Money Wise Pastor

Is it me, or is the Christmas season starting earlier every year?

Halloween was barely over before the Christmas decorations and the pre-Christmas sales started appearing in the stores in my community.  Santa arrived at one of our local malls on November 11, where he’ll sit until December 24, letting kids tell him what they want for Christmas.

Personally, I enjoy going out to the stores and malls to shop during the holidays. I even enjoy taking my five kids with me! I make it an event and have fun. I enjoy the music, the sights, the smells, the deals, and the people.

My wife, and millions of others, on the other hand, would prefer to never set foot in the mall again until all the Christmas decor has been packed away.

For many, Christmas shopping and gift giving adds a lot of stress to their lives. They hate the crowds in the stores, the pressure to find the “perfect” gift, and the expectation to spend a certain amount of money on each person on their list.

12 Ways to Simplify Holiday Shopping and Gift Giving

Here are 12 ways you can cut down the stress and simplify shopping and gift giving this holiday season:

1. If you must shop at the mall or certain “big box” stores, shop at off-peak hours. You can call the store and ask them what time-frame they would recommend.
2. Shop at arts and craft fairs. You’re sure to find unique (and maybe even custom-made and personalized) gifts for that special someone.
3. Buy from stores or organizations that feature fair-trade gifts made by artisans in the developing world, like Ten Thousand Villages.  The artisans are paid a living wage and proceeds from sales go to help other would-be artisans get started.
4. Instead of buying gifts for your family, plan a special trip, event or activity that the entire family will enjoy.  We’ve done that a few times, and have really enjoyed it.
5. Shop online.  The Monday after American Thanksgiving is known as “Cyber Monday,” the biggest online shopping day of the year.  This is a great way to beat the crowds!  And you often get free shipping.  I’m continually amazed at the growing selection of merchandise availavble from Amazon.com.
6. Give gift certificates/gift cards.  You never have to worry about picking the right size or color!  You can buy them at most any retailer, or online.
7. Take advantage of pre-holiday sales now.  Seems like every major retailer is advertising “lowest prices of the season.”
8. Be sure to set a budget. Decide in advance how much you are going to spend, and don’t go into debt!  Sadly, so much stress is created in January once those credit card bills start coming in.
9. If you’re out of work, or don’t have as much to spend on Christmas gifts as you have in the past, don’t be afraid to let people know.  You would do yourself and them a favor if you adjusted their expectations in advance.
10. If you typically buy gifts for your entire family – your kids, nephews and nieces, aunts and uncles, grandma and grandpa, etc. – ask if you can draw names this year instead.  My wife’s family decided to start doing this a few years ago, and it saved us all a lot of money and headache!  Each person’s name goes in a box or a hat.  Then each person draws a name and buys a gift for that person, instead of a gift for everyone.
11. Give white elephant gifts at your family or company Christmas party.  This is a great (and no-cost) way to have fun and slough off something you’d love to get rid of.  And who knows, you just might get something you could actually use!
12. Here’s a great gift-giving alternative for families and for companies:  Ask people to pitch in together to donate money to a charity or cause you care about, instead of buying gifts for each other.  I’ve known companies that matched whatever their employees donated, and families that have given to the same charity year after year.

Any of these options can help you save money and reduce the stress of holiday shopping this year.  Give one a try – it just might become one of your new holiday traditions!  And if you have any other ideas – please be sure to share them!

Want to save big money on restaurant gift card purchases for the holidays, or any time? It’s easy if you have a membership at one of the big box warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club! On average, I’ve found that you can purchase $100 worth of restaurant gift cards at Costco or Sam’s Club for $79.99 – that’s a savings of 20%!

Is buying a museum or zoo membership worth the cost?  Whenever our family visits one of those places, we’re faced with a decision: Should we pay the one-day admission price, or is it better to buy an annual membership?

Everyone knows that buying quality clothes from high-end department stores can be expensive. But buying cheap ones from discounters can be too, if you’re not careful. Where should you look to buy quality clothes for less? When it comes to buying clothes on a budget, I think there are two important things to keep in mind: Quality doesn’t always equal expensive, and cheap can be more costly than you think.

If you plan to buy holiday gift cards to give to friends or family members for Christmas, you might as well choose cards that give you a nice bonus in return!