From Ezilon.com
Minimizing Lending in this, the Season of Giving
By Ezilon.com Articles
Nov 12, 2005, 20:08
Minimizing Lending in this, the Season of Giving
Christmas is drawing near, and for most of us, this means more shopping in the weeks ahead… the earlier, the better, to avoid the dreaded Christmas rush. A lot of us are probably preparing their Christmas lists this early, of people who have been naughty, nice and everything in between. A great majority of us are spending a lot of nights trying to think about the perfect gift for the people dearest to us… gifts that would make them feel special and so much loved.
And most probably, a lot of us are quite worried on the strain that the holidays would leave on our budget. We have spent the rest of the year trying to make ends meet, but when it comes to Christmas, all of us seem to have this natural compulsion to throw out the window our intentions of saving for a rainy day. We must buy some gifts for our loved ones! This is a dictate made imperative by the reason behind the season that we have come to know.
In our desire to prepare something for all our loved ones, some of us often resort to loans in order to buy the things we know would make them happy. It’s no surprise then that lending institutions experience their best season during the holidays.
The thing you should avoid this coming Christmas are the debts you will be tempted to acquire. Loans should be considered as a last resort. They could give you a mountain of problems in exchange for the temporary luxury they will provide.
So how do you avoid entering into loan agreements this Christmas? Here are some guidelines you might want to consider:
• Make a Christmas list and assign a budget for each item. Make sure that the cumulative budget would not exceed what you are capable of spending. Also, make sure that the items would not exceed the allotted amount for each.
• Remember that you don’t have to prepare a present for every person you know. Prioritize your order of recipients and shop for gifts accordingly. You could simply send out some greeting cards for the rest. It’s the thought that counts, as they say, and by simply showing them that you remember, they’ll feel loved all the same.
• Canvass for gifts that convey your feelings for the recipients, but are nonetheless friendly to your budget. Do not settle for the first item that you encounter. Always remember that better deals abound in the market. With a little searching around, you might find the exact, same thing for a cheaper price. This would go a long, long way when it comes to your savings.
• Do your Christmas shopping early. Some stores put a marked-up price for their goods. You could avoid this if you would beat the Christmas rush. Also, some of the more budget-friendly items usually run out of stock really fast during this time of the year.
• If it’s possible for next Christmas, spread out your Christmas shopping throughout the year. This way, you won’t have to deal with the cumulative financial demands that your Christmas list would bring to the table. You’d be able to apportion your budget in manageable intervals.
• Try to find some items that you could recycle as gifts. Old photos, for example, can be used as scrapbooks which the recipient would surely enjoy and cherish. Sometimes, personalized gifts like these mean more for the persons receiving them, as compared to other things that money can buy.
Christmas is a time when people should feel special and loved. This is the essence of the season, and this is why Christmas is associated with gift-giving. But you would have to protect yourself as well and avoid overspending so that the joyous holiday won’t leave your budget all battered and blue.
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