12 Days of Christmas - Financial Preparedness Version

This post is from back in 2009.  Although it may be a little late as the shopping season has already begun, perhaps you can still find some value in one of the ideas presented.  Enjoy.

1st Day - Pay your tithing.

2nd Day - Pay a generous fast offering.

3rd Day - Budget. Make a Christmas budget for each person you are buying gifts for (including extended family). Assign a reasonable amount to each person and then track what you spend on your budget. Make sure to write down what you buy as soon as you buy it so you don’t overspend. Follow your budget carefully.

When this Christmas is over total up what you have spent this year. Divide your total by 12. Put that amount (your total/12) in a savings account every month next year and let it sit until Christmas. Next year when Christmas comes around you will already have your budget funded and ready to go. It will take away stress and make your Holidays more enjoyable.

4^th Day - Keep it Simple. Remember that children are easily pleased. Don’t overdo it. One fun toy can make their entire Christmas memorable.

5^th Day - Be Practical. Kids get excited opening presents, even when it is a package of new underwear underneath the wrapping paper (see pictures at end of blog). Buy your kids things they need for Christmas. Things you will need to buy them anyway. Socks, underwear, boots, hats, coats, pants, shirts, undershirts, etc.

6^th Day - Stay Home. Rather than going out and spending money for Christmas family activities, try starting new traditions right at home. Have a family game or movie night, make crafts together, bake Christmas treats, tell Christmas stories, sing Christmas songs, play in the snow, make up a game to play together. Make more memories with your family for free. The memories will last forever.

7th Day - Watch for sales. If you stay on top of sales, you rarely have to pay full price for anything. Buy things you know you will need when they are on sale.

8^th Day - Clip Coupons. There are many coupons available to print from home for food and holiday goodies. Follow our link to Savvy Shopper Deals. Set your location as Utah. Go to shopping wizard>grocery deals. Search your favorite stores for great deals. If a printable coupon is available for an item, it will be listed as a link under the item information. $1/one Desitin coupon link, for example.

9^th Day - Cut back on neighbor gifts. It is a nice tradition we have to share gifts and warm wishes with friends and neighbors during the Holidays. However, sometimes sharing a thoughtful card or short note can be just as meaningful if not more that giving a gift. Have a fun family night and make cards for your neighbors out of items you already have at home. Deliver the cards as a family and spread the Christmas spirit.

10^th Day - Don’t feel obligated. Remember this is a season of giving, not of stress or guilt. If someone gives you a gift, you don’t have to feel obligated to return a gift. Receive it with gladness.

11^th Day - Can you afford it? Don’t pay interest on credit cards. If you don’t have it, don’t spend it. Remember Elder Hales’ April 2009 Conference talk: “The first lesson was learned when we were newly married and had very little money. I was in the air force, and we had missed Christmas together. I was on assignment overseas. When I got home, I saw a beautiful dress in a store window and suggested to my wife that if she liked it, we would buy it. Mary went into the dressing room of the store. After a moment the salesclerk came out, brushed by me, and returned the dress to its place in the store window. As we left the store, I asked, “What happened?” She replied, “It was a beautiful dress, but we can’t afford it!” Those words went straight to my heart. I have learned that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”

12^th Day - Do you need it? Again from Elder Hales’ talk: “The second lesson was learned several years later when we were more financially secure. Our wedding anniversary was approaching, and I wanted to buy Mary a fancy coat to show my love and appreciation for our many happy years together. When I asked what she thought of the coat I had in mind, she replied with words that again penetrated my heart and mind. “Where would I wear it?” she asked. (At the time she was a ward Relief Society president helping to minister to needy families.)

Then she taught me an unforgettable lesson. She looked me in the eyes and sweetly asked, “Are you buying this for me or for you?” In other words, she was asking, “Is the purpose of this gift to show your love for me or to show me that you are a good provider or to prove something to the world?” I pondered her question and realized I was thinking less about her and our family and more about me.

After that we had a serious, life-changing discussion about provident living, and both of us agreed that our money would be better spent in paying down our home mortgage and adding to our children’s education fund.

We hope at least one of these tips will save you from spending money on 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree this Christmas! Happy Holidays, love Kevin & Kammi.