Sometimes we have a protine other than Turkey.
One year it was a porkloin cooked with fresh sage and apples.
We vary the turky recipe with different stuffings from year to year.
We always have mashed potatoes and a green salad. Pies or Apple spice cake,pumpkin spice cake is on the menue for this year.

The company is always the same give or take one daughter who comes and goes around the contry.

NO Black Friday for me either,never participated in that mayhem.
I always had aquired gifts over the year. All 4 daughters are married and have nearly grown children so we are a family of adults.

We decide on plans for Chrismis,Thanksgiving afternoon, to do or dont have a "secret santa" drawing. My vote this year is "dont" many are in college and some are just hanging onto jobs.It's definatly a time to appreciate family.

Its hard to buy a gift for grandchildren who seem to aquire the electronic gadgets they "need" for themselves.
I have been living with DD #2 for 4 years.They dont need anything so I buy a gift for the house.
One year it was a better storm door for the front.
Last year it was motion sensor lights for the garage.
This year it was 2 facecords of fire wood.This passed the money around to people who are struggling and hired an extra helper. I dont see the necessity to "impress" anyone with a huge gift at the holidays that was manufactured in a foreign country.
Just a geezer I guess.

Jo Ann, I like your take on things. We don't do Black Friday either and I mostly give a few recycled gifts, or like you, something that will benefit both the giver, the receiver, and the people involved in creating it.
In old-fashioned style (like - the way it was when we were kids) our DS will receive an item of clothing like a nice sweater.

I'm also knitting a scarf for an unknown air cadet.

Happy Holidays!

I saw a T V documentary on the history of Christmas. It was an eye opener. We were children duering WW2 and everything was rationed. It was necessary to be clever with what we had.
Those were the best years before the Ad agencies turned it into a experiance that put people in debt for months.

I agree. In any case, we pay cash for everything so if we don't have it we don't spend it!

Debt is the new slavery....

Dutchlady1 said:
Debt is the new slavery....

And a nasty slave master, at that.

whole heartedly!

I have exclaime" I ont know what will happen to the next generation" and remember my grandmother saying the same thing.
Somehow the system takes care of it.
Maybe its time to go to the barter system. No saveings needed.

We use our credit cards for everything we buy, including gas for the cars, groceries- everything. They are cash back cards and we get hundreds of dollars back every year. We pay the total balance every month so never pay interest.

Karen

That's what we do as well, Karen. To me, that's still "paying cash" because it isn't debt.

I also use a credit card but my purchases are so small I dont bother with the cards that pay back.
I figured a family would be making large purchases and it would really add up.

I also pay the total balance every month.
Now watch the banks charge a fee for that.

We used to use credit cards, and of course we still have the cards because you can't shop online or travel without them. But I have gotten to really like shopping with cash. Plus - a lot of places will give you a discount if you bring greenbacks!

Wow! Ditto to everything on this thread!
It seems we're all on the same page. I use the credit card giving the cash back also. Even for the dentist. That's where it really mounts up! Considering I had a root canal plus a crown! Had to have them so why not get some cash back?
Hetty, thanks for knitting the scarf for an air cadet! If I wasn't Mrs. Fumble Fingers I would do the same. Lord knows I've tried but I can make a first rate hash out of it!
Jo Anne, what wonderful thinking all the way around.
It makes my heart glad to see so many not obsessed with the almighty $. Thinking of others instead of ME, ME, ME. Gives me hope.

Now I have some warm fuzzies tickling my brain.