Here's my planned 180. Every Christmas season I go kind of nuts and buy tons of stuff. I don't spend like crazy but I usually go over budget by a few hundred bucks. No big deal. My W is from a culture that doesn't celebrate Christmas and although she appreciates and enjoys the season she sees much of it as an orgy of excessiveness, creating massive clutter and a waste of money (she's not wrong.... I guess!). I remember last year she said to me "I know there is no stopping you so could you at least just buy lots of little things for the kids and nothing big". This year, I am going to stop myself. I will discuss the purchases to be made with her and we will then mutually handle Christmas. Usually, she doesn't have time to do much of it, although she does take a day off to do her Christmas shopping. So I end up doing most of it cuz I have more time (or did until the kids stopped going to afterschool care, but then now I have more money to spend on presents!! SLAP, SLAP, SLAP...thanks, I needed that) Well, anyway this year, I change!
