Friday, November 23, 2007

Have A Stress Free Christmas



Christmas is a wonderful time of year to relax with family and rejoice with friends. It’s a holiday time to unwind but it’s usually filled with stress owing to the numerous activities. In order to enjoy it, it is important to take time to actually understand what the true meaning of the season is and plan ahead.

The birth of Christ is the reason for the season and it is symbolic of God’s gift to the world. In other word, God gave what he had. As you go about planning for the celebration it is important to remember this underlying truth and avoid over-spending.

One of the biggest stressors is how to allocate money to meet all the things you want to do. Therefore it is important to figure out how to make spending less of a financial burden even as we approach another Christmas. The clue is to spend from Christmas budget rather than borrowing or using other savings.

Secondly, you don’t have to buy items you already have at home just because you want to show off. Christmas is about a traditional and that means you can make use of those decorations you used the previous years.

You also need to have a list of presents you want to buy as and for whom. A good list will help you reduce any stress that may arise from additional need. This doesn’t mean that you cannot buy a few extra presents for unlisted guest. Gift sharing at Christmas time is more rewarding when your gift adds value to the receiver, so you may want to buy your presents based on your observable of over-heard needs of your guests.

Finally, add the cost of holiday extras, like phone calls, transportation, gate pass and ticket fees, money for charities, church, and the homeless to your budget.

Remember the true meaning of Christmas is Christ’s birth. It is better to spend more time and money on peace, goodwill, sharing and caring than on a shopping frenzy.

Planning properly, knowing what you want to buy, for whom and with added budget for extras can fight all the stresses for you and your loved ones.


Have a stress-free Christmas!

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