Downsizing Christmas

Mr. Cupcake and I have always been pretty realistic with our Christmas gifts for each other — we don't go overboard buying each other frivolous items that we don't need, and we always have a modest spending limit for each other (I think our highest ever was $150). This year, due to the suffering economy, we decided to cap things off at just $50 each; times are tight and neither of us really needs anything, and, as we all know, it's the thought that counts. We were trying to figure out lots of ways to simplify the holidays this year and not go broke. We had many discussions about buying a tree this year, wondering if it was worth spending the extra money when we won't even be home on Christmas day. And then, the unthinkable (but frighteningly possible) happened:

Mr. Cupcake got laid off.

It has only been a few days since we got the news, and it is still a little surreal. We have been very aware of the dwindling economy, but we thought we were safe in terms of our jobs... when Mr. Cupcake called me with the news, I really thought he was joking at first. The timing is pretty unfortunate, but, then again, no time is really a great time to get laid off. (But seriously — less than three months after our wedding and two weeks before Christmas??? Certainly I can say that it's just a tad bit depressing.)

We are doing our best to stay upbeat, and we already have a pretty great repertoire of unemployment jokes to keep the mood light ("eat up... this is our last meal for a week!" is a favorite of the day). We are certainly learning firsthand the meaning of "for better or for worse," and it is humbling yet reassuring to know that we are in this together, no matter what. A few tears have been shed, and we are doing our best to support each other during this difficult time. Many resumés have already been sent and now the waiting game has begun. It is all a very real reminder of the curve balls that life can throw at you.

We have no choice but to focus on making the holiday season about family and togetherness this year, and not about material things (which is how it should be regardless). This is the first time since living together that we haven't had a real, live, beautiful Christmas tree in our apartment, but yesterday we found a charming $6 tabletop tree that had our names written all over it (and fit into our new, very tight budget).

Mr. Cupcake took this with his iPhone, and I like the ethereal glow it gives our mini tree :-) You can see that the "tree stand" is really a wine rack in our living room... some of our favorite heavier ornaments are sitting under the tree made to look like toys... and the tree is kept company by some vintage angels that belonged to my grandmother (on the left) and the Ralphie bobblehead I got Mr. Cupcake for our first Christmas together. The lights were so extremely long that we ran them from the tree over a doorway!

A close-up. Isn't she lovely?

We got out our lights and ornaments and chose a few lightweight ornaments that wouldn't cause the whole thing to tip over :-) We got a kick out of the fact that our tree fit in a plastic bag at the store — Mr. Cupcake joked that he had them throw in some twine just in case we had to strap it to the roof of our car. We have already spun our situation into the sob-story we'll tell our kids in fifteen years: "The year we got married, Daddy got laid off and we had to walk 10 miles barefoot in the snow to buy a fake $6 Christmas tree that we paid for with nickels we found in between the couch cushions!"

Our $50 gift budget has now decreased to a card and maybe a mix CD for each other, unless we come up with anything else creative (but not necessarily artsy, as that is more my department than Mr. Cupcake's). I had already been procrastinating on my Christmas shopping so I had not yet bought a thing for the rest of our family members when we got word of the layoff; now it looks like we'll be keeping things simple with a few handmade items and baked goods. As cheesy as it sounds, we need to remember that it's not the presents that matter when we are already blessed with the gift of each other and our fantastic families, and we have absolutely no reason to feel bad for ourselves.

Other bees have had similar stories of unemployment, and now I am realizing firsthand just how real this recession is. How have the recent financial hardships taken a toll on your wedding plans or newlywed life? Has it affected you more than you expected?