Maybe now that i have a budget set up i’ll actually start BUYING the presents :) Seriously, i haven’t bought a single thing yet…i don’t know if it’s because i’m lazy (the most likely), uninterested, or just plain tired right now, but i’m hoping to shake it off soon…

The good news is that i was able to muster up enough energy last night to put together a decent list of ideas! So i’m thinkin’ this weekend will be the start, and possible end, of my Xmas shopping this year. Well, at least for everyone but the Mrs…i always have to put a bit more thought into hers due to the whole husband stuff and all ;)

I’ve also decided to keep being generous this year, despite the world crumbling around us. I still can’t afford a crazy amount of gifts – i’m actually hoping to get a bonus this year to help pay for it all! – but to me, it’s a huge chunk of change. Here’s what we got:

As you can see, $50 is the sweet spot around here…it used to be $20 but i find that it takes wayyyy more work to get some goodies under that range, and usually i can only find 1 good thing at that price. With $50, i can get a few things and usually have enough to make stuff as well which i like :)

And the “random” section comes in nicely so i don’t have to go through one of those, “Oh $hit, i have to spend MORE money now cuz i forgot that thing/person!” I find budgeting it in keeps me calm, and then even happier if i don’t use it!

So where do i fit in with the average person this holiday season? Well, luckily my girl Erin over at TrueCredit.com sent me some interesting stats they conducted with Zogby International about holiday spending this year. Check it out (with commentary):

• The majority of U.S. respondents (54%) plan to spend less this year than they did last year. hum…def. not me, these #’s are almost exactly the same as last year.
• An overwhelming majority (73.3%) will use cash and savings to finance their holiday purchases. not me again! still on the ol’ credit card gameplan…although technically i’ll be paying it off in cash next month.
• Most people (44%) are controlling their overall spending by shelling out less money per person this season. yeah, that makes sense…def. one way of doing it
• Nearly one-third of respondents (32%) will buy items on sale. That’s it??? that surprises me. every single thing i’ll buy will be on sale, believe you me!
• 2 in 10 people will “set and adhere to an overall spending limit”. That’s it??? maybe they’re just talking about those who will “adhere” to it ;)

Alrighty, well that about covers it. Now let’s just hope i kick it into high gear and go make something of myself, eh? Good luck out there everybody, you can do it too!!!