Tariff Era Christmas Problems

And we've all already had a few panic attacks and mental meltdowns over our situation - and how we may not be able to afford Christmas for the kids.

Half of me is saying: My children are spoiled, they can have less this year. And if they wonder why Santa didn't come, I'll tell them our president has outlawed ALL immigrants, even the big man in red.

I know. I know. I'm Awful.

Thinking logically, Christmas has been made about consumerism. And I have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. As a parent, I'm sure most of you understand when I say: My happiness depends on my ability to provide and give to my children. My joy is their joy, and their smiles every Christmas fuel me for weeks into the new year. It's a matter of pride, right?

I will say, my kids are very spoiled. They always get and have much more than they need. A result of all 4 of their parents being from troubled childhoods with traumas of their own. We tend to project onto the kids the need to provide them with the love, safety, and spoiled rotten feelings that we all were deprived of as children in some way or another.

Cutting down on store-bought presents there, the year may actually be good for their growth as human beings. But still, solutions are needed, and I've come up with a few - Because we all know that no gifts would RUIN Christmas... for everyone.

But at the same time, we are participating in the "No Buy" boycott come Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year.

Usually, those sale days are people's last saving grace for late shoppers. But honestly, I tell you this is a business management major in college - those Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are manipulative bullshit anyway.

It's not a sale if they hiked the retail price up right before, THEN slashed it to the 40% off nonsense. And I PROMISE YOU PEOPLE. That's the main scheme for MOST companies on these "sale days." You can do your research if you don't believe me.

So the good news is, if you're like us and you're boycotting with us, you're not actually missing out on great sales. You're just missing out on some of the biggest lies Corporate America tells us. Isn't that nice? I am hoping that enough people in America decide to boycott Corporation America to leave a NASTY dent in their pride and greed. So, to those of you who are reading, JOIN THE NO BUY BOYCOTT THIS YEAR.

So I hear you asking me: If we join the boycott, or we're too broke to joke, how do we make Christmas?

Well, as it just so happens, I have some very helpful, and as usual, extensively explained solutions.

1. No one said you can't buy presents. Just buy them from mom and pop businesses. Seek out small, independently owned businesses. Bolster our local economies, while starving our corporate economy. This, unfortunately, may require travelling, as a lot of these businesses do not do online sales, which is okay since we are also trying to choke out the American cyber economy.
2. Handmade presents! Anyone reading this old enough to remember when handmade gifts were the BEST kind to get? If you are an artist or you have children who are, this is a great opportunity to bring back some of the true meaning of Christmas, where gifts come from the heart, not obligatory spending. This is especially fun if you make it a family ordeal. Kids LOVE making gifts for their favorite people - and this is a splendid time to cut back on purchasing.
3. Thrift Stores - Not Goodwill or Karm. But, again, small independently owned thrift or second-hand stores.
4. Yard Sales and Marketplace events. In my small rural community, we have several holiday flea-market events. This brings the artists, local farmers, and independent business owners together in one place. Look on social media for signs of little events like this near you. Usually, your local vendors of treasures have better things than stores do anyway.
5. Using social media to find local artists or vendors who may already have a supply of things made is a great way to find the perfect gifts for your people, while supporting locals who are struggling to make ends meet. The Facebook Marketplace is a great, safe way to find things for sale from your community, rather than supporting a large business chain.
6. This is the year to start making 'Christmas traditions" the focal point of your Christmas, instead of materialistic presents. Christmas should be about love, peace, kindness, and family. Now is a good year to try and take control of that, and teach your family that there is more to Christmas than how many presents there are and who got the biggest one. Some traditions that bring Christmas back to hearth and heart instead of presents are the decorating and first lighting of the Christmas Tree, baking crazy flavored cookies for Santa *and Santa always leaves a fancy handwritten thank you note for the kids written in sloppy calligraphy*, volunteering at a food banks, telling Christmas stories, Christmas-movie binges, Caroling, driving down your closest "Christmas Light Lane," and more.
7. This tip is for every year: start your Christmas shopping in July instead of November/December. If you make Christmas shopping more than just a holiday-time huge splurge, you can save yourself a lot of stress come December. Oh, and the best part of shopping early, you can catch GENUINE sales outside of the bogus Black Friday scams.

Remember to be kind. And I love you all very much. We're gonna get through this.

Find my fictional fantasy book "Memoirs of the In-Between" on Amazon in paperback, eBook, and hardback.

Listen to the audiobook or purchase the book on my Patreon

Listen to the audiobook or purchase the book on my Gumroad.

You can also find it in the Apple Store.

Keep an eye out for my special discounts and sales on the Campfire Reading app.

And if you like pretty things - check out the author's merch store - where all money goes right back into advertising.

Like and Follow the Memoirs Facebook age here!

Find my fictional fantasy book "Memoirs of the In-Between" on Amazon in paperback, eBook, and hardback.

Listen to the audiobook or purchase the book on my Patreon

Listen to the audiobook or purchase the book on my Gumroad.

You can also find it in the Apple Store.

Keep an eye out for my special discounts and sales on the Campfire Reading app.

And if you like pretty things - check out the author's merch store - where all money goes right back into advertising.

Like and Follow the Memoirs Facebook age here!