How about spending less?
Liz Pulliam Weston has an article on MSN Money entitled “10 ways to pay cash for Christmas.” In it, she lists ten ways to free up money in your budget or otherwise buy presents for Christmas on the cheap. I think she missed one, though.
How about not spending so much this Christmas season?
There are two sides to the equation - spending and saving/earning. Why is it so hard to accept the idea of diminishing the ’spending’ side?
This year, my wife and I have decided to give each other just one present (plus small stocking stuffers). By one present, I’m talking about a nice sweater or necklace, not a trip to Tahiti. We’re concentrating less on us and a bit more on the kids.
We’d long ago established what we’d save throughout the year to spend around Christmas. We have a separate savings account for this purpose that gets a monthly automatic deposit.
Not quid pro quo
Gift giving shouldn’t be a quid pro quo. Do you judge how much someone appreciates you by the amount they’ve spent on a gift for you? No you don’t. Don’t you think your friends and family feel the same? Of course they do.
Bottom line, you don’t have to spend so much money at Christmas. It isn’t a contest. You’re not impressing anyone by spending more than you can afford to give them a gift. What do you think would garner a better reaction, giving a friend another personalized paperweight from Things Remembered or giving a card and explaining you’re trying like crazy to retire your student loans once and for all?
I’m not anti-gift. I’m anti-debt. And putting gifts on a credit card is just nuts.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:40 am
Spending less? What are you, anti-American? Do you want puppies to die?
*fit of giggles*
*ahem*
That would be an excellent solution. My extended family did that years ago. Now every person gets one gift from one other person (names in a hat) and you can opt out if you don’t have the money or don’t feel you need a gift. Opting out doesn’t “hurt” anyone, either, since everyone who opts in gets a present. There’s also a spending range.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Mrs. Micah - Sounds like an excellent system. I’ve heard of several of those elements but it sounds like your family does them all.
I don’t think I could get my side of the family to coordinate that well!
December 17th, 2007 at 5:30 am
Hi,
I agree that one need not spend too much and go beyoond his affrodability just because he wanst to buy gifts and have party during christmas. Enjoing and partying is good but one has to keep in mind that needs to pay his liabilities and debts. So, I usually prefer keeping a christmas club accpount or a savings account wherein I can deposit cash every month for christmas spending.
The crux is to prepare a budget and stay within it. Here’s some interesting budgeting tips for a stress-free Christmas. Hope you’d like to check them out at:
http://www.mortgagefit.com/budgeting/51tips-christmas.html and
http://www.smartmoneytips.com/holiday-budget.php
Merry Christmas in advance!