Make a Holiday Budget and Stick to It!

While perusing the paper this Thanksgiving weekend, (how enjoyable to have the luxury of perusing—I hope you enjoyed the same!), my eyes grew wide at a large ad by DeBeers—those 'Diamonds are forever' people—that focused on enjoying the appeal of owning 'fewer, better' things. Why spend thousands on knick-knacks and tchotchkes when you can just plop all your money down on a couple o’ stones that will still be around long after you’re gone? (The ultimate ‘sustainable’ gift, no?) To DeBeers point, there is something to be said for making sure what you spend your money on this holiday season has some intrinsic value, but as luxury retailers look to find more and better ways to appeal to you despite their hefty price tags, be careful of the allure.

What’s the best way to know you’re making the right holiday-shopping decisions? Know your budget and stick to it. Don’t have a budget you say? Pa-shaw! Pick up a pen right now and write down how much you can afford spend this month on gifts, meals, travel, cards, wrapping paper, shipping, in TOTAL without going into credit card debt. That, my friends, is your budget. Now, don’t budge… No matter how shiny the ‘ice’..!