At our home, the Christmas season has officially begun, which means that we have brought down the heavy box of Christmas books and are reading through several every night with the kids. Last night was a great reminder as one of the iconic lines from our childhood was read, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Charlie Brown exclaims as Linus shares the meaning of Christmas with all his friends.
While Black Friday announcements are popping up all around you this week, your calendar is quickly filling up with events, and advertisements for all sorts of products are filling your email, I invite you to take a moment to remember what matters most to you this holiday season and align your efforts and spending with those purposes in mind. If you can be intentional with your efforts, time, and money, you will be able to accomplish your aim of celebrating this season without overspending your money or time. Here are a few tips that may help you accomplish this:
- Create a gifting budget: This can be a simple dollar range for parents, kids, cousins, nephews, etc. Look at the total and decide if this aligns with your spending goal for the season and adjust if it does not.
- View your calendar in Month View: This may overwhelm you at first, but it will also give you the opportunity to prioritize events and maybe cancel some that will make you feel spread too thin.
- Schedule some break times into your calendar: This time of year is perfect for reflection, celebration, and planning. With the hustle and bustle, it is good to set aside some time that allows you to be thoughtful and reflective, either alone or with those close to you.