Now that my wife and I have been married for more than 10 years, picking out Christmas presents has become somewhat of a challenge for each other. She’ll ask me what I want for Christmas, and I’ll do the same. But neither of us can really think of many things in particular.
It’s not that we’re fussy or don’t know what to get each other. We’re both got a lot of things that we really want to do, but they’re not really your classic “under $50 and under the tree” variety. Part of the problem (if you can really call it that) is that we’re both pretty realistic about what we want. We don’t get too carried away. Plus we’re both working professionals, and so we’re accustomed to buying the things we need when we want them.
But then there’s the fact that now that I’m older, my priorities have changed. The things that keep me up at night just aren’t the same things that bothered me when I was younger. So unlike when I was eight years old, when someone asks me what I want for Christmas, my answers tend to carry a little more personal meaning than they used to. In no particular order, here they are:
What I Want for Christmas – (Really) …
1. Enjoyable conversation with my family.
2. Knowing that my kids will come out on top no matter what challenge they face.
3. Security and guarantees for our finances.
4. More date nights with my wife.
5. To continue to take my family on grand vacations every year.
6. More ambition to exercise as aggressively as I used to.
7. More lazy days to spend with my wife.
8. To add another passive income stream to our finances in 2013.
9. To grow this blog (at least beyond 10,000 visitors per month) and know that it truly improved life for someone else.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Readers – What did you want for Christmas this year?
Related Posts:
1) Struggling to Buy Presents? Try These Christmas Gift Ideas for Her
2) Figuring Out the Operational Cost for Santa’s Christmas Presents
3) Download My Free Christmas Present Planner!
Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hm… I wanted bar stools. I think I’ll make next Monday’s post about that. Thanks for the idea!
To each their own! Have a Merry Christmas!
I don’t really want anything material. I guess I’d hope for an even more successful 2013!
Same here! I’m always looking to take things to the next level.
I think those are the things that matter! Merry Christmas! I just want to be happy and feel more financially secure. As a secondary thing…I found some romance this Christmas which has been a bonus! 🙂
Good for you! No one should have to spend the Holidays alone!
After 28 years of marriage, here’s the routine: my wife buys for the kids; my daughter buys for my wife. I love Christmas!
I just finally got a taste of that this year. Our tween daughter is starting to adopt the same style as my wife, so Christmas shopping was much more of a breeze!
Merry Christmas MMD! Is your wife getting a 10 dates voucher book this year? I value more experience too, and am hoping for a lovely dinner tonight, that’s about it.
Merry Christmas to you Pauline! I’d actually love to bump that up to one or two dates per month (providing we can get the babysitting)! I’m with you that going out is way more fun than actually getting stuff.
That’s definitely a Christmas want for me too. My blog to keep on growing! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too! Here’s to +10,000 pageviews per month (or day) next year!
We don’t buy gifts for each other any more. We tend to just enjoy being with the family and getting away from it all. I want a lot of things but I know that if it’s meant to be it will be. Happy Christmas mate. Mr.CBB
Merry Christmas to you too! We came really close to not buying anything for each other either this year. We’ve got a big home project planned instead that our money is ear-marked for.
There is nothing better than to find happiness from simple pleasures! Merry Christmas!
Agreed Shilpan! Merry Christmas!
That is a wonderful list. I hear you about not really needing to get presents after you’ve been married for 10 years. We didn’t do presents this year,and it was great. We are going on a kid free dinner date with friends tomorrow and that is better than any gift under the tree that I can think of.
Some days the Kid Free anything is the best present ever! All of us parents can use a little break now and again.
I have the same problem. And the boyfriend ended up finding a rare-ish Vonnegut book for me even after I didn’t know what to ask for. Amazing. But I’m with you. I’d rather see my kids turn out okay. Our checkbook come out green. And quality time spent together.
Thanks FF. I’ll confess: I had to look up “Vonnegut”.
Those are nice goals 🙂 I had a hell of a time trying to figure out what I wanted for Christmas when my sisters and parents were asking. All I could think of was … yoga pants. :S
That problem usually ends up leading to a ton of gift cards for me – which isn’t really all that bad!