Someone help me stop shopping!

I love shopping. Any kind of shopping. Especially hunting for deals. It is a rarity if I buy something for full price...besides food. I like my food, and I refuse to skimp on it. I would rather spend the money and enjoy what I am eating than buy what is on sale and loathe even cooking it. Anyway, 'tis the season for shopping and finding deals. Victoria and I went out on Black Friday, at 3:30 in the morning. Oh what fun! I was there when a few stores opened but hung back and let the crowds pass so we didn't get trampled like that poor guy in New York. I looked at all the ads on Thanksgiving day, and wrote up my list of what to get at what store, what time the store opened, and I even wrote down the price. I spent a few hours creating my list, researching other stores for better prices, checking the internet for deals, and finally perfecting it and putting everything in order according to when the stores open. I totally realize, I am nuts. But I love it. I love the thrill of finding an actual deal. You see, most stores say they are offering a deal, but really it isn't much of one. I have found that there is generally a price mark-up before the holidays, and then the stores will slash prices and put large percentage off signs to make you feel like you have found a bargain. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha...little do they know there are those of us like myself that research the prices to see if it is an actual bargain!

So I did it. And I am continuing to do it. I can't stop shopping. Now it is just deals that I find on the internet, and I think I have about 15 packages on their way to the house with my name on them. Granted they are xmas gifts, but still. Tony and I agreed that this year we were going to tone things down a bit since we were going forward to build our new house. I am not sure how toned down things will actually be. We have the problem that we can never go shopping together. Either he is working, or we have the kids. I say that like they are visitors...we just can't get Grandma or Nana to take them when it is convenient for us. Forget a babysitter...we just can't bring ourselves to hire one. So I do my shopping and get the kids some things, and then Tony goes and gets the kids some things. The only problem is we don't realize how much we are buying until we are sitting there xmas eve wrapping.

Oh well, it looks like we are in for a very full xmas again this year. How about you? How do you set limits on what Santa leaves under the tree?