Thoughts On Finance

I have always loved the holidays.  Always a fun and exciting time of year filled with hustle and bustle.  Some years, though, have been more difficult than others.  Many years, we didn’t really have enough money for Christmas gifts, and it put a lot of added stress on us.  The years had more and didn’t have to go into hock to make a Merry Christmas were also a lot nicer.  I didn’t have to worry about what I would get everyone, I could relax and shop early and get whatever I idea came into my head for that special person.  On years when I didn’t have enough money I would stress and by the time Christmas day would roll around, I would be completely broke and miserable knowing that I spent money that I didn’t have to get through it.  This year, I think that with the economy where it is, we all need to take a few steps back and really look at how much money we are spending on Christmas.  There is nothing fun about buying gifts and then stressing about how to pay for them.  I know I wouldn’t want to think that anyone was getting stressed about a present that they bought me and really couldn’t afford, the gifts are not that important but the people are.  It is a great time of year to acknowledge people, but you have to make practical choices and shop for the deals.  There are a lot of good bargains out there and a lot of really creative ways to give exciting gifts without spending too much money.  This year, let’s all be smart and limit our spending of dollars and just spend time with the ones we love instead.  It is more important than ever to realize that the material stuff is just stuff.  Let’s not buy into the madness that the local businesses perpetuate, let’s take a step back and just enjoy the holidays and not go broke in the process, after all you don’t want to end up in the same financial state as our government do you?