family and the festivities

Everyone usually spends time with their families during the festivities. Christmas and New Year are both trying times for me where work is concerned. I have deadlines to meet early in the year and I will choose to skip family events. I am a prudent when it comes to money matters and I don't see the logic behind having to spend such a lot of money for a set menu that I hardly like. Buffets just make me sick to my gut. All that food.......what can I say. My mum, well she's different. She believes in festivities and gatherings of any sort while I'm more of a loner. Not a true loner but after a hard day's work, I just appreciate my "quiet time". Time that I spend on my own and doing the things I want to do. My "quiet time" is limited since I work most of the time. Whatever time I don't spend on my official work, I will spend on my part time work. Coming back to the festivities, I see it as nothing more than the entertainment industry capitalizing on festivities. We could easily have a meal that costs half as much any other day. So why only on that day ? I've spent years and years reasoning with my mum and her reply is always the same, "it's only once a year !". I can barely afford to survive each month and this is another reason that I'm mostly absent at these family gatherings. I have never favoured living off others and if I can't afford it, then I'll just stay home even if it means being alone. I don't mind at all. Friends keep repeating that I can't take my money with me when I die and I do realize this but I'd rather stick to my budget and have a year that is financially easier than to splurge on one very expensive meal. I've told my mum over and over again that when I can afford it, I'll surely be there and I'll be the one paying the bill. Do I make any sense at all ?