Sleigh Bells Ring

I saw the emergence of the first Christmas trees of the season today and am reminded of the traditional joy, family reunions, and feasting most Christian (and non-Christian) American families will enjoy in the coming months. It makes me think of my youth when I wole up at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. with my older sisters so we could go see all the presents glowing and calling to us under the Christmas tree. I guess, in retrospect, there were many holidays with few gifts, but my parents seemed to do the best they could. It is interesting that they still try to compensate for it now with more presents even though we are all adults. Isn't his true of many families? It is amazing how important presents are to holidays and how often many of us use money and purchased gifts to express love and other emotions. I can't help feel that there must be another way to express these emotions. Year after year families go into debt to give presents to loved ones. Is is because they do not adequately show their love the rest of the year? Is it because they have not fostered deeper relationships with people to simply enjoy their presence and unconditional love? Is it because we need to keep up with everyone else and show that we too have the newest fashions or the neatest gargdets on the market? Whatever the reason, all this spending and the marketing that corporate america uses seems to perpetuate our dangerous spending habits, causes us to frquently miss the point of the holidays, and invokes the misconception that holiday spending is a symbol of love and other emotions. Isn't a heartfealt meal, a family heirloom, or a self-crafted gift from the heart more meaningful and worth while. Do we really need more stuff and more debt?
There is much to be said of the "softer" side of finance. I would encourage that everyone develop and understand their money personality and the psychology of money in a way to foster a better relationship with money. Having this insight helps us discover why or why we have not manifested our financial success. However, if you have decided that purchasing lots gifts is still important to you and your loved ones, please keep these ideas in mind: stick to a budget by limiting how much you are willing to spend on the holidays, shop earlier rather than later to avoid paying more on things because it is last minute, avoid using dredit cards - if you can't pay it with cash you shouldn't buy it, start saving extra money now so you can purchase gifts within your budget, and look to shop online as this can save time and money. These are just a few of the several ideas to enjoy the holidays and maintian your financial health.