This Christmas - be more frugal

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day regarding Christmas presents being purchased for her children. She was feeling horrible because the item that her daughter truly wanted was less than $20. She was worried that she wasn't spending enough on her daughter.

Isn't it amazing how marketing effects us?

Marketing tells our children that they NEED this and that and ask for this and ask for that. This is cool, if you don't have it, you're not cool. They have it all around them with commercials, magazines, school and friends.

(One of the many reasons that I don't have cable here, I don't like my children being influenced by what the commercials say is the neatest thing that they need. I love that they come up with what they truly want. Sorry for the rant.)

Unfortunately, it seems to effect us as adults. We are programmed that if we love our child, we will spend a certain amount on them. If we spend less, we must not love them.

Does a dollar amount really say how much we love our children?

Think back to last Christmas and all that you bought for the children in your life. What are they still playing with? What were they still playing with 6 months, 4 months or even a month after Christmas?

Recently I listened to someone who gave a talk about what people remember or cherish about Christmas. Not one person said about a gift that they got. All talked about playing a game with family, smelling a wood fire, eating sweets, attending Church, doing service for others.

Please don't buy things for the sake of buying things. It won't get used, it will just collect dust, and you'll have wasted your money. This Christmas be more frugal.

So this Christmas, I challenge you to look around, talk to the people that you WANT to get gifts for and find out what they truly want, need or will use. It doesn't matter the amount you spend, or if you spend anything! It matters about the love you're sharing. It's about remembering the real reason for the season -Christ.

And as a Christmas present to me, feel free to share a thought or two of what your memories of Christmas are that didn't cost any money or even better, no money.

Enjoy your day!