Our weather's been a nasty bitch, lately--one day's in the 60's, the next won't climb out of the 30's. Yes, it smarts. It's part of that time of year, and one of the main reasons I hate winter. Our local weather prognosticator predicts that a lot of the winter will yo-yo between cold and colder, with above average snow for our area. Fun, fun! He predicts one cold snap system to hit right before Christmas, followed by one just after Christmas.
Speaking thereof...it's another reason I hate this time of year: Christmas music. Every-fucking-where. I hate, hate, hate Christmas music. Wanna make guesses how much of the shopping I do online? The first two don't count.
Although, to be honest, that started up in October, in some stores. Early October.
(I don't think it's working as well as they hoped, this year.)
I've got about half the Christmas shopping done. I got shopping done for my mom and her sisters. I still have to get stuff for my sisters (and brother), and half of the kids' stuff. And get what I'd planned for my other half and my mother-in-law. And I'm still right around on budget, so there's room to finish up. And there's room in the budget for treats, too.
Yes, I said "budget." You cannot fall off your budget just because it's Christmas time. Doing so sets you up for bad times in the year to come.
Partly because this is also the time of year that property taxes are coming due.
You did budget for that, right?
I did. And then the emergency fund took a huge hit, and took my tax budget with it. The tax budget is now rebuilt. The emergency fund is next. Then the insurance budget. And finally, after that, tuition.
Right after that is New Year's Day...and all of the resolutions that we may or may not manage to keep for the next year. And a ton more cold, snow, and ice.
(which, again, we'll be seeing frequently...all the way up to and through severe storm season in the spring...)
Did I mention I hate winter? From the start of the commercial Christmas season in the beginning of October all the way up to the end of March?
