Comments on: Christmas, Out of the Box http://frugalhacks.com/2007/12/12/christmas-out-of-the-box/ Good stewardship in action. How do you do it? Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:10:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Janel http://frugalhacks.com/2007/12/12/christmas-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1136 Janel Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:16:25 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=215#comment-1136 Gee Debbie, can I come to lunch with you the weeks the quartet sings? That sounds like great fun! Jane, I love the idea about only putting out half your decorations. I did that with my autumn ones this year. AnnMarie, I considered adding a bit more detail about my friend, but the piece was getting too long already. I'll be happy elaborate though, since you asked. :) Although you could pick any number you like for the total amount of gifts, both my friend and I like the Biblical significance of 3 - taken from the number of gifts the wise men brought the Christ Child. And like I said above, one represents gold, another frankincense and a third for myrrh. Essentially they give a gift of "worldly" significance to represent the gold. The gift would be one thing the child just wants. It might be a football, inline skates, a doll, a board game or something similar. I always mix up the frankincense and myrrh. One represents practical and the other spiritual. For the spiritual, it could be a devotional, a new Bible, a worship CD or a biblically inspired movie. The practical is just that, something they need that would be purchased new instead of being thrifted or secondhand. It could be shoes, a dress, backpack or whatever. Although my friends have chosen a $50 gift cap per person because of their limited budget, you could easily play with that number and lower it or raise it to suit your needs. To stretch the budget, you also could buy one larger, more expensive present for everybody. So it would be one large gift to share with everyone and two smaller individual ones for each. My friend has done that with great success in past years as well. HTH Gee Debbie, can I come to lunch with you the weeks the quartet sings? That sounds like great fun!

Jane, I love the idea about only putting out half your decorations. I did that with my autumn ones this year.

AnnMarie, I considered adding a bit more detail about my friend, but the piece was getting too long already. I’ll be happy elaborate though, since you asked. :)

Although you could pick any number you like for the total amount of gifts, both my friend and I like the Biblical significance of 3 – taken from the number of gifts the wise men brought the Christ Child. And like I said above, one represents gold, another frankincense and a third for myrrh.

Essentially they give a gift of “worldly” significance to represent the gold. The gift would be one thing the child just wants. It might be a football, inline skates, a doll, a board game or something similar.

I always mix up the frankincense and myrrh. One represents practical and the other spiritual. For the spiritual, it could be a devotional, a new Bible, a worship CD or a biblically inspired movie. The practical is just that, something they need that would be purchased new instead of being thrifted or secondhand. It could be shoes, a dress, backpack or whatever.

Although my friends have chosen a $50 gift cap per person because of their limited budget, you could easily play with that number and lower it or raise it to suit your needs.

To stretch the budget, you also could buy one larger, more expensive present for everybody. So it would be one large gift to share with everyone and two smaller individual ones for each. My friend has done that with great success in past years as well.

HTH

]]> By: My Adventures in Simple Living » Blog Archive » 3 gifts for Christmas http://frugalhacks.com/2007/12/12/christmas-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1134 My Adventures in Simple Living » Blog Archive » 3 gifts for Christmas Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:08:26 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=215#comment-1134 [...] writes in Christmas, out of the box about friends who give their kids 3 gifts each year: “One represents gold, another [...] [...] writes in Christmas, out of the box about friends who give their kids 3 gifts each year: “One represents gold, another [...]

]]> By: AnnMarie http://frugalhacks.com/2007/12/12/christmas-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1133 AnnMarie Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:05:20 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=215#comment-1133 Could you follow this up with an example from the family of 3 gifts. What sort of things would represent each of those three gifts? I've been trying to track down something I remember about a family that gave 7 (I think) gifts each year but I can't remember the reason behind each gift. So I've started a small collection of reasons for X gifts! I have three or four so far is all. thanks! Could you follow this up with an example from the family of 3 gifts. What sort of things would represent each of those three gifts?

I’ve been trying to track down something I remember about a family that gave 7 (I think) gifts each year but I can’t remember the reason behind each gift. So I’ve started a small collection of reasons for X gifts! I have three or four so far is all.

thanks!

]]> By: Jane http://frugalhacks.com/2007/12/12/christmas-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1132 Jane Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:15:53 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=215#comment-1132 This year I made the choice to spend less. I declared a "Crafted, thrifted or regifted Christmas." I am regifting to my mom a set of china that I rarely use and I know she would love. The men are getting cookies w/ charity donations and the women are getting aprons, place mats and tote bags that I made. I haven't been to the mall yet. Not going there at all means I haven't seen all the latest decorations to covet. I haven't seen all the gifts I'd like to give, and I haven't bought myself any of the usual presents that somehow jump into my bags. So, not only have I saved some money, I have spared myself any feelings of lack that sometimes come with shopping. Also, I only put out half of my decorations. I'm looking forward to putting away less and I am looking forward to seeing the other half of the decorations with fresh eyes when I open those boxes next year. This year I made the choice to spend less. I declared a “Crafted, thrifted or regifted Christmas.” I am regifting to my mom a set of china that I rarely use and I know she would love. The men are getting cookies w/ charity donations and the women are getting aprons, place mats and tote bags that I made. I haven’t been to the mall yet. Not going there at all means I haven’t seen all the latest decorations to covet. I haven’t seen all the gifts I’d like to give, and I haven’t bought myself any of the usual presents that somehow jump into my bags. So, not only have I saved some money, I have spared myself any feelings of lack that sometimes come with shopping.

Also, I only put out half of my decorations. I’m looking forward to putting away less and I am looking forward to seeing the other half of the decorations with fresh eyes when I open those boxes next year.

]]> By: Debbie M http://frugalhacks.com/2007/12/12/christmas-out-of-the-box/comment-page-1/#comment-1129 Debbie M Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:09:39 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=215#comment-1129 Some folks in a nearby office get together and practice Christmas carols in four-part harmony, which they then sing during lunchtime on two consecutive Wednesdays in the stairwell of our building. I bring my lunch to the stairwell those days. ** I like to go for a walk on our local hike-and-bike trail on Christmas morning. It's usually very quiet and beautiful, and we tend to have nice walking weather here in the south. Some folks in a nearby office get together and practice Christmas carols in four-part harmony, which they then sing during lunchtime on two consecutive Wednesdays in the stairwell of our building. I bring my lunch to the stairwell those days.

**

I like to go for a walk on our local hike-and-bike trail on Christmas morning. It’s usually very quiet and beautiful, and we tend to have nice walking weather here in the south.

]]>