For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 05, 2022

The annual post Christmas joke with John and the bills. Just how much did Elly spend this year? How much will John complain about how much Elly spent this year? The tension builds.

You sure on that, Lizard Breath?

Already Elizabeth talks funny!

The “January headache”…

The holidays always crash with a resounding thud. Then, it’s back to work, school—and the winter doldrums.

Watch this turn black and white

https://www.gocomics.com/forbetterorforworse/1993/01/05

Incorrect again!

I just got finished with the January proof. The February proof is still yet to come. It’s the March proof that I dread.

We’ve always paid for our daughters’ Christmases with cash. We never have to worry about the credit card bills. It’s a lot easier now that they’re older; we only gave them 2 gifts each, but they were gifts that they really, really wanted. We go for quality instead of quantity.

It’s too fast. I start taking down the decorations after Epiphany (tomorrow). I try to finish by Julian New Year (14 January), in time for the Valentine decorations to go up along with Imbalc (2 February).

don’t be so certain. even my mom is still going ouch on the bills she paid.

It’s a different holiday behind the scenes, and that’s just the way it should be. Carry on Santa.

The American Way,spend,agonize,repeat.

Just make sure you take down the exterior lights. It’s over. Let it go.

There are memories.

It’s time for dad to give Liz an education in reality.

Elizabeth can leave her tree up an extra month when she’s an adult. Our last date to drop ours off to be chipped for free recycling is Jan 31st. Yeah!

Don’t worry,John.Bad teeth will never go out of style.

All the Christmas decorations and the tree were taken down yesterday and put away for another year, and since there were no charges made for gifts, there are no bills to worry about, and the usual monthly ones are already paid. Even paid the property tax on Monday – so that’s out of the way ‘til next year, as well.

And yes, I am bragging! This hasn’t happened all that often in my life and I’m reveling in it!

That is what dad thinks as he pays the bills.

Especially tough for John and Elly to accept is the difficulties they face now and a lower standard of living as opposed to when they were kids, where everything was easy for their parents and the quality of life was much better back then. They grew up in the 1950s, which was the most prosperous time in the history of North America.

How about those gifts you got and hopefully are using?……

Elizabeth is 100% right. There is nothing to prove they had Christmas. The message that God tried to tell the Patterson heathen went in one ear and out the other.

So true. Christmas takes forever to arrive, and once it’s here, it’s over before you know it.

I am glad it’s over with. I can’t be the only one!

Proof is how crowded the gym suddenly gets in January

A familiar, and tiring, trope about the “After Christmas Bills Coming Due” and the resulting depression.

In real life, in our home, we never, ever go into such debt. If you can’t afford it, or pay for it right then and there, you don’t “need” it… I never understood that idea that something is a “must have”…no, not one thing is a must have, ever(!) It’s just more stuff, as George Carlin said long, long ago…

The 5th thing at Christmas that’s such a pain to me, 5 MONTHS OF BILLS!

Oh the joy of Christmas club accounts. I indulged in giving with ZERO debt by the time the year ended. :-)

BILLS?!? ARRRRGH!!! (Anyone remember “Kablaam” and “Life With Loopey???”

With all that spending the Patterson sure aren’t a niggardly family.

We had 2 of those blamkets. I don’t know what happened to them when my dad died. Sure wouldn’t need an electric blanket with one of those.

The bills have a different story to tell.

♪ ♫"We face so afraid the bills left unpaid" ♪ ♫