How to spend your money this Christmas

I know the title sounds crazy and many of us would say I have no problem spending money at Christmas; it is not spending money that I want to achieve. That in fact is the purpose of this article which encourages you to find a balance at Christmas time.

The first rule to observe is not to borrow money in order to overindulge at Christmas.  Borrowing money only leads to hardships in repaying it when January comes.  The ideal position is that one should save during the year in order to have a little extra for the holiday season.  Borrowing money to buy gifts only encourages us to spend on things that we cannot afford so try to live within your means.

Prepare a budget for the expenses that you have to pay so as to know what you have left for buying gifts.  Prepare a list of persons for which you wish to buy gifts and include the amount that you would like to spend on those items.  Think of items that would cost that amount and look for those while you are shopping.  Take the list with you especially if you do not know what to buy so that you can be reminded of what you can afford.

If you usually buy Christmas cards consider making your own and involve your kids it will be fun.  They can draw a picture or paste a photo on the front of the card and can say in their own words what they want to say to that person.  Similarly some gifts can be made especially for those of us who have some talent at crafts; all it requires is just a little imagination.  Buy into the concept that it is not the gift but the thought that counts but don’t use it as an excuse to be cheap.  The best gifts whether bought or made are always the ones that come from the heart.

For those of you who buy trees consider an artificial one it may cost a little more upfront but can be used for many years to come.  Don’t overdo the Christmas lights, put up just enough and if your kids want to see lots of lights take them to see other person’s houses, parks and even some of the shopping malls.  They will have fun during the experience while at the same time saving you money.

Whether you are a religious person or not don’t become trapped in the commercialization of Christmas.  At this time of year one should always remember that spending time with family is more important than spending money and creates memories that last for a lifetime.