Christmas Savings Tips

Whenever you open the News Channel and you listen to what’s going on with the world’s economy you have every reason to feel depressed. Now that is not a very healthy way to handle the situation. What we should do as we view the world’s economic situation is to be thankful and to be appreciative of our current situation.

I was talking to a huge company president a couple of days ago and he says the reason why we are not hit that hard is because our scale has always been small. It’s like somebody living on the second floor and now he fell down to the ground floor. May be painful but not hard enough to kill him. Developed countries where you find huge and famous businesses have been up there on the penthouse and now their fall is hard enough to kill them. (hmmm… that’s a perspective…)

One view here is that as a country and as a people, we have all been accustomed to hardships and trials. Our country is a supermarket of calamities both natural and man-made… as a matter of fact more man-made than natural and we have always been resilient in facing trials. But this does not mean that we can be negligent and reckless in the coming days especially now that the whole country is into “Christmas Fever…”

So allow me to offer a couple of ideas on how to save money this Christmas.

1. WRITE THINGS DOWN

Do not go through this Christmas without a plan. Write a list of the people you’d like to buy for and put a price limit next to each name. If it adds up to too much, review the limits you set. Next… because a lot of money is spent in work place or office activities like gift givings so this next piece of advice may help you a lot…

2. RAFFLE DRAW

Buying gifts for everyone in the office? That’s not very wise but you may consider a “Kris Kringle” arrangement where each member in your group agrees to draw a name like what you see happens in a raffle draw and then simply buy a present for that person. This would be a lot more fun and the gift could be itemized to the person but again, put a price limit so that you will not lose control.

3. NO GIFT SOLICITATIONS

I have seen signs posted in offices that says: “No Gift Solicitations Allowed.” Pretty good idea for this Christmas. Why not just agree that there will no longer be any gift givings this time but collectively, will do something special as a gift? Maybe an official Christmas dinner or better still… visit an orphanage and bless the needy?

4. FOR KIDS ONLY

What about this idea… that gifts be given only to kids and not to adults and you may be 33 and still acting like a kid but you get no gifts this Christmas.

5. BE CREATIVE

This could be the time when you let your creative abilities make use of idle things you find in your house and convert them into gifts for the special people in your life. Believe me this act of love and kindness would be special and most appreciated.

6. PLAN, PLAN AND PLAN

Without a plan you will rush through your shopping until the last minute and blow your budget. Buy things on sale.

7. WAIT FOR THE NEW YEAR

I am pretty sure you may have friends and family you won’t see until the new year so you may as well hold off on buying presents until the January where sales events are on and the crowds are gone.

The important thing to remember is that Christmas is the world’s celebration of a historical event. That the Savior has come to give us eternal life for those who choose to appropriate this Gift. Spend this year’s Christmas in a meaningful way and enjoy the moment. So save money but most importantly be saved by the Savior.