By: Dwayne Samples

Have you looked at the calendar. Halloween is gone! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and how many shopping days are left until Christmas? What are we going to do?

For many families, this Christmas will be a very stressful time. Job losses, home foreclosures, and high gas prices have had a huge impact on the family budget. Now comes the added pressure of Christmas. What is supposed to be a joyous and celebratory time of year is filled with stress and worry. Purchasing gifts for family, extended family and friends can be a huge strain on us financially. How should we deal with it if the financial picture this year is not so good?

You and I have most likely both experienced the feeling of remorse that comes with the opening of those January credit card statements. What seemed so important to purchase in November and December, as Christmas approached, now has become a financial burden that we have no idea how we are going to get out of. Things that brought so much joy on Christmas morning, have now turned into months and months of high credit card payments. We ask ourselves what was I thinking? Now do not get me wrong, I am no scrooge. I am all far the giving and receiving of gifts during the Christmas season! I have made my share of purchases that i could not afford during the holidays. Unfortunately, the times I did this, the consequences of my action made the new year very stressful!

But think with me for minute. Does it have to be this way? Is lavish spending and gift giving the only way to enjoy Christmas? My belief is absolutely not.

In order to be able to combat the pressure that our culture places on us during this time of year, a plan must be developed. Decisions must be made ahead of time that will allow us to resist the urge that we will have to over spend.

Here are a few items to contemplate and make decisions on now, before all the hype and pressure begins:

1.   Should I only purchase gifts that I am able to purchase with cash?
2.   Have I set a budget for my spending during the holidays?
3.   In light of my current financial circumstances, what would an independent party tell me to do?
4.   If I am really honest with myself, how would I answer the question, why am I really buying all this stuff?
5.   Have I had a family meeting to discuss how we are going to handle Christmas?
6.   What types of activities can we do as a family to experience how hard this time of year is for some of those in our community?
7.   Am I volunteering anywhere during the holidays?
8.   Are we going to travel during Christmas to see extended family and have I factored that into the cost of my Christmas budget?
9.   If I asked the kids to name all the gifts they got last Christmas, could they tell me?
10. How will I explain to my friends and acquaintances my decision regarding spending this year?

Many of the folks that I have talked with in my community are already beginning to be anxious regarding the upcoming holiday season. They are strapped financially and are wondering what Christmas will be like if it is different from the past.

Take some time now before the pressure becomes great to decide how you will celebrate this Christmas season. Will it be one that early next year you will look back on with a sense of happiness and joy because you managed the spending well. Or will it be one that when January rolls around, every trip to the mailbox will be filled with fear and dread of getting that nasty credit card bill.

I hope it is one you will look back on with joy, knowing that you stayed within your spending budget. If I recall, the first Christmas was not one of extravagant gifts. It was one filled with joy and celebration because of the birth of a very special baby. A birth that changed the world yet contained no January credit card bills. That is the type of Christmas that is most joyous, In My Experience.