dream, we forgot the lessons of those who lived through the Depression. I always thought it strange that people from this era would save so much money, not now. I understand there fear and Americans need to go back to saving more. Credit got to easy and investors, the new American wealth, educated wanted high returns for there investments. For awhile that's what they got but now that is one of the things dragging down our economic system. My wife is getting 2 pair of pajamas and I ask for a cheap pair of Old Navy slippers for the holidays. I intend to spend half of what I usually spend. Also I have not met or talked to anyone who is not spending less this year. I even know a family that's going to get a $20 X-mas tree, they usually spend $100 on a big tree, not this year, that's a bad economy.

The prior economy was well oiled with money awash. We live in a new reality, where people after these tough times will save more (hopefully) as peoples attitudes will hopefully change as they did for people who lived through the Depression. America actually needed this economic crisis to wake it up out of a dream. It is bad out there and I haven't talked to or met a person who is going to spend the same this Christmas as last. I told my wife to get me a pair of cheap Old Navy slippers and that's it this year. I am getting her 2 pair of pajamas.

I don't even want to THINK about Christmas. My husband works for Circuit City so things are not looking very good for us right now. We live day, to day; waiting for that phone call informing us he's lost his job. We usually go all out and splurg on our family but this year, it's bare bones.

I don't have time, money or the energy to focus on Christmas...just one more thing to stress over.

MONEY MUST BE SPENT ON HIGHER BILLS COMING IN ---------- TOUGH ECONOMY MEANS TOUGH TIMES.

CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES OF GREED.

THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE POOR GET POORER.

RISE IN GAS PRICES WAS THE EXCUSE NEEDED TO RAISE ALL PRICES FOR CONSUMERS.