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Retailers and the media have encouraged the general public to believe that at Christmastime you must spend, spend, spend! We have become so caught up in this belief that we have forgotten the true meaning of this holiday. Instead of blowing your hard earned paycheck on commercialism, why not take a step back and think about how to give without spending any (okay, maybe a little) money?

Give the gift of self.

What I mean by this is, think of things you can do for your friends and loved ones that they might appreciate. Offer to baby-sit to let tired parents have an evening together. Offer to make dinner at your parents' house so they don't have to cook and clean up.

Give gift certificates for work or services to be collected in the future. You can offer to wash cars, clean the house, rake the leaves, mow the lawn, wash the windows, give a massage, walk the dog etc. Make a little coupon' that you can give as the gift, listing the service you are offering to provide. You can be creative in the types of self-gifts you can give.

Instead of exchanging gifts will all your friends and family members, why not have everyone pull one name out of a hat? Then you will only have to give a gift to one person instead of many.

Make you own gifts.

You can bake cookies, cakes, breads, or entire meals and give them away. If you can sew, knit or crochet, you can make gifts for friends and family. Are you handy with woodworking tools? You can make simple things like napkin holders or trivets. The time it takes to make the item is usually appreciated by the recipient since this too is a giving of self.

If you must buy gifts, why not look at the thrift stores, Goodwill or Salvation Army. Often times you can find treasures at these second hand stores for a very low price.

Suggest to those with whom you usually exchange gifts to instead get together and volunteer your time. Soup kitchens, hospitals and convalescent homes can always use an extra hand.

Go green.

Since the temperatures are usually cooler at this time of year, it is time to dress warmly. Wear extra layers of clothes around the house so that you can turn down the thermostat a few degrees.

Since you will not be shopping as much, you can save the expense of driving to the shopping mall. When you must go out, consolidate all your errands in one trip to avoid burning more gasoline.

Instead of sending out Christmas cards that are only going to be tossed out at the end of the season, send electronic greetings. There are many websites that offer e-cards for free. Or you can sit down and type out a note and actually email a message to your friends and family. Electronic messages save the cost of the cards and stamps and minimize the amount of solid waste produced.

If you do receive cards, you can always use them again in the future cut off the part that was written on and keep the picture portion. You can use this as one of your gift certificates you plan to give!

Think about the reason we celebrate at Christmas. Don't get caught up in the tradition of maxing out your credit card just because everyone expects a gift.

Learn more about this author, CD Gozzi.
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