There just never seems to be enough money, around the holidays. With gifts to give, cards to send, the house to decorate, the tree - and don't forget the Holiday feast. Just thinking about it all can give you an anxiety attack. It seems like, from the day after Halloween, we all start our quest for the Perfect Holiday Season.
The number one thing you need to know is, There is no such thing as the perfect Holiday. We put way too much emphasis on everything being perfect. What we should be doing is actually enjoying the season. If you take some of the self imposed, pressures off of your self, you can enjoy the season.
In this three part series, Doing the Holidays on a Shoestring , I will show you how to trim the bills, and still have a wonderful Holiday. Part two will be dedicated to inexpensive gifts for the Holidays. Part three will cover the holiday feast. I have implemented these ideas into my own holiday festivities, and we enjoy a beautiful holiday in our home.
Decking the halls
It's really hard to resist buying all of those shiny decorations. I dare you to pass by this year's newest decoration without wanting it. Let's face it. We're like the kids looking through a toy store window. The stores don't make it very easy for us either. They all use those decorations so creatively, to get us to buy them.
There are a few questions you must ask your self. And you have to answer them truthfully. Do I really need that doodad? Do I really want that doodad? Will I die without that doodad? Where in the world would I put that doodad? It might be that you just have to have that doodad, depending on your answers. If so - buy it. Most of the time, you will figure out that, you merely want the doodad. Well we all know we simply can't have everything we want.
OK that done, and survived, you can plan how you want to Deck The Halls. Whether you like the country look, simple and elegant, traditional, or even new age, there are basically two ways to decorate. The first is, less is more, and the second is, the all-out blitz. Technically there is a third, which is in between. However, in between doesn't quite show itself around the holidays. Whichever way you decorate, you can do it, with out maxing out your credit card. Don't worry, you really can.
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