Six Simple Steps to Happier Holidays!
By Susan Powell

I love and look forward to the holiday season as much as the
next person, but I'll be first to admit that as much as this is
true, I simultaneously feel a great sense of anxiety
when the festive season approaches. I look forward to quality
time with family and friends but money is stressful every other
month of the year and it's intensified during the holidays.

Christmas parties, gifts and great times lend well to holiday
excitement and sadly, great expense. With an uncertain economy
and an ever-changing job market, it feels even more stressful
than ever. I want so badly to be wholly excited, yet I find
myself dreading the obsessive calculations from the frenzied
activity in my checkbook, more activity than my checkbook sees
all year.

Fortunately for those of us who experience a nagging anxiety
tugging at our heart and purse strings, there are ways to
relieve these feelings to make the holidays feel almost as
joyous as you remember before you had the burden of paying for
them.

Start this holiday season by getting organized: Maintain a week
by week calendar of upcoming events for you and your family
during this holiday season. This will help you visualize where
you need to be and what you need for each upcoming week.
Organization will guide you through the holidays by keeping you
focused and will allow you to maximize your money, time and
resources. This will further help you avoid last minute
panics!

Don't be afraid of money stress: You're not alone. If you're
concerned about gift giving and don't want to make a dent in
your savings or rely on plastic to foot the bill for Santa,
discuss your feelings with your spouse, your children or
significant other. Express your concern and create a strategy to
survive the expense of the holiday season. If discussing the
issue with children, help them understand that in the real
world some years are financially better than others are. This
has been a tough year on millions of Americans and if you spend
frugally this holiday season, you can do something special later
in the year when times, money and employment are more certain.

Paper or plastic? I once wholeheartedly believed "charging it"
allowed me to preserve my cash for a later date. Remember, if
you charge it, you're only delaying when and how much extra
you'll pay for purchases. Create an overall spending plan and
determine in advance how much you can afford this year. You'll feel
much better when the holiday season is over that you're not
still paying for it!

Shop early. Shop sales: If you wait until the last minute to do
your holiday shopping, you risk missing current sales and
overspending on unnecessary purchases, often the result of
feeling guilty about procrastinating. Take advantage of sales
everywhere to get the most for your dollar and don't forget
stores that regularly carry discounted merchandise. One of my
favorites is Tuesday Morning. This store typically carries a
little of everything and the prices are significantly lower than
major department stores.

Gift giving doesn't cost a fortune: The most valuable gifts
sometimes come in the smallest packages. People often do without
the little things they desire because they don't want to spend
money on themselves. This is where you come in. Get creative!

Inventory your kitchen: To survive the cooking and baking that
goes hand in hand with the holidays, make a list of what you have
and what you need. Buy only what you need. Use a list when
grocery shopping to avoid overspending. Use coupons and remember
that if you find something you'll eventually need on sale now,
buy it and freeze it for later.


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Copyright (c) Susan Powell, 2002
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Creating solutions to the explosive credit
card crisis, Susan Powell is author of the new book "Credit Card
Debt: It Can Cost You Your Life" and the online debt-elimination
special report, "Holding a Losing Hand?". She frequently writes
and speaks on the subject of financial literacy. Visit her at
www.DontDoDebt.com or email svp@....