Must You Be Santa?

It's that time of year again!  The time for giving gifts to our family and friends.  Do you feel compelled to give gifts to everyone you know?  Do you feel compelled to give a gift to everyone who has given or will give you a gift?  How much is this going to cost you?  Will you spend more on Christmas gifts this year than you did last year?  Have you even finished paying for last years Christmas gifts?  If you used credit cards last year and have been making minimum payments, you may not have fully paid for last years gifts.  Have you thought about that?  Have you even paid for the gifts you gave two years ago?  And now you are going to do it again!

Feeling obligated to buy gifts for everyone can get you into financial trouble.  If you use 'plastic' to finance your generosity, the only ones who will be having a happy holiday are your friends and the credit card company.  You will be stuck with the burden of paying the credit bills for a long time.  Can you afford to do that?  What will you have to sacrifice in the future in order to fund your gift giving?  

Christmas is a time for sharing - not sacrificing the future.
Christmas is a time for celebration - not for going into debt.
Christmas is a time for loving - not for fulfilling gift obligations.
Christmas is a time for giving - from the heart, not from the wallet.

- Joe Freeman

Check out these past articles -
 Are You Living Above Your Means? 
 How Much Does Life Cost You?