Christmas Lights

I find that the sooner the stores put out the christmas stuff, the later I want to do it. It's normally the "thing to do" to put up all of our decorations on black friday when my wife is out of the house shopping and not bothering my boys and I. I have a 6 year old and a 4 year old so when they say "Can we put up the decorations, we'll help" it means "daddy can you do it". Put up the tree and can't bring myself to do the rest. I got the ladder out, got out my staple gun and my boxes of lights, then sat down and logged into bike-talk to put off doing anything else.

Anyone else feeling the lag this year? Also would like to hear from you insane people that spent 47 straight hours making your house look like Clark Griswalds house from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, maybe that'll motivate me.

Well, I normally don't put up lights anyway, LOL! But I have "thought" about putting up some lights for my girls (5 and 4 yrs old). Guess I better read that damned HOA handbook they gave me when I moved into this place to make sure I don't piss someone off with lights on the house...

DAMN! Good call mudflap, I probably should have asked the hoa the rules for lights. I've never seen anyone in my area with lights. I bought this house 6 years ago and haven't seen any decorations on any house for any holiday.

Yea, we do quite a bit, usually wife has 3 trees and mucho decorations. I put up lights on house and garlands on front porch. Girls grown, just cant stop doing it. In Florida this weekend, so will all happen next weekend weather allowing. Here a couple from two years ago.

Drove threw the neighborhood earlier and seems as tho we can have lights but don't seem like we can have much up tho.

Still to early for decorations...Gets earlier every year...Before you know it they will put them up at the end of August...Same thing with Easter....

We just down-sized to an apartment a few months ago to accomplish being debt free w/in 3 years. But here's my display from last year.

I know EXACTLY what you're doing popeye, I live in a town house now to accomplish my debt free goal. I'm getting excited because I'm only 11 months away from being debt free (except the town house of course). Was going to rent a place but it was actually about $1000 a month cheaper to buy a townhouse than to rent an apartment.

I got up part or my lights, just need to finish. As I was doing it though, I started to get a little concerned about the HOA rules, the people walking by were kinda looking at me funny as if I was doing something wrong. We'll see if I get fined again; got a $20 fine for leaving my garbage cans out for 2 days after trash pickup and a $50 fine for having a satellite dish installed without my HOA permit. We'll see if there's a note on my door when I get home from work today.

That is not uncommon in communities run by an association...Where I live decorations can be put up two weeks before and must be taken down two weeks after which is fine by me...Everyone receives a copy of the community bylaws which they must sign before they move in...It is part of the closing package...Garbage and recycling goes out the morning it is picked up (tuesday & thursday) which I agree with 100%...Most people tend to follow the rules as they prefer association living which is not for everyone...

Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I've got everything but my Business note paid off and it should be easily paid off w/in 3 years, and that is if the economy stays the same. After that we'll be able to pay off a house in a manner of months.
I may consider a condo or duplex after it's all said and done, and build me a "Toy Box" on the lot I have next to my business. I'm sick and tired of mowing and just want to enjoy life.


The neighborhood I just left was so stinkin' uppity I only knew two neighbors. I know a lot of people who have less money and more class than most of the individuals I met at the HOA meetings. It was gated and the HOA wouldn't leave the gates open later than 7 PM so the neighbors were the only ones who got to see them. I only put out the lights because my daughter said it wasn't Christmas w/o them.

My apologies for the derail OP.

Here in Hobgood, we don't have any limits to what we want to do for decorations. No stinkin' home owners association. Mac the Wife bought one of those trees that already has the lights on it (fake tree made in the Peoples Republic of China). Thought I'd NEVER see the day. I used to go out in the woods around here and just chop down a tree every Christmas. Pine trees EVERYWHERE! We don't decorate the outside of the house except for a wreath on the front door - too much work LOL.

BTW, our mortgage payments are $200 a month . . . so waddaya you guys waitin' for? Move to (rural) North Carolina!

He!! my taxes and insurance were over $300 a month.

Don't know how anyone can say they are debt free if they are still making payments for housing whether it's rent or mortgage. Only if the house is paid for, then you are debt free. Unless you're living in a van down by the river.

Youse guys dont know whatcha missing. Come to Lhun Gisland. Property taxes over a grand a month! Minimum electric bill $150+ a month (without Christmas lights, no electric heat or a pool). Regular gasoline now at $3.95 gal. Fuel oil for heat and hot water $4.27 gal. And my wife won't move yet! :witsend: :gah: :rant: