Xmas & Gifting & Theory of Shame

First a thrifty update - I was able to find some gratis pine boughs (branches to you) at our local garden center, where they were trimming their Xmas trees.  Brought them home and filled a large glass cookie jar with them (made a good, large, heavy vase) and also made some smaller arrangements.  Had a decorative wooden box of sorts, and put two large prescription bottles in it for the water and then put in the boughs. 

NOW I know what to do with all those old prescription bottles! I have used a small one, which I mean to cover, to hold my emery boards and gloss, etc. -  and I now realize that they would be great for flower arrangements in less than watetight containers - as you could put the plastic medicine bottles inside to hold the water!.

Also made a small arrangement for my neighbor - I took an old Xmas candy tin I had saved and put two bows over the candy name and filled it with small pine boughs wrapped in silver paper - I then made a snowflake out of the same silver paper and used some old candies which were covered with shiny red foil to make little "ornaments" and hung them on the boughs with small paperclips. Just big enough for her to put on her shelf by the TV - it did turn out great.

Saving interesting newspaper and magazine pages to use in wrapping my presents. Also delving into ribbon stash,  some of which came from the Xmas box.

Still filling up my sample and gift bags when I get samples in the mail or find them around the house.  Think they will together when presented artistically will make nice gift collections. 

So on to the THEORY AND  PHILOSOPHY  of pennypinching:  I was reminded of the psychological aspect of thrift once more when I surfed onto a woman's site that appeals to upscale females (which shall remain nameless...).  In the comments they were discussing Xmas gift giving ,and many of them were lamenting that they had a hard time affording it and how difficult it all was for them.  It occurred to me that these women were largely suffering from SHAME that they weren't able to participate in gift giving on the financial level they either were used to or felt they should be able to.  (And I countered by commenting about thrifty ways to cope.)

I think it is really often SHAME of your financial situation which keeps many from realistically confronting their financial realities and shaping their life in a way they can afford that also meets their needs. 

Makes me think of an article in the L.A. Times a few years ago about an homeless ex-upper-middle class divorcee down on her luck who lived on the tony West Side of L.A.  in her car and spent her days in upscale shopping malls, wearing her old silk scarves and washing in their ladies rooms.  When her plight became known, a goodhearted reader from the less fashionable EAST side of town offered her a place to stay - and, do you know, the woman REFUSED the offer because she didn't want to leave her old Westside turf?

Really - what SENSE does that MAKE? So you can't live on the West Side (the better side) of town?  Find something undiscovered you can AFFORD and give it your own chic! and take the free lodging until you can get yourself together to get a job and save money for a place!  That is how one SURVIVES and eventually can prosper again.

A bohemian friend of mine joked with me recently that we have been cutting back for so long that there's nowhere to cut anymore.  Although, that's really not true.  One can always shave off a bit here and there, I find.  Being crafty and indulging your artistic side certain helps to keep costs down, especially at this time of year.

How do even your snobbier friends know whether you are being frugal or going the Martha Stewart route? I thought that when I brought my arrangement of autumn leaves for Thanksgiving. It was very Martha Stewart and CHEAP, too.  Now, I know enough not to blab that the lovely ceramic vase was snagged at a rummage sale for $1!   But I don't feel any SHAME about it - I just feel thrifty and CLEVER.

One a therapist of mine asked how I felt standing in line to recycle my cans with the more, shall we say, "colorful" people of the neighborhood.  I think she wanted me to admit to SHAME - but really, no kidding, I just felt interested in the scene, glad to get the money for the cans, and GRATEFUL that I was doing better than some of those folks!  (Not to say that I showed up in my better clothes or struck a superior attitude for this recycling gig - that creates resentment one does not need.)

As my bohemian and artistic friend and I also discussed, it takes a LOT to embarass us these days! Mere indications of possible social drift in a downward direction won't do it to us.  Not that I will downplay the importance of social markers, the value of gift-giving, or keeping up appearances.  But all means, play sociologist and hit the social markers (In your own way) that you feel are important. My wardrobe has that function, for me. And witty but thrifty gifts. I participate in holiday rituals - but just not on the level of a retail markup.

One of the more important concepts that I learned in my undergraduate anthroplogy class was that of "real" versus "ideal" culture (i.e., your wedding vs. Princess Diana's).  I might also add that there are other calibrations you can use to mark your acttvities.  I see it in people "going green" whereas I just got old stuff (now vintage). I see it in the "Back to Simplicity" movement - and in the returning of many woman to the lessons of their mothers and grandmothers who had to pinch a penny in their day and did it without a qualm.

So, if there is a snob attack, you could even be a pain and counter with a "higher and mightier" argument!  Ha!  So there, you overconsuming status-conscious Grinches!  We little folks in Whoville intend to have ourselves a very merry Xmas one way or the other (and if it doesn't suit you, too bad, green meanie).

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Xmas in Thrifty Whoville

The Little People have lots of Fun!

I LOVE your idea about using the medicine bottles for tiny vases...absolutely brilliant!

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