Have A Merrier (And Cheaper) Christmas
Everyone looks forward to the joy of Christmastime, and almost everyone would like to
realize substantial savings during what tends to be an expensive time of year.
The first consideration to maximize both is to
consider what Christmas means to you:
- Which traditions really hearten you, and which ones do you do just
because you've always done them? You could research activities that people
enjoy at Christmastime (there's plenty of ideas to be found
on the Internet by Googling "Christmas fun", etc.) Talk to your
family about some ideas, and be open to
suggestions and feedback from your entire family.
- Will you give gifts mainly from your checkbook... or more
from your spirit? People tend to think in terms of the
material worth their gifts should have: why not give yourself the freedom
to give whatever you think will give the most joy? Will all the gifts you
give this year truly be cherished, or will some of them soon add another
layer of clutter in somebody's closet?
- What do you want to take from Christmas to last all year?
After Christmas, people sometimes regret to see that it's passed into the rear-view
mirror; but there's no reason why you should let the calendar
dictate a diminishing of your
spirit, and every reason why the spirit of Christmas should live on.
With all that in mind, here's two lists to help you find greater
happiness in your Christmas activities, and save money in your gift-giving:
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Have A Merrier (And Cheaper) Christmas 
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Possible activities to enjoy:
- Use the library to borrow holiday books, movies and music CDs.
- Play Christmas music early and often.
Many cities have a radio station that plays music through Christmas from as
early as Thanksgiving.
If your computer has a CD writer, you could ask each of your family members what their
favorite Christmas songs are, and put them all on a CD or two to play this
Christmas season.
- Take family trips: visit Santa at the local mall, go
to holiday festivals or play outside in the winter wonderland.
- Be with your kids.
Do activities that you're good at so you can enjoy teaching them. Play
games where there are elements of cooperation and trust-building.
Create something together, like a gingerbread house or a snow castle
in the back yard.
Economical gift-giving:
- Give something artistic that shows the ones you love how you
feel, whether that's a poem, story, music CD, photograph
or painting. The more you love the art of making something, the more
someone will enjoy receiving it.
- Look around for items that you don't
use much anymore, and that someone else could enjoy.
- Spread out the benefit (and expense) of your gift-giving
by giving something to your entire family: i.e.
a boardgame, a FRS radio set, or anything that would create a happy and unifying experience
for everyone. You could take a photograph of
your family and have a photo shop
make a supersized and framed portrait from it
(to make it more fun, tell everyone well in advance that they can
dress up and pose however they like... but it had better be an image they
will want people to look at forever!) The whole family could cooperate
in choosing a setting, and each person could select a prop or two to place in
the background (e.g. an award they recently won or a memento from the past year.)
- You can save money by using shopping robots or
by shopping on eBay (which sells both new and used goods at steep discounts.
)
- Give gift certicates: there's no guesswork on your part,
and you'll empathize with their interests by giving them a certificate from a
compatible store (e.g. REI for outdoorsy people).
The recipients can pick their own gifts, and they can get savings at
after-Xmas sales.
- Give a service by making up a certificate for a
specific favor or treat. You might have a special talent to offer, or
relieve a task that someone doesn't enjoy, or simply promise to give exceptional
attention in some way. You could help make Christmas last all year long by
making it redeemable once per month, perhaps making a booklet of certificates.
- Make your own gifts: give baked goods or woodwork, create a
music CD of songs that most remind you of the recipient, or give an
ebook from the Internet (on a disk, and/or print it out yourself... but
remember that inkjet ink can be expensive).
- Do you have trouble keeping your New Year's resolutions?
You could roll some of them into a list of Christmas promises. By writing
them down on Christmas and promising someone else too, you'll be more likely to keep them
(and more careful to choose good resolutions, made from
the convictions of your heart!)
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