Shop, spend, consume...oh my!

How did it come to pass that the holiday season is all about buying, buying, buying gifts, decorating a certain way, and eating food that we would never eat during any other time of the year... I'm talking about fudge, cookies, cheese and so on?

There were more advertisements in the Sunday paper then there was news.

The TV in our house has been on more than usual lately and there are so many ads for things to buy. Typically, we watch Netflix and I am not used to seeing so many commercials.

Black Friday is the whole weekend; Cyber Monday an entire week.

What if you didn't go all-out with the decorations in your house? What if you didn't buy things just because they were on sale? (You save 100% when you don't buy.) What if you only had one plate of food and skipped dessert?

It would still be "the holidays!" You could still see your family and friends and share a meal. You can still listen to holiday music and watch holiday movies and feel the holiday spirit.

Being on a spending diet has caused me to re-evaluate things. Sure, I'm still getting everyone close to me gifts, but I'm trying so hard not to go overboard! I do not want to regret my spending in January when I get my bank statement and credit card bills. Holiday hangover is not a good way to start the new year!