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Money Saving Tips
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Parties and Holidays |
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A Different Sort of Holiday Budgeting Story
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| The average North American spends over $800 on Christmas. Throw
in new dresses for Easter, wine and chocolates for Valentine’s, and
enough candy to supply the neighbourhood at Halloween, and the
revolving door of holiday shopping can seriously keep you in debt. |
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| There is no shortage of stories online telling you how to save
on holiday spending, recipes for pennies, with experts offering
great bargain gift ideas and redemption from future debt. |
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| There are indeed alternatives to expensive holiday celebrations,
but I’m going to go out on a limb to tell you that the most
important thing to change is your mindset. As long as you feel
guilt, or a sense of being reduced by your caution, or the
inferiority of not measuring up; as long as you feel you are
shortchanging your kids by saving, forget it. Give in to the
thronging masses, the stress, the seasonal influx of dictated décor,
and the debt. |
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| Budget tips like “wrap gifts in old phonebook pages that the
kids painted with watercolours” aren’t going to fly if you still
believe that the status quo is important, and that
consumer/commercial traditions are superior. So forget it- buy the
emerald-green embossed wrapping paper, or the
latest-preteen-celebrity trendy wrap and swallow the receipt. |
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| But if decide you are willing to stop grumbling about the “lost
meaning of Christmas” and really seek an alternative way of
celebrating the holidays, you can enrich family life in ways you
never thought possible while saving a truckload of cash. |
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| If you’ve already taught your kids that the measure of parental
love or community status is how many boxes they’ll unwrap, then
unlearn them. If you’re just starting a family, now’s the best time
to establish your own traditions and values. Let those dictate what
Christmas is going to mean from here on in. |
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| Shifting paradigms can be a great relief to anyone struggling to
make ends meet- simply opting out of the gift buying machine can
promise freedom from impossible financial commitments. Even
millionaires can choose to go “gift-free” by participating in the
Mennonite “Buy Nothing Christmas.” Participants commit to buying
nothing, for one season or for life, and report bliss avoiding debt
and the stress of miserable, angry hordes of people. It’s not about
being Scrooge- making gifts, sharing the duties and costs of the
turkey dinner, spending more time with family and less time
shopping, helping underprivileged people, and spending more time
celebrating with a faith family are focuses of this interesting
experience. |
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| But this option is likely too drastic for most, and certainly
too drastic for the economy. Giving gifts and going out will likely
still be part of Christmas for you. What needs to change is the
focus. Creating new traditions based on family, faith, and
experience is what’s most important. |
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| You might start an annual cookie exchange with your sister,
which means you won’t have to worry about buying or baking when
guests pop by. You might do things together as a family instead of
shopping- ending up with fewer gifts, but more evenings tobogganing
or taking the kids to see the lights of the neighbourhoods. |
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| You’ll talk freely with other members of your family about a
commitment to avoid frivolous gift giving and receiving. There is
nothing wrong with telling your in-laws what kind of things your
family really needs help with, and ask them to avoid gifts you don’t
need. This is what I mean about changing your mindset- if this kind
of thing makes you cringe because it’s “bad manners” or doesn’t
“reflect the holiday spirit” you are going to keep clinging to the
kind of holidays that society dictates- and those holidays are
expensive. |
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| But once you have decided to change the mindset and be open to
new traditions, all those penny pinching tips will be more helpful.
You’ll get used to speaking openly, honestly and firmly- but with
love- to your relatives and your neighbours. “We can’t afford to buy
toys for all of Johnny’s friends anymore- but Johnny would like to
have everyone over to skate in the backyard and then watch How the
Grinch Stole Christmas. I’m making peppermint hot chocolate.” |
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| “Mom, I know it’s important for you to be generous, but I can’t
pretend anymore to be able to compete with your wonderful gifts. The
kids made a special journal about their year- we worked on that for
Grandma, and they each made a card, too. We’re going to focus on
making something personal every year now.” |
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| Or, “The kids always loved the Halloween costumes you bought
each year, Mom, but I’m teaching the kids about resourcefulness, so
this year we’re going to make our own costumes. It will be fun- why
don’t you help us?” |
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| If you are cringing because your mother is not generous and
pleasant, but the kind of lady who has to flaunt her status and try
to show you- or your husband- up, then it’s even more important to
address the issue now, or it will go on for life. Forget that life
sentence, and say the impossible. “Mom, I refuse to compete and be
drawn into this game. You win- Bob is not the millionaire you hoped
I’d end up with, and I have no plans to change the career I love
just because you hate my wage. We’d like to spend more time with you
and Dad, though, so the kids can get to know you better.” |
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| Are you getting the picture? Don’t be afraid to be different,
and don’t care what people think. Teach your kids to share the
family beliefs, too, so they’ll be prepared for pressures from other
kids who got every Wii game that exists, and insist on flaunting it.
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| There are endless ways you’ll find to get more value out of
holidays- and make them more valuable. It’s love that makes
Valentine’s Day- not piles of pink plastic doodads and cinnamon
hearts. The real meaning of Christmas is love- and for that matter,
of Easter, and Father’s Day, and Thanksgiving. Take the time to
learn and teach the history of your holidays, and really get to the
heart of what exactly it is you are celebrating. |
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| Maybe you’re starting the new year exhausted from your very last
emotionally and financially bankrupting Christmas. Now that’s
something to celebrate! |
