#1 tip to avoid holiday debt: Get Creative!
If holiday expenses are stressing you out this year, there are many creative ways to provide great gifts of giving and service. One of the best Christmas gifts I ever received was from an acquaintance who worked with pottery. She spun a petite plate, painted in three different shades of blue, which continues to serve me well today, as a decorative collector of coins, pens, barrettes, lozenges, and other small odds & ends. The clay, paint, and brushes were a minor investment but her biggest cost was of time. For me, I appreciated the uniqueness of the gift and the effort & hours spent on my behalf.
Everyone has some skill or talent!
Find the gratification or niche that enables you to spend time in delightful pleasure, rather than forking out boatloads of money. Although it sounds cliche, home baked goods, woodworking, crafts, artistic renditions, music, fashionable creations, and other quality artifacts make the best gifts, not only because they are distinctive, but because they are time intensive, and become labors of love that demonstrate sincerity and thoughtfulness. With over-inflated prices and mass-produced commodities, attractive and useful mini-masterpieces make valuable, yet economic, gifts that elicit admiration and heartwarming responses.
Twelve Days of Service!
Some personalities are inclined towards assistance and acts of kindness. Let's face it, in a busy & impersonal world, helping hands, as well as, various forms of favors, are a healing balm to the heavy heart or the overwhelmed mind. Add a Christmas flare to these types of gifts by offering a twelve-day package of practical solutions, as opposed to the musical option of birds, trees, milking, leaping, dancing, piping, drumming, & of course, golden giving!
Some folks are master savers, coupon clippers, & bargain hunters!
They keep eyes out all year long for sales, coupons & bargains, so they joyously welcome the stressless and debt-free holiday season. Maybe you are one of those talented budget-ers, who has saved and allotted a certain amount for holiday presents and surprises. Just remember to stick to the budget and resist any impulse spending. Then you will be well-prepared for the optimism and freedom the New Year rings in, as you execute those focused resolutions and self-awareness strategies that will facilitate a new and improved YOU in 2020!
So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy holidays, & all the rest!
I hope you enjoy my gift to you, my piano arrangement of We Wish You A Merry Christmas! May you experience the hope & healing of this magical season, as you journey along your road of success.
Many happy jingle bells & dashing-through-the-snow trails to you!