It started this morning. I felt the swell of humbug and nastiness of Mrs Grinch in my chest. Yes, it's time to buy Christmas presents and once again I am begrudgingly doing it.
I love what Christmas stands for. I like donating to charity, doing arts and crafts, baking and going to Church. I love the meal on the day and the free flowing of booze and guiltless chocolate splurging. The diet starts 2nd Jan. The 1st of Jan has to be free to nurse hangover with junk.
I love buying presents for my DC and I keep it sensible. It's everyone else that I have a problem with. For years and years now I have been asking my relatives if we can scale it down. Unfortunately on both sides it seems that expensive present = how much you like and respect us. It's a nightmare. Because these people buy for the DC and we have no DC to buy back for I am obliged to buy for the adults. What I would really like is for them to spend £5-10 on the DC and I can reciprocate with a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine. However because DC get Easter Eggs, birthday and Christmas presents we are expected to buy big at Christmas. I am talking £50-80 presents.
I have been given the "orders" over the past week. They had to think about it as most of them have everything they want. So, I have clicked out of Amazon and come on here to have a moan because whilst I am grateful for the gifts my DC receive I am really begrudging going online and buying a useless electrical appliance, a £45 bottle of designer perfume and gifts that only people with everything would ask for. I also have to go into town and buy vouchers from a nail spa someone has asked for.
This totally ruins Christmas for me. Is there any way out of this cycle of waste and expense?