Be jolly? Not in America. Over 45 per cent of those who responded said that they dread the festive season.1 The top three reasons cited for this are:
- Christmas has become too commercial.
- A feeling that everyone is having a better time than you.
- Spending far too much money.
As much as I would like to play psychologist, I am not qualified to do so, so I will stick to the financial side of Christmas. As you can see above, two of the top three reasons we dread Christmas are related to financial issues: Christmas has become too commercial and we spend far too much money. How do we buck this trend? We must remember that Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth. That sounds simple, but it’s easy to get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. In early October, I was in a store with my six year old daughter and she asked me why they already had Christmas decorations in the store. Even at six years old, she realizes the absurdity of this.
Of course, we give gifts in remembrance of God giving us His Son. There’s nothing wrong with giving gifts. It’s actually a nice thing to do. But, many of us get so caught up in the gift giving that it consumes us and causes us lots of anxiety when we spend too much money.
Have a plan
Good decisions begin with a plan. Unfortunately most people give out of compulsion rather than delight. That's why Christmas shopping can seem overwhelming. Planning your gift-giving will not only save you money, but can also help you to enjoy the true meaning of the season.
I don't know about you, but I am not a shopper. I go in, get what I want and get out. I am a retailer's worst nightmare. All those fancy signs they make to entice us to buy more stuff don't faze me at all. Yet, even if you love to shop, you ought to decide before you go to the store exactly who you are buying for, what you can spend on each person and, as best as you can, determine in advance what you want to buy for each person. Whatever you do, don't spend on the fly. Even if you do not know exactly what you are going to buy, know what you are going to spend.
Assign a dollar value for each person
It is important to have a firm overall budget. Decide how much you are going to spend in total this Christmas. If your overall budget is $500 do not spend $600 just because it does not max out your credit card. Also, do not try to spend equal amounts of money on each person. For example, if you spend $100 on one child and $150 on another, don't fret over it and feel like you have to buy something else for the first child to make them even. I know this sounds cliché, but it really is the thought that counts.
