Tis' the season for gift giving. The time to give and to receive. The time to as well spend time with family and friends and to share a meal with them. The time for full bellies and to gain a few pounds.
An idea that I have been struggling with lately is whether or not we should be centering our get togethers around food and getting together.
This time of year can be a difficult to get around with the weather being what it is and with more people being out doing what they do best and shopping.
Sometimes I feel that if we are to spend time together we should really just spend time together and do something else that isn't filling up our bellies and breaking the bank.
What if we filled up our souls and saved a few dollars instead by taking the time to spend time with friends and family by really spending some time with them.
What if we played games instead, go out for a walk or some other form of activity like going sledding or ice skating. There are choices like indoor ice skating or roller skating (roller blading as well) or even renting out a movie theatre to watch whatever flic that you would like to watch.
A lot of these activities can be done in your own home, area or renting it out. You would still be spending time together but it doesn't require you to be eating.
I find that to many activities rely on eating. For example for me I can't remember the last time I went out to the movies and I didn't get some sort of snack for myself and the company that I am with. There is a city run, out door ice rink that is free to use but I can't remember the last time that I have used that either.
Like some over the last year and a half have put on a few pounds and would like to see them come off and stay off and I feel like doing some sort of activity that involves movement and not sitting around with friends and family and eating. Eating is necessary but why do get together's have to revolve around eating? I would much more prefer to get up and move around and still get together with family. I feel that I would prefer this to the point where this year I am avoiding get together's revolving around food.
Gifts are also quite fun to give and to receive but I would much like to not have the clutter around my house and to have the ability not to worry about how this gift could be holding me back.
I find that also this time of year it is to buys to go out to the shops and I find that you can't get everything online so what if we just didn't give gifts at all. Yes, I have received gifts in which I have enjoyed receiving but I would much rather get none as I am working can get anything that I want to be getting myself with my own money. Given the fact that the donation center is right around the corner from me it really isn't to bad to get rid of unwanted gifts but it is nice to be able to not have to make that trip at the same time. I am also quite lucky that I do have a lot of birthdays right at the beginning of the year so I can regift some unwanted Christmas gifts at that point as well.
Being able to save my money all year around instead of having to budget my money just around Christmas would be fun as well. After all it isn't what you have it is what you save.
Yes, gifts can be fun but I would much prefer nothing but the time spent with family instead.
What are your thoughts? Do you like the idea of gift giving? Do you like spending time with family and eating?