| Holiday happiness -- get it all
but pay less |
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That's what Nancy Castleman and
Marc Eisenson did. The authors of "Invest in Yourself: Six
Secrets to a Rich Life" applied their clear-eyed frugality
to their large extended family gatherings to create holidays that
save dollars and make sense.
"It's not too late to have a family holiday
sanity meeting," says Nancy. There are a
number of things about your holiday seasons' habits and traditions that you can
change without losing the sense of fun and family that make it a great family
time of year. Advertisers want you to think everyone
has to go out and spend like gangbusters if they are to enjoy the season. Not
so. Do it your way, not the
advertisers' way
One thing you can do is set new ground rules. Give yourself
a dollar limit, give gifts to children only, stop exchanging gifts entirely, or
have a lottery so you only have to buy one person a really great gift. "If
you can focus on just one thing, you have plenty of time to buy something really
perfect for that person," says Nancy. "If you have a list of 10 people,
you end up buying a lot of meaningless junk, spending more money than you would
have, and getting 'malled' in the process." Another
effective change is to have all agree that gifts don't have to have shape, size
and weight. You can give the gift of time. Whether it's baby-sitting, odd jobs
or a home-cooked meal once a week, your time may be one of the best gifts you'll
ever give. With the same thinking you can give
some of your talents. Guitar playing. Painting. Knitting. If you love it, consider
giving lessons in it as a gift. "I think most people would rather learn a
new skill than get a hideous something-or-other," says Eisenson. Try
a little more togetherness as a shortcut to having family fun. If you all pitch
in and do something together, it can cut your individual costs. For example, a
few years ago, Marc and Nancy started a new family tradition and rented a double
house at the North Carolina shore. "They
are both four-bedroom houses right on the beach with terraces, lanai, individual
fireplaces -- things none of us could afford in the day-to-day," says Nancy.
"They come with fully equipped kitchens, which we need with our big gang.
It saves us all more than 50 percent over hotels and we get a lot more."
December 39th, wheeeeee
One simple
piece of lateral thinking can save a bundle and make your holidays unlike all
of those free-spenders around you. Just change the date. Simply celebrate the
holidays a little early or a little late and take advantage of not only better
rates and availability but fewer crowds. Nancy and Marc do. "We
have such a big family that we can't always get them all together," says
Marc. "It's great to take advantage of the preseason rates at places like
our favorite vacation spot, Florida's Sanibel Island. You also save on air fares.
It's not for everybody but it works great for us." Maybe
the last piece of advice from Nancy is as important as anything you'll ever hear
about this time of year: Think like a kid again. "The
little ones would be just as happy with five gifts as 50," says Nancy. "What
they really want is for you to sit down on the floor and play with them. That's
worth everything."
Jay MacDonald is a contributing
editor based in Mississippi.
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