My goal for the next 2 months....(to treat my affliction)......

**sabrelvssammy** · 10-30-2009, 03:34 PM

ok...so i admit it....i am a 'christmas-a-holic'.....

i know that now coz i have been able to stay out of the stores, garage sales, thrift stores, you name it since the beginning of January of this year....and it's been great...i haven't missed it one little bit....

but now.... i see all the bright, shiny 'christmasy' stuff being put out and i am perking up...when i run errands i am finding it hard to 'stay focused' and stay out of the x-mas aisles....'just looking' i tell myself...yea right.... i am like a recovering alcoholic circling his favorite bar....or a person on a diet peeking in the windows of the bakery....while i have not caved to the 'temptations' ...YET....I don't know how much longer i can contain myself (and christmas is still almost 2 months away)....ugh......!

I NEED not one more cotten-picken x-mas item on top of all that... i have enough to completely deck out my own house (and probably 3-4 more)...and while i have gotten all this stuff extremely cheap (AFTER x-mas) sales...last year at this time i was in St. Vinny's nearly everyday packing my cart full of x-mas decorating stuff...(was a really good year for it)....and i was paying next to nothing for some really cool stuff so i justified all my purchases.... and then all this 'christmas spirit' starts leaning towards other purchases... although i have everyones gifts already bought (clearances from last x-mas and occasional excellent finds) i will start over-analyzing everything and start thinking 'i need more, different, better'........and then i start the spending.....when i already have great gifts picked perfectly for the intended receipiant....

so...i just have to stay out of the stores...PERIOD!....what i can't see can't hurt me, right...? so i have made a huge to-do list for here at the house...big projects that take alot of time and energy and thought....and i will pound each one out and stay busy and focused here so that i don't find myself mindlessly wandering around a store one day with an overflowing cart of decor and gifts....

i have come so far this year with the de-cluttering, no shopping, the bills 3/4 of the way paid off...if i can stay on track then we will reach our goal of being debt-free by february (except for the mtg) and we have worked really hard at it this year and made a ton of sacrifices and i don't want to screw that up and push us back further.....

and therein lies my goal for the next two months....no purchases of x-mas decor or gifts...none....nothing.....nada..... and if i can do it...if i make it thru this season....then i know that i am completely cured of my shopping addictions (which i 'thought' i already was from all this year)....but now that x-mas is rolling around i am starting to 'doubt' myself.....

**ladytoysdream** · 10-30-2009, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by sabrelvssammy

i have come so far this year with the de-cluttering, no shopping, the bills 3/4 of the way paid off...if i can stay on track then we will reach our goal of being debt-free by february (except for the mtg) and we have worked really hard at it this year and made a ton of sacrifices and i don't want to screw that up and push us back further.....

Wow on your debt goal....good job

You just come here, and we will try to talk you down from going on a spending spree.......

**gapeach** · 10-30-2009, 05:07 PM

We all know you can do it!!! We're all rootin for ya!

**mauimagic** · 10-30-2009, 05:07 PM

Absolutely fantastic SVS!! I have the same addiction and found that staying out of stores the only way to be successful. Also have used this technique - if I miss this sale, there will be others and I can always catch it later - repeat ad nauseum!!

Mahalo for posting because I think it will help me to think of you being strong!!

Our DD will be coming home from grad school just in time to try to urge me to buy more for the relatives - not this year honey. I have a plan and i am sticking to it!!

**piney** · 10-30-2009, 05:09 PM

You have done great, just wish i could do that well.you are an insperation to the rest of us like me.Keep up the good work.

**Libby** · 10-31-2009, 03:40 AM

sabrelvssammy - first step is admitting your addiction

not sure which step you're at now but I kinda like it - the running away and in denial that its almost Christmas step! LOL

Keep up the good work and STAY OUTTA the stores! You can do it!

**chevy_chick95** · 10-31-2009, 06:04 AM

I'm in the exact shoes. I looove Christmas!! Ugh and the shopping is out of control for me to.

I also have everything bought but somehow justify buying more and more cuz what I have "isn't enough"

I posted 2 days ago on my blog 50 projects to keep my shopohlic butt busy lol

**Lora88** · 10-31-2009, 07:01 AM

HI my name is Lora and I am a Christmas a holic

**MaryCarney** · 10-31-2009, 08:56 AM

You know how in the southern hemisphere the seasons are opposite ours??? I am pretending that SUMMER (not Christmas) is almost here!!

OK OK I am in Indiana too, and it's pretty hard today, but you gotta dream big sometimes!!!

Seriously, you've done so well. I say bring out all that Christmas stuff RIGHT NOW, put it ALL up - EVERY SINGLE THING!!! Might slow you down when you see how much you really have. Just a thought. Keep fighting the good fight, my fellow Hoosier!!

**IntlMom** · 10-31-2009, 10:59 AM

great idea MC.....jsut think if you buy more, you gotta store more. You don't want to have to declutter that later on!

stay strong

**shoiji** · 10-31-2009, 11:44 AM

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan. Keep showing yourself all the paid-off bills to keep you going!!! You are doing a great job.

I moaned when I saw the Christmas items already out before Halloween. But then got sucked in by all the pretty sparkly things. The one thought that goes through my mind is, where are you going to store this stuff if you buy it. Pretty much the only thing that keeps me from buying.

**Michelle68** · 10-31-2009, 12:44 PM

Stay away from the store! Put down those shiny ornament balls! Do not even THINK about picking up that cute, decorative Santa! Put your hands on the wall next to the Christmas wreaths and spread your legs while one of our elves searches you for tinsel and other tree trimmings. Now I have to read you your Miranda Rights.

(There...does that help?)

**sabrelvssammy** · 10-31-2009, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by MaryCarney

Seriously, you've done so well. I say bring out all that Christmas stuff RIGHT NOW, put it ALL up - EVERY SINGLE THING!!! Might slow you down when you see how much you really have. Just a thought. Keep fighting the good fight, my fellow Hoosier!!

if i get it all out now i will be 'sick to death of it' by x-mas...(which could be a good thing)...at least while it is all still at the stores i don't look at it 24/7....and if i had it all out now and up i would be finding spaces for more things....could be more dangerous.....but...
maybe, just maybe....once it all comes out i might have the mindset about it that i developed with everything else around here this year and i may just decide that i have had enough of it all too....hmm....you never know....i may not have a problem with buying more after all (you never know....) i would have never guessed last year at this time that i would have gotten rid of 50% of the stuff in my house that i purged all year long anyway....

as for room for storing it all...oh-i have tons of room... i have a whole attic that i could put another 50,000 things into....i am like a 'professional packer' and i have everything boxed up and labeled and stacked in neat little stacks and i can put alot more in there believe me....if you saw all the stuff out and displayed and then saw it packed up and stacked you would say "no way"....but 'way'.....lol

so onward i go....keeping focus and telling myself its just more stuff....and i don't like stuff anymore....shiny, pretty...whatever....NO MORE STUFF....!!!!!

**Minner77** · 10-31-2009, 04:11 PM

I have the opposite problem: for some reason I am a regular old Scrooge, and am married to Ebenezer himself. We decorate and bake for the holidays and seem to go all out, but don't enjoy it at all (has to do with lingering childhood memories). We do it for the kids. Too, I've never been a shopoholic at any time of year. Haven't even begun to think about what to get people for Christmas. Used to wait till mid-December, but have gotten better (a llittle better, anyway!).