Now, Clap Your Hands If You Got A Bank Roll

So, if you recall, I wrote a post the other day about making a blanket.  Today, I somewhat panicked about Christmas gifts and promptly headed to the mall.  I saw a knitted blanket there for $150.  Holy crap!  $150!!  I would feel like I was mugging someone at gunpoint if I charged that much!  Needless to say, I did not entertain the idea of purchasing the blanket.  I did wander around for the better part of two hours trying to think of something, anything, to buy some of the folks on my list.  I will say that at the beginning of this season, I couldn't think of even two things that I wanted to get as a gift.  Now, I keep thinking of things I want to buy myself.  I prepare a list weeks in advance for every Christmas.  Then, I spend the next several weeks trying to find out what was purchased.  This just doesn't feel like Christmas.  Even putting my cats into elf hats and playing the Sounds of the Season music channel on blast has not worked.  There are no presents under the tree for me, and I think that is all the difference.  My husband and I decided not to exchange gifts this year for a variety of reasons, one of which is that we see every purchase the other person makes.  Not fun.  Also, not challenging in trying to figure out gifts.  Damn this cashless society!  It just isn't as fun to receive a gift from someone you share finances with when you are thinking, "Well, I half bought this for myself."  Tis better to receive when your boyfriend has separate finances and he has to figure out an appropriate amount to spend.  And, they wrap it on their own.  So cute!  Getting a present you already saw on the bank statement loses its charm.  I feel I was not warned about this before tying the knot.  There is so much they don't tell you.