Christmas? It's Christmas? Who knew? All I've been focused on is selling my house, buying another one and packing to move there! Christmas has been low on the list of life events for me.
I love Christmas!
This year is really going to be different for my family. I'm glad that hubby and I helped decorate the tree at our girls' apartment a few weeks back. That might have to hold us over until next year. This coming weekend is our final truck-loading move time.
Boxes and piles will be all I know for a long time.
So, how do you save money at Christmas time? I'll tell ya.
1 — Spend an enormous amount of money fixing up and repairing your old house to put on the market to sell.
* New roof & seamless gutters
* New paint
* New bar & barstools
* New window treatments
* New heater covers
The list goes on….and my savings account shows it. Boo!
2 — Buy a new house in a higher market area to be closer to work. Yea, that'll cost ya!
* Tear out the disgusting carpet and put in wood laminate floors. $$$
* Replace the shower heads, shower curtain rods and dream of changing the bathtub/showers.
* New window treatments. Baby steps here.
* New cabinet liners & cleaning supplies for a house dirty from other people's cooties. Don't ask about the dishwasher trim. Eww!
* Paint. Eventually.
This list can go on too because everybody knows making a home your own takes time AND MONEY!!
3 — Spend all the money you have left MOVING!
* Rent a moving truck TWICE!! Because it takes you two weekends to move all your stuff, finish out your job and commute the long distance between it all.
* Pay all the start up costs of new utilities; electricity, water, garbage, cable/wifi and whatever else you'll need to live somewhere new. Kapow!
* Blow money left & right on all sorts of crazy things you need to get moved in. In our case, we've bought a new ladder, tools, rugs etc… It never ends!
All of that, my friends…will suck your Christmas budget money completely dry. I suppose its a good thing my kids are young adults and understand how tight it can be with all the moving and life changing going on. I trust that God has a great plan for each of us. The year isn't over, yet.
Who knows, maybe we'll be all moved in with beds in place and boxes out of the way…..but I don't know how we'll do it and have any energy left. I'm learning, slowly…ONE THING AT A TIME!!
I am so happy to be moving and I love my new house. Christmas may be a little different this year but I'll still have all the things I treasure close by — MY SWEET FAMILY!
How do you save money at Christmas?