Plastic Surgery Reduces Holiday Stress

Meals by candlelight.  Check.  The scent of pumpkin pie in the air.  Check.  Everyone happy and all smiles.  Maybe.

This can be the most wonderful time of the year.  It can also be the most stressful time of the year.  Extra demands on our time, emotions and money can stretch us beyond our limits.

And that’s why you need plastic surgery to help reduce your holiday stress level.

A nip here, a tuck there, a quick cut and I promise you, your husband will be saying you need to do this more often.  By making nip, tuck and cut a part of your monthly routine, you will no longer be plagued by all that excess that follows you around all year long.

You know what I’m talking about, the shopping rush that puts a smile on your face actually caused your chin to double in size when it dropped, but not from laughter.  And  look at your eyes, they’re bulging after viewing the credit card bills that start rolling in come January.  By June, you’ve hardly put a dent in paying off your Christmas debt and now your laugh lines are stress fractures that can seriously damage your marriage.  Fall rolls around and the ghost of Christmas past is still haunting you like cellulite.

All this won’t go away on its own.  It’s time for plastic surgery.

A Nip Here

• Nip excessive spending by making a budget and then sticking to it.   We don’t plan to have financial failures this time of year, we just fail to plan.  Christmas is on December 25th every year.  Why are we surprised when it’s suddenly here and we’re not prepared?

If you are just now starting your shopping and you haven’t been putting money away each month towards gifts, then make a list of all the essentials that must be paid out of your income between now and Christmas, that includes your tithe.   The other essentials would be what Dave Ramsey calls “The Four Walls” -  food, clothing, shelter and transportation.   Next list what bills you have due.  What ever is left is what you have to spend on Christmas.

You can create a budget online in 60 seconds.

• Another tip to nip excessive spending: Make a list of each person you’re buying for and a dollar limit by their name.

• Nip the feeling that bigger and more is better.  Our children and grandchildren won’t be damaged for life if we don’t get them everything they want.  If you must have a gift for everyone, consider simple, even homemade items.  Exchanging names with extended family and friends is also a good way to keep it simple and stay within your budget.
• Before you head out to shop, do some research.  Check ads and online for who has the best deals and then only shop there. Purchasing as much as you can online, using your debit card, will actually reduce impulse purchases.  How many times have you been tempted to buy something on impulse because it looked so pretty in the store?

A Tuck There

• You will spend less if, after making your budget and creating your list, you tuck cash into your wallet.  When the cash is gone, you are done shopping.
• Tuck your debit card away in a safe place in your wallet and try not to use it.  They are definitely convenient, but I’ve found that I am more apt to go over my budget when I use my debit card.  It’s hard to keep track of how much I’m spending during a shopping trip when I can’t visually see the funds dwindling away.
• Keep a copy of your Christmas list tucked away in your purse as well as at home.  This will be handy as a quick reference when you’re shopping.

A Quick Cut

Ultimately, the best way to reduce holiday stress is plastic surgery; cut those credit cards in half and run them through a shredder!   I know this seems extreme, but it works. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”  I don’t want to be anyone’s servant other than the Lord.

Don’t get sucked in to the “We’ll give you 10% off your purchase today if you’ll get our charge card” trap.  Quickly cut the clerk off (politely of course) and say “No thank you.”

My husband and I have been using cash only for many years and it’s brought peace and harmony not only to the holidays, but oneness to our marriage year round.

If you have any questions concerning finances, feel free to email me at qanda@internetcafedevotions.com.   If I don’t know the answer, my husband is a professionally trained Dave Ramsey Financial Counselor.  As a team, we are here to serve you.

Marsha Harwood

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