Ah, Christmas that holly jolly time of year when family and friends get together to share in the joy of this peaceful season. For most people, Christmas is a time of inflated credit card bills and trips to overcrowded and overheated malls. Each year it seems like we spend more and more money on Christmas. In recent years I have tried hard to keep track of all the money spent on Christmas gifts, cards, decorations, etc. So that come January I can take a good look at exactly where all of that money went. It can be difficult to make a budget for such a holiday, but keeping track of spending certainly helps keep things under control a bit.

So why do we spend so much? In part, I think it is because things cost more these days (obviously). When I was young, maybe I got a board game or a Cabagge Patch doll for Christmas - $30.00 or less. Now kids are asking for a Wii, the new ipod or some other high tech, high priced item. And it isn’t their fault either, that is what it hip now so it is only natural for young people to want those things. So what do you do? Do you spend $200.00 or more on every person you know just to keep up with the times? Some people would say yes, just put it on the credit card and save face. However my answer is a resounding NO. Don’t get me wrong, if I was very wealthy, I would love nothing more than to shower my family with luxurious gifts. But I am not very wealthy, I am a normal person, so I must buy normal gifts.

There are always the handmade/thoughtful gifts. Every December I think -Dang it! - I wish I know how to knit or crochet so I could make some scarfs or blankets or something! Alas, I don’t knit or crochet so I must do something else. I have made a few handmade gifts in my day - a tote bag easily personalized using iron on letters/patches from the craft store, a frame filled with a meaningful picture, etc. The year I got married, I took a few exceptional photos from the wedding and framed them to give to a few family members as gifts. I will always remember the look on my husband’s grandmother’s face when she opened her gift - it was a beautiful frame with a picture of the three of us from our wedding day - a pretty spectacular picture I might add. She was thrilled to receive it and we felt great giving it to her. Certainly, not all gifts need to be expensive - the more savvy you are about what to get and when to get it will help you save some money and some of your sanity as well.

One thing that has helped to make the Christmas season feel less gluttonous for me is making sure to include one or two gifts to charity each year. Most offices do some sort of charity gift - adopt a family, etc, and those are always great options. But if your office doesn’t do that (or you don’t work in an office) take the time to find an organization you wish to donate to. Our church has a giving tree each year during the month of December. It is a Christmas tree decorated with tags that list gifts that are needed - shoes for children in Afghanistan, gift cards, sleeping bags, etc. You pull a tag, go buy the gift, and bring it back to church wrapped with the tag on the outside. I was overwhelmed when I dropped off my gift the other night. There must have been over 100 gifts lining the Church - surely there must be more there than were asked for on the tree! How generous, how thoughtful that all these people took the time out to go buy a gift for a stranger and wrap it in beautiful paper. How meaningful it must be for the person who opens it, perhaps it is their only gift this year or their only gift ever.

So if you are sick of exchanging gifts with co-workers or friends, suggest everyone pick a charity to buy for and chip in to buy one great gift, or several small gifts for the charity instead. If you belong to a church or a temple they will surely have suggestions for you. Almost every town has some sort of animal shelter or humane society - they are always in need of food and other supplies and many have wishlists on their websites. If you would rather give the gift of time contact your local hospital - perhaps you can volunteer to help decorate, make christmas cards for children who are spending the holidays in the hospital or help out in some other way. Including one or two meaningful gifts or outings this holiday season will help ease some of the stress and also remind you what this season is really about.

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