Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

New poll says half of all Americans are worried that they can't afford to pay for Christmas.

Yeah I hate when the mandatory christmas bill comes due. If only there was some way to avoid it.

But unemployment is down. Everything will be fine.

Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

No one is allowed to admit they don't have a lot of money to piss away on consumerism anymore. Which sucks. These days if all you can do is provide your kids with a nice home to grow up in, three meals a day, and enough money to cover 4 years at the state college, you're still a failure. Because you didn't have two grand in electronics under the Christmas tree every year.

Christmas, hell, have you seen the prices on Festivus poles?

ha-ha-guy: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

No one is allowed to admit they don't have a lot of money to piss away on consumerism anymore. Which sucks. These days if all you can do is provide your kids with a nice home to grow up in, three meals a day, and enough money to cover 4 years at the state college, you're still a failure. Because you didn't have two grand in electronics under the Christmas tree every year.

Bullshiat. You are only a failure, under those circumstances, if you let yourself believe you are. If you are surrounding yourself with people who consider you a failure then you need better friends.

"New poll says half of all Americans plan on spending well more than they know they should this Holiday season, but for some reason they will do it anyway."

How many of them are actually in danger of not being able to pay for Christmas?

In other news, 24% of Americans are Jewish.

Dughan: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

I was doing that... and then my GF bought me a 300 dollar gift and now I feel like a dick for planning on making her a card. I got a farking speeding ticket driving her up to visit her family for Thanksgiving, and there went my gift fund.... This year I am just broke as a damn joke and everyone is pouring generosity on me.... it's actually REALLY unsettling to experience that.

Anyone have any ideas that would work on the cheap that aren't something rejected from a Halmark movie for the GF?


Some interesting ideas on Pinterest, in the craft/dyi tab (new window). Check the geek tab if she's geeky. Unfortunately, there's a lot of crap too. Instructables also has some great non-expensive ideas for making stuff for people.

Etsy can be hit or miss, but you can find some nice stuff there that won't break the bank.

Dughan: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

I was doing that... and then my GF bought me a 300 dollar gift and now I feel like a dick for planning on making her a card. I got a farking speeding ticket driving her up to visit her family for Thanksgiving, and there went my gift fund.... This year I am just broke as a damn joke and everyone is pouring generosity on me.... it's actually REALLY unsettling to experience that.

Anyone have any ideas that would work on the cheap that aren't something rejected from a Halmark movie for the GF?

You've got 3 weeks to learn how to cook one meal, just one full meal, like you're paid 6 figures to cook it. If you put your soul into a 3 course meal and a dessert, you might be out $50 from ingredients for a dry run and then for the real thing, but if she can walk away from that going "omagawwwwd this isn't even a real present" then she's not exactly a keeper.

catsass: Christmas, hell, have you seen the prices on Festivus poles?

Well don't go for the copper Festivus pole, go for the aluminum one, it's got a very high strength to weight ratio.

Dughan: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

I was doing that... and then my GF bought me a 300 dollar gift and now I feel like a dick for planning on making her a card. I got a farking speeding ticket driving her up to visit her family for Thanksgiving, and there went my gift fund.... This year I am just broke as a damn joke and everyone is pouring generosity on me.... it's actually REALLY unsettling to experience that.

Anyone have any ideas that would work on the cheap that aren't something rejected from a Halmark movie for the GF?

Detail her car for her
Take her for walks and listen to her b.s.
Prepare her a special meal
Take her to a chick flick and don't fall asleep
Go cut (don't buy) a bunch of flowers
Write her a detailed letter that specifies exactly what you appreciate about her
Some costume jewelry earrings- girls still like them

Try to do as much of that as possible on Christmas and I imagine you won't be in the doghouse. jst3p is right... it's all in your head.

oldass31: [i.i.com.com image 244x355]

In other news, 24% of Americans are Jewish.

23%, the 1%ers aren't concerned either.... then again some of them are Jewish.

ha-ha-guy: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

No one is allowed to admit they don't have a lot of money to piss away on consumerism anymore. Which sucks. These days if all you can do is provide your kids with a nice home to grow up in, three meals a day, and enough money to cover 4 years at the state college, you're still a failure. Because you didn't have two grand in electronics under the Christmas tree every year.

I remember just the other day seeing my neighbor dragged out of his house and beaten to death by the consumerist police. He had a nice home, paid his bills on time, and provided all the essentials for his kids.

But he also insisted on living within his means and very rarely bought on credit.

His bloody, tattered and amazingly well balanced check-book was left hanging from a lightpole as a warning to the rest of us.

Poor stupid bastard. He seemed like a nice guy, none of us knew that he wasn't drowning in debt wracked up buying unnecessary consumer goods. I guess you can never really tell, you know? So that's why we all must be extra vigilant this time of year. If you see someone smiling, or spending time with their families, or driving a car that appears to be within their means, don't hesitate to call the nearest mall and report them.

