Almost at the Finish Line

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here! Just got back from Vegas, where I did almost no gambling but lots of eating and shopping. I went outlet shopping with the girls and we all found great deals for Christmas presents.

My Christmas budget was pretty ambitious: this year I wanted a $150 ceiling on gifts for family AND friends. I finished less than half my shopping last week and was starting to get worried, but I took care of business at Vegas. As of now, I only need to get gifts for 2 more people. As it turns out, my budget was a bit too ambitious and unrealistic. It's hard to get great gifts at $5 per person--not impossible to do, just really difficult. So far I've spent roughly $178 (including tax) on gifts for 20 people, which isn't too bad. At the end the total should come out to roughly $200 this year for 22 people. Yes, it's quite a bit of money, but I see Christmas as an opportunity for me to say Thanks to my friends and family for their love and support. I could never put a price on what everyone has done for me; a token of appreciation and some heartfelt words is the least I can do.

More on my Vegas adventure soon...