Shop with your head, not with your heart!

December 8th, 2008

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...and Chanukah, and Kwaanza and...whatever end of the year holiday you wish to honor by purchasing gifts for loved ones, friends and colleagues.

Here is THE most important thing you need to decide before you ever set foot in a store or make out a gift list: how much money can you spend? It's critical that you be realistic. I encourage you to shop using your left brain, not your emotions. The latter will find you making purchases that will come back to haunt you in January when your credit card bills start arriving in your mail box. The latter will give a false boost to your low self esteem as folks open the gifts you can't afford and gush over your 'generosity.'

Here's an exercise I offer in my New York Times best seller "One Year to an Organized Life.'

1. Take an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and write your budget in the upper right hand corner. Remember this is the maximum amount you can spend for gifts. You may also need money for holiday entertaining, travel, gift wrap and ribbon etc. Factor those expenses in when you make your gift giving budget.

2. Make a list of everyone for whom you'd like to purchase a gift. Write down at least two gift ideas for each person as well as the total you feel comfortable spending.

3. At the end, add up the amounts you have allocated for everyone. Expect to be shocked: 9 times out of 10 it's much greater than your budget total.

What to do?

We need to go back and start eliminating some people from the list. Maybe this is the year these good folks get a letter of appreciation from you rather than a gift.

You also want to get creative! This is truly where the fun starts. Here are some non traditional ways to honor someone.

A. Go to a charity like Oxfam and purchase some chickens for a poor family in your friend's name. You will receive a gift certificate. Of course it doesn't have to be a chicken...cows, pigs and other animals are also available.

B. Check out the class list from your local Community College. How about some dance lessons for that special couple instead of a tired old tie and a pair of earrings?

C. Food prices are high, right? What about starting a tiny herb garden for a friend who loves to cook? You won't need to purchase a kit. Go to your local nursery and pick up the supplies yourself.

What would you add to this list?

I'll be back tomorrow. In the mean time start work on your list!

Blessings,
Regina