Did you know that 43% of all married couples argue over money issues, making it the major reason couples fight? It's also one of the top reasons couples divorce.
This time of year can be incredibly stressful. Most of us feel the pressure to give, often beyond our means, at the Christmas season. It's birthed out of a desire to please and bless those we love. But unfortunately, giving can be a two-edged sword, if not handled properly.
Here are a few thoughts that might put our giving in perspective.
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* Don't use credit cards to purchase your gifts. Stay within your cash budget, even if it means buying less than you'd planned.
* Discuss the gifts with your husband/wife/parents, or someone else who can help hold you accountable, especially if this is an area of weakness for you.
* Make sure your bills are paid before you head out to splurge. There's nothing worse than getting all the gifts wrapped, then discovering there's not enough left to make the car payment, or mortgage.
* Talk to your kids, if necessary. Let them in on the household budget and help them understand what responsible buying means.
* Find a family project of giving to someone else & agree to drop at least one gift off everyone's list, to allow the family to do something special for someone in need.
* Start every day of this busy season off in prayer. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom in what you purchase and how to stretch your dollars.
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If any of you have other ideas you'd like to share to help cut the financial stress during this holiday season, please feel free to post them and share. If we have enough comments, I'll put together a post next time summarizing what's been shared. Thank you for visiting & don't forget to drop me a note!
PS, I'm going to be asking for help in naming a town for one of my future novels. Please check tomorrows blog for details!!!
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