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DEL.ICIO.USYour tips for a greener, cheaper holiday season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Deck the halls with … well, what exactly this year?
The economy may have left us all a little less flush this holiday season, but that’s no reason we have to enjoy them less. Many people are planning simpler, greener, cheaper ways of marking the season.
How are you keeping your holiday celebrations simpler, more sustainable and fun? Energy-efficient lights? Carpools to grandma’s house? A different approach to shopping and gifts?
Comments
By Mike D
November 12, 2008 6:01 PM | Link to this
This year I plan on converting to the Jehovahs. I will surprise everyone on Christmas day by not giving anything to anyone.
By clyde
November 12, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this
A severe curtailment of giving this holiday season.Like 90% less.No Christmas tree,no wreaths.No dinner.Just a day off from routine.Short family visits.That’s it.No to Thanksgiving this year also.
We cut spending last year,and this year we’ve finished the job.There are only 2 small bodies that really need any presents.The rest can do without.Sorry retailers,but I’ve already spent all I’m going to.
By Destin Bound
November 12, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
Sending gifts to the small children and taking my wife to the beach for the week of Christmas. Her Christmas gift this year? Shrimp.
By Just Wondering
November 12, 2008 7:41 PM | Link to this
What is a “sustainable” holiday celebration? What’s an example of an unsustainable holiday celebration? Oh, and you can use the word “Christmas”—your respondents did.
And who would take a “carpool to grandma’s house”? Would there be other people in the city also going to grandma’s? Do we have the same grandmother and not know it?
This green, sustainable talk is liberal code language for copying the Europeans. Let’s not.
By Deb
November 12, 2008 7:58 PM | Link to this
“Just Wondering” - Carpool to grandma’s - how about with other family members going to the same place. Green, sustainable talk is ‘liberal code language’??? Grow up, fool. This is a very sensible blog to see how everyone is going to enjoy the holidays - Christmas - without going into debt.
As for me and my family - we will continue to have a Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner together. Everyone will make a dish and share. I will continue to decorate for Chritmas - tree, lights, the whole thing because the decorations make me feel great!
The younger children will get a gift and the adults - there are about 12 of us - will all buy one $25 gift certificate and we’ll put them all in a bowl and play games, each winner drawing a gift card. This way, other than a few ‘Santa believing’ children, it will only cost each of $25 this year.
Every year we also have a White Elephant exchange just for the fun of it. The gift in it could be something from the dollar store, to something out of our own closets. The stranger the better.
It’s all about family, friends, and enjoying the holiday. It doesn’t have to be about gifts.
By Texas Pete
November 12, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
I plan on giving guns to my close family. I say give a kid a toy and he’ll play with it for a day - give a kid a gun and he will hunt down and kill his prey for a tasty dinner.
Also it can be used to take toys from less armed kids. Problem solved.
By aanie
November 12, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this
We will definately be cutting back on Christmas gifts this year. We’ll have the tree as like someone else said it does make us feel festive and with what’s going on in the economy we need something. Sorry Deb I agree with Just Wondering about the extremely strange wording… just say Christmas. I don’t think it’s anything to do with liberalism but it’s weird. I don’t think you should be calling him/her names either. After the name calling it kind of made the rest of what you said uninteresting.
By catlady
November 13, 2008 6:20 AM | Link to this
Our local support group for foster and adopted children wants to gift each child with $200 worth of stuff this year! They are advertising for donations. I find this amount appauling and in very poor taste—this year or any year.
By Nanakat
November 13, 2008 7:05 AM | Link to this
This year is an opportunity for “old new traditions.” We will be going back to the old ways. Homemade gifts. Tins of homemade cookies, what is your talent? Make gifts using that talent, quilting, needlework, woodwork, coupon books, the list is endless.
I’m making fudge/cookies/cakes and giving them. To the neices/nephews they will receive a $20.00 ish gift. Our children, will be allowed to make a “reasonable” wish list. We will choose the most fiscal compliant 3 and go from there.
We have been honest with our children, telling them how the econcomy has affected our bottom line, job losses, higher living expenses and the like. We do our children an injustice when we don’t allow them to see and know how the real world affects even them. Merry Christmas to you all.