Just a couple of small gifts for my boys....that's it. We'll have a nice dinner with Dad xmas day and leave it at that. No lights, no trees, no inflating Santa Clauses or lawn decorations.

Things are so much easier once your kids grow up and out of all the foolishness of Christmas. I still enjoy the holidays but when I think back on all the money spent doing the whole shebang year after year, well......

Dughan: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have. Also it's perfectly cost-effective to give a dick in a box... unlimited regifts too.

I was doing that... and then my GF bought me a 300 dollar gift and now I feel like a dick for planning on making her a card. I got a farking speeding ticket driving her up to visit her family for Thanksgiving, and there went my gift fund.... This year I am just broke as a damn joke and everyone is pouring generosity on me.... it's actually REALLY unsettling to experience that.

Anyone have any ideas that would work on the cheap that aren't something rejected from a Halmark movie for the GF?

Dick in a gift bag?

Hot Carl To Go 2011-12-02 10:29:54 AM Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need. Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have.
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Exactly.

If you're broke, tell your family/kids/cousins/etc that they can all suck a dick this year. If they hate you for it, find a new family.

So... here's a way to deal with that.

Family (immediate) gifts? Secret Santa that shiat, set a cap. Shame those who go over it. SHAME THEM!
Family (extended) gifts? One gift for the entire household.
SO/Spouse? Don't go buying absurdly expensive crap unless it's needed, in which case y'all already knew about the need before hand and can go out and buy that shiat together.

Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need.

So your big insight here is the people shouldn't want things they don't need?

Hot Carl To Go: Try sitting down with your family and spending some quality time together being grateful for what you have.

Yes, let us gather around the fireplace as it grants us the warmth of our former dining room table and be thankful that we've managed to keep the bare essentials for survival for at least the next few hours.

Years ago the adults in our family collectively said "Why the fark are we stressing out about buying gifts for each other when most of the time they end up being trinkets or so expensive the other person feels guilty for you having spent the money?"

So we just stopped. I don't see the point of spending money on other adults. We only buy for each others kids. If they are under 16, easy to get a gift at a low cost. Over 16, all they want is gift cards, they just let us know what stores they shop at.

This keep spending down and the gift shopping relaxing. I will be done by this weekend.

Dughan: I was doing that... and then my GF bought me a 300 dollar gift and now I feel like a dick for planning on making her a card. I got a farking speeding ticket driving her up to visit her family for Thanksgiving, and there went my gift fund.... This year I am just broke as a damn joke and everyone is pouring generosity on me.... it's actually REALLY unsettling to experience that.

Anyone have any ideas that would work on the cheap that aren't something rejected from a Halmark movie for the GF?

Just embrace the diskish feeling. My ex-BF and I always set spending limits and he always overshot them. Not fun when I was on a grad student budget and he had a real job. In the end, I gave up trying and just got him a nice, thoughtful, but low dollar value gift.

You know your GF best, but perhaps a few small gifts with a fun theme or a small gift that she can use when you do a (free/cheap) activity together. All gifts that are her favorite color, a gift for each color of the rainbow (make her open them in order, see if she can guess how they're related), used books/movies where the first letters of the titles spell her name (again, make her open them in order and guess), etc. A picnic basket that you promise to fill to go on a picnic, pocket knife with a compass and hand warmers so you can go hiking at a state park, etc.

/some of those might be Hallmark rejects
//needs a new pocket knife

thurstonxhowell: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need.

So your big insight here is the people shouldn't want things they don't need?

No, the point is they shouldn't buy things they don't need if they can't afford it.

Not exactly rocket surgery...

Lt. Cheese Weasel: Things are so much easier once your kids grow up and out of all the foolishness of Christmas.

My problem is my mother. She refuses to give up the traditions we had as children. I've tried convincing her to scale back but she just won't.

jst3p: thurstonxhowell: Hot Carl To Go: Then half of Americans should realize that Christmas gifts and decorations are a want, not a need.

So your big insight here is the people shouldn't want things they don't need?

No, the point is they shouldn't buy things they don't need if they can't afford it.

Not exactly rocket surgery...

But isn't that what is ruining our economy in the first place? Do your American patriotic duty and spend. Spend like there is no tomorrow.

Compact Travel Size: Just embrace the diskish feeling. My ex-BF and I always set spending limits and he always overshot them. Not fun when I was on a grad student budget and he had a real job. In the end, I gave up trying and just got him a nice, thoughtful, but low dollar value gift.

It's easy to overshot a grad student budget though. My wife was still in Dental school and I was a midlevel engineer. Her gift budget for the holidays was like my booze budget for New Years Day. Beside students pursuing advanced degrees are such depressed creatures it's very tempting to splurge on them a little if you love them.

And most Christians don't know that "Christmas" is a Pagan holy day, hijacked by the the church when most converts came at the point of a sword.

Time to put Sol back in Sol Invictus and Saturn back in Saturnalia.

I've already done all my Xmas shopping, so I'm getting a kick...

/bought myself a Canon 400mm f/5.6L and a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L Mark II
//oh... and a Canon 1.4x III extender