I am that person that loves giving gifts! I pride myself on personalizing gifts and giving gifts that people love! I must admit that this comes with a price...usually my bank account. In recent years I have learned ways to effectively navigate the holiday season while keeping my finances in tact. If you are a reformed shopaholic or one of the 49% of Americans who feel pressured to spend more than they can afford and get stressed out during the holidays, continue reading for tips to survive the holiday season!
1.) Make your list and check it twice. Before I begin, I ALWAYS make a list. My list includes who I am buying for and what I would like to buy them. I am ridiculously organized so this helps cut down on excessive gift buying. As a matter of fact, I limit my list to my immediate family and my family of origin. Everybody else gets Christmas cards. It just is not practical to purchase items for every single person I know which is what ends up happening if a practical approach is not taken.
2.) Always refer to a budget. Each paycheck beginning in November, I budget for Christmas. I have three separate bank accounts (I will write a post on that later) so I plan accordingly. I make sure my bill money is put away, my living money (gas, hair, hanging out) is put away, and what's left goes into an account I use just for Christmas. The reality is we all get caught up time to time and overspend or we spend on wants and then are shocked when we do not have enough left to cover bills. To avoid overspending as well as having "after the holiday blues" and having to wait for tax time to recover from Christmas, we should always ensure bills are paid first and Christmas gets what is left. Never the other way around.
3.) Look for deals. I ALWAYS get super excited about Black Friday. I LOVE a good deal. I would go out and buy everything to see how much I can save! Of course, it took growth for me to see the fallacy in that. If I spend NO money, I save EVEN MORE! So now I reserve Black Friday for specific gifts! Since I already have my list of recipients and I know what I want to get, I use Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other sales to find the best price for the gifts I plan to purchase. I am no longer aimlessly spending to save (oxymoron) but finding the best prices to genuinely save myself money on items I planned to purchase anyway.
4.) Remember it is the thought that counts. Most people will appreciate the gifts you give just because it came from you. Knowing this, I try to be practical in my gifts. My son is two. He gets toys year round to the point my parents have often told me, "He will not appreciate Christmas because he gets so much!" So this year I have started the gift of four: something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, and something to read. No need to go broke trying to buy every kid's desire. It teaches children to delay gratification when they have to anticipate something, helps them prioritize their wants (a good money management skill they can use later in life), and helps mama make sure money is still left to provide after Christmas.
5.) Remember Jesus is the Reason for the Season. My fave holiday movie is the Grinch. It shows what happens when we get lost in gifts and the commercialized hustle and bustle of the season. We go broke and take the love out of the season. It is so easy to spend beaucoup bucks you do not have when your aim is to give the biggest, best, and priciest present to everyone you know. Instead of overspending on gifts, lets give the gift of time and service. Instead of teaching our kids the commercialism of Christmas, lets focus on teaching them Jesus. Love is not expressed in dollar amounts but in the size of love behind the gift (so if you do not get a gift from me, know that I love you)! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled with love and cheer! xoxo
