Christmas Survival

I find around Christmas time that the ‘I want’ feeling becomes even stronger.  At the moment we are trying hard to keep away from shops unless we have a specific purpose for going. I have made a list of possible gift ideas for the various people in our lives with a max price. It has made shopping a lot easier as the rule is no matter what we see we can’t buy it unless it is under the max price we have set. When we go to a shop we go with our list just as we do with grocery shopping so we don’t get tempted. It’s not a perfect system but it is keeping our gift spending down and I’m hoping that it will mean we will get through December without blowing our budget and ruining all our great efforts this year. It is also reducing the shopping stress which is a bonus. I’ve been reading Phil Strong’s “Becoming Money Wise” book this week – his website is Achieve More With Your Income! | Wisemoney Foundation . One of the ideas in it from Jackie Gower I’ve been using the last few months. To keep impulse shopping under check whenever you see something you want don’t buy it – put it on your wish list. Then wait 24 hours and look at the list again. By then sanity will probably have set in and you can cross it off the list without buying it! The things that are still on the list keep them on there until there is a sale. My extra advice is also remember that there will always be another sale after that sale (unless the shop is closing down of course). I’ve been hanging out for a tallboy in our bedroom for the last year. The one I want has come up for sale at least 4 times in that time. Every time I see the sale I am so tempted but I just keep reminding myself of how many hours I would have to work to buy the tallboy and that helps me keep it on my wish list. In the meantime I just dream for free……….