Is last-minute shopping stressing you out?
Are you on the way to succumbing to the "four naughtiest habits of holiday shoppers," as the newsletter Advisor.ca describes them - no budget, not setting spending limits, forgetting to track every dollar, racking up credit?
Help is at hand. You can still stop short of running your credit card or line of credit any deeper into the red.
Simply switch into a selfie mode. No, not the narcissistic one. I'm talking here about something you can do for somebody else.
I can almost guarantee if you make a list of family/friends who still need gifts, you can write down opposite each name something you could do for them that would make their life happier.
These gifts are usually valued far more than something you might buy. Obviously you have spent time thinking of what to give, then creating the gift in some appropriate form - and often making contact in the future if the gift is something to be redeemed or activated in the future.
Ideally, you link the gift to a skill or ability you have - and if this is something you enjoy doing, it becomes a win-win.
Especially in today's hectic world, the gift of time is always welcomed. Here are just a few ideas:
- Offer your time to babysit children of any age, do a weekly shopping trip, prepare a meal, do some gardening, walk the dog or take care of some other household-type activity.
- Offer your services as a chauffeur for an evening out, school/airport drop-off/pickup, or other errand.
- Make something you can create - like a flower arrangement, handicraft item, food item - that you know the person needs or wants and will enjoy.
When you give something of yourself, the gift becomes unique and is appreciated as such. And that's the true holiday spirit.
Mike Grenby is a columnist and independent personal financial advisor; he'll answer questions in this column as space allows but cannot reply personally. Email [email protected]
