I tried to recall my childhood memories, I can't remember my experience every Christmas at home with the family. But I remembered every Christmas party we had at school during my elementary days.

Even though we are struggling with money, my parents will always find a way for us to participate in the exchange of gifts. It was hard for us then, we were five siblings. So on special days, we don't have specially prepared food either.

Since I got married in 2019 and have been living in a faraway place, every Christmas my hubby and I go home to my home town province because it's my mother's birthday on Christmas day itself, and I wrap simple gifts for my family members that include my husband's family. Because that's one of my happiness, I'm happier wrapping simple gifts than receiving gifts.

And only simple food is prepared on the table, such as chicken adobo and pancit because pancit prolongs life hahaha, so it is not missing from birthday celebrations, especially because it is also affordable.

It's because I don't have more money since I got married I stopped working so I don't have any money of my own and my hubby's salary is also a small amount.

And now it's Christmas 2022, I'm a little sad because I wasn't able to come home on my mom's birthday and I didn't wrap anything even simple gifts for my family members.

Because we don't have extra money, we don't even have enough money for our everyday needs because I just finished paying off my debt which was a big amount when my older brother was in the hospital, so I didn't save anything from my online side hustles like of my blogging site earnings.

The food we prepared on the Christmas table here was all my inlaws spent the pancit, spaghetti, chicken adobo and fruit salad. We didn't have any money to contribute, so I just offered to cook so that we could at least contribute something.

But my sister-in-law made the fruit salad because she wanted to make it and the spaghetti. I just cooked pancetta and chicken adobo.

I still had a happy Christmas overall even though I didn't get to go home and wrap presents for my family members on both sides, because I got a chance to meet hubby's older brother's wife and their two children. They came home and arrived last December 24,2022 here to celebrate Christmas with us and we are living with my parents in law, and the one who spent on our Christmas food also has a family that also lives here at my inlaw parents' house.

They have money because of a 13th-month pay that's why able to buy food for our Christmas celebrations, hubby doesn't have 13th-month pay and he doesn't even have bunos hahaha. We didn't do Christmas shopping this Christmas 2022.

I'm inviting three of my friends here on steemit Philippines Bro @yansk09, sis @jes88 and sis @aideleijoie to participate this amazing contest.