Christmas, materialism, and cheap women

It has been exactly a month since my last blog. Which I'm afraid is long enough to have completely lost my meager reader base. Please come back! I'm going to post the link on Facebook in hopes of reinvigorating my blog and forcing myself to be inspired more often.
And I am inspired. There are several reasons for that, which include a week sitting around the house with my amazing crazy family, but the main reason is a website called cheapwomen.org, set up by two amazing women, one of whom I vaguely knew in college. You really have to check this out. Convicted by personal financial crises, these two embarked on a 4 month contest to see who could spend the least money. Their writings about this experience are funny, sad, and infinitely creative. Like I said, I am inspired.
I am inspired because our society looks down on people who decide not to spend money on crap we don't need. Being frugal, staying away from excess, once built this country up. Now we turn up our noses at frugality and our economy is headed for the toilet, dragged down into the sinkhole of our spiraling blind materialism. This blog- and my relentlessly thrifty and counter-cultural family- have reminded me that it is ok to live far below your means. Just because I have a real job now doesn't mean that I have to buy everything new, that I have to get a car, live the American dream to the fullest. I can be completely happy without all this new stuff. Probably happier.
Another thing I have been thinking about, in the Christmas season, is the line between stinginess (bad) and frugality (good). Our family really doesn't buy gifts for each other, and I don't buy gifts for most of my friends. I always prided myself on this "lack of materialism". But who am I kidding? I buy stuff for myself! Why is that ok, but it's bad to buy Christmas gifts??!! Here is what I have concluded: it is fine to be cheap with yourself; but not ok to be cheap towards others. That doesn't mean I have to go out and buy expensive gifts for all my friends. But it means that I need to buy into the anti-materialism fully- including myself as well. It is NOT OK to tell friends I don't buy gifts because I don't like how materialistic Christmas has become, yet go out shopping for myself at the post-Christmas sales.
As Christians we are called to live generously. And we are also called to love our neighbor, which means many things, but surely must include giving to the needy and taking care of our planet by not consuming crap we don't really need. It also means sharing with those in need instead of feeding my own obese stash of stuff. Living out these principles harmoniously is not easy, but it is something I believe we MUST confront. A few conclusions I have come to: (1) Giving and generosity is about time and love and care as much or more than it is about money (2) Consuming less new stuff frees up more resources for giving (3) Frugality without creativity and God's grace = stinginess.
So I have a few resolutions for the new year. I am going to write them down here in this public place because I want to be held to them. I hope they will help me to be a more creative, generous, healthy and loving person.
1. From here on out, any gifts to adults in my life will be homemade (I say "adults" because making toys for my little brother is beyond my abilities). I will show that I love people individually by investing time and creativity and thought into making something unique to that person.
2. I will donate generously and sacrificially to relief and development organizations like International Justice Mission and Mennonite Central Committee.
3. I will get a sewing machine and with the exception of suits for work (I am a lawyer after all) attempt to buy more of my clothes from thrift stores.
4. I will only buy a car if I absolutely need it. I will not give up the scooter and buy a car just because it is the thing I am "supposed" to do.
5. I will think carefully about new purchases: Do I really need this? Why am I buying this? I will fight the social pressure to buy things just because I can. I will take advantage of free stuff.
6. I will eat no more than 3 eggs a week. (this one is just for my health)
More to come.... Merry Christmas!