A lot of buzz surrounds the weekend after Thanksgiving as the official start to the holiday shopping season. We did get my daughter’s laptop last weekend, but the bulk of our shopping will be done the next two weekends. I also see a lot of friends on facebook talk about how close to done (or not) their shopping is. This always confuses me, because we actually spend very little time shopping for presents. Most of the work is done at home. We make our list of people, the gift(s), and where to purchase them. At that point it’s just a simple exercise of going to the stores and picking up the items.
It really doesn’t take that long.
How much time do you spend shopping for presents?
While you contemplate that question, throw those fists up and give out some blogger love for my favorite posts of the week. Seriously, it’s the holiday cheer thing to do. Just as an FYI, I’m a little giddy about the “Shameless Self Promotion” section this week because it features my debut post at MoneyNing. You can find me posting over there every Thursday. 🙂
Posts That Make Me Fist Pump
- 7 Steps to Go From Being in Debt to Financial Freedom from Careful Cents
- The Danger of “I Deserve This” Thinking from See Debt Run
- Achieving Goals: Power of Positive Thinking from Common Sense Millennial
- People are distracted by credit scores from Money Plan SOS
- Reasons Why Now is the Time to Shop the Thrift Stores from Three Thrifty Guys
Shameless Self Promotion
- Two Lessons I Learned About Retirement Planning is my latest staff post at My Personal Finance Journey
- Success by Budgeting Two Ways is my post this week in the CareOne Community
- Why We Didn’t Sell Our House When We Were $109,000 in Debt is my debut staff post at MoneyNing
Emergency Fund Update
Not a Paycheck week, balance stays the same.
- Total Balance: $300
- Goal Balance: $1000 (by February 28th)
Marathon Training Update
Yay, back in the right direction! I’m moving my running from the treadmill to the indoor track. I can’t stand not actually moving. Once this arctic cold spell passes I will do at least some of my running outside again.
- 11/22 Weight : 211.4 (-1.6)
- Total Weight Loss: (+0.4)
- Goal Weight : 185.0
Thanks for the shout out, Travis! Made my day to be featured here 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend – and nice work on the marathon training! I feel the same as you do.. running on a treadmill makes me a little crazy because I’m not actually going anywhere.
You’re welcome, Kali, happy to make your day! 🙂 I did have a great, relaxing, non-eventful weekend with the family. I even got in a few runs….NOT on a treadmill. lol.
I’m about to head out to Target to get a little shopping done. I hope and pray I exercise some self-control and only get what I came there for, but I admit it might feel just a little good to let loose. Wish me luck! I hope the cold blast isn’t too bad so you can run outside. I was happy to get my 6 mile run in yesterday before the downpour we had today.
It was way to cold and snowy to get outside and run this weekend. At least in my opinion…..I did see some people out, though. I chose the indoor track at my gym – which isn’t quite as awesome as being outside. The strange thing is, whenever I run on the indoor track I have these thoughts of putting my hand out as I run along the side of the track where the line of treadmills are and slapping everyone in the ass as I run by – do you think I should be concerned?
I get most of my Christmas shopping done on Black Friday *gasp*. I know, it get pretty crazy, but the BF and I are always prepared and we ALWAYS stick to our list.
Good for you, Lisa…at least you stick you your list!