For a month that has the very best of intensions, it can be a difficult time for so many people. Part of it has to do with our expectations - some we can control and some we can’t. Christmas is a holy day for all Christians. Over the years we consider the success of the season by the number of gifts we can give and receive.  I don’t know when it started but as I related in my last blog, President Franklin Roosevelt tried to change Thanksgiving and had to retreat when he irritated retailers - that was in the 1930s. Today, Christmas is only merry if retailers get us to spend more money than in past years.  Here are my suggestions to get the best out of your Holiday Season.

Gifts

  * Start with a budget for holiday gifts. When you go shopping, bring a list and stick to it.

  * Pay with cash or a debit card. It is amazing how “empowered” we are when we just charge it to a credit card and worry about paying it later. Using real time money makes for wiser long term decisions.

  * Be creative in gift giving. If you are more talented than me, make or bake gifts and decorate accordingly.  I have a friend who each year makes me a calendar putting photographs that are significant to me on each header. It truly is the gift that keeps giving all year.

  * If you have children, suggest that they give a relative or older friend their time. Maybe your son or daughter can provide free babysitting, snow shoveling, lawn cutting or  other services. Have them create a “service card” and wrap it as a gift. This can be more valuable than any physical gift for  an older person.

  * Don’t waste  money during the holidays - wrap gifts in leftover wallpaper rolls or the comic section of the Sunday paper. Or, buy craft paper for cheap and decorate it with red or green dots. Reusable gift bags are also a good idea.

  *  If you are from a large family, pick names and suggest a price point so everyone is on the same pages.

  * Consider making a donation to a child’s 529 College Fund. If the child is small, this is a gift that will be appreciated years from now. Trust me, college tuition will not be coming down and the sooner you start the better.

Ok - that’s it on gifts.

If you want this Christmas season to be meaningful:

  * Do something for others.  Volunteer, work at a shelter, cook for a shut in . Give and give in a meaningful way that provides a sense of accomplishment. After spending time in a local hospital, I spent 15 years delivering candy canes and copies of the Farmers’ Almanac to patients who were in the hospital on Christmas Day and food gifts to the nurses who do heroic work every day. Now, I cook at a shelter on Christmas Day. It is always a moving experience.

  * For that person with everything, make a donation to his or her favorite charity or an organization in their name. Last year, my mother introduced me to the Heifer Organization which provides animals to families in Africa and around the world. It is an ingenious way to provide the world’s truly poor with animals that they use to plow their fields, lay eggs, provide food and more. I was so taken by this gift that I included background on Heifer International in the 2009 Farmers’ Almanac (pages 56 -59) or go to http://www.heifer.org   or call 800-422-0474.

  * Pray - go to church  - celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with others.

  * Go Christmas Caroling at a nursing home or throughout your neighborhood.

  * Send Christmas cards to people you know but don’t have regular contact. A small gesture, it brings a smile to anyone’s heart.

  * Write to a soldier who is away for the holiday season. Check out this website for directions  http://www.SoldiersAngels.org . 

  *  Be optimistic. Don’t dwell on all the media feeds us. This is an extraordinary time to be in this world. The kindness of friends and strangers allows us to touch people on different continents and make their and our lives more fulfilled.  If you are having a tough time right now, reach out for help.

Tomorrow, I will  share an article from the 2005 Farmers’ Almanac which speaks to the Joys of the Christmas Season.

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Christmas Holiday Season, Gift Ideas, Donations, 529 Funds