So, this might come as a big shock to some of you, but December 25th is only 3 months away! I know, it’s surprising, but Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa) comes around the same time every year, and many of you are, as usual, caught off guard! This, frankly, blows my mind. Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I hear so many people talking about how they are buying Christmas presents on credit cards, or buying lesser things than they wanted etc. because they didn”t plan and budget for the holidays. These problems can be alleviated very easily. Like everything else we talk about on here, it just takes a little planning!
Your first option, of course, is to save up throughout the year (or what time you have remaining before the holidays). It’s not that hard to amass a nice little sum to spend on your loved ones if you plan and budget. Saving only $10 a week amounts up to $520 in a year…now, while that isn’t enough to buy everyone a new car, you can certainly do something nice with that amount. Want to spend more? Save more! The trick is in deciding on what you usually spend and saving that amount throughout the year! If you didn’t save up for it, and don’t have the disposable income, then you should look into other forms of gifts, because no one needs the stress of credit card debt, and the certainly don’t need to go into debt to buy presents for other people. And, I’ll tell you a secret…your friends and family don’t want you to go into debt to buy them a present!
If the first option won’t work for you, you’re not out of luck, because you can always give the gift of your time or experience! Granted, it’s not as glamorous as a new T.V., but giving the gift of your time is still special, ans still shows that you care enough (maybe more) to do something nice for your friends and relatives during the holidays. Some good options? Well, you could offer up babysitting services, cook dinner etc. for busy working parents. That kind of stuff not your thing? Well, figure out what you’re good at, or what your hobby is, and offer that service to your friends and family! Let’s say you’re a masseuse…you could offer some of your friends and family a complimentary 30 minute massage as a gift! No one would turn that down! You just need to be creative.
I’m sure I will revisit this topic as the holiday season draws near, because honestly, it irks my nerves that so many people cannot plan for the holiday season! Whatever your financial situation is, it boils down to this: If you have the cash saved up or on hand, by all means, spend it on loved ones as you wish, but if you don’t have the cash, give the gift of your time or don’t buy gifts at all, since the last thing anyone needs is more credit card debt!
Tags: accountability, Budgeting, Credit Cards, Debt, Personal responsibility, saving money, Shopping
