by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: October 17, 2009

Christmas should be a joyful time of year for all who celebrate this holiday, but in harsh economic times, the thought of having to save money on your festivities may put a damper on your holiday spirit. But it doesn't have to - if anything, it gives you an opportunity to rethink Christmas, and what it really means to you. This is the time when you can learn the real meaning of Christmas.

First of all you have to be honest with yourself and with your family about what you can and cannot afford this year. If you usually spent big on vacations, presents and trips, then these are the first areas where you need to economize. Spending Christmas at home and giving less lavish presents doesn't have to make you feel like Scrooge. Making your home a pleasant place to spend the holidays, and giving twice as much thought and effort into choosing less costly presents, is actually a good thing.

Christmas is about love, after all - it is the celebration of a very special birthday, and if you take the view that this year you can take the opportunity to recapture the true spirit of Christmas, and make a statement about commercialism, and the ``buy buy'' culture that got the world into this mess in the first place, you will feel less deprived.

To economize on gift giving without losing the Christmas spirit, get acquainted with Ebay, and make your Christmas purchases online. But be Ebay savvy - sometimes sellers offer cheap goods, and make up their profit on the postage. Check that the item plus postage is still a better price than you would pay in the shops. Ebay offers a good alternative to shopping because you have such a wide range of goods at your fingertips, and you are sure to find something just right at a bargain price, even with postage - but don't forget sales and thrift shopping as well.

Buying something that really suits the recipient is what counts, rather than another item that will just join a stack of presents that have had little thought attached. Go foraging in places you normally wouldn't look for presents, like garage sales, garden sales and thrift shops. With a bit of spit and polish, something preloved can become something that is loved all over again.

Some gifts are even better second hand, such as out of print books, and items that can be added to a treasured collection. Shopping this way for gifts can be great, because you are actually thinking about what would please the recipient, and not what would make you look good. To help you keep to your budget, put away the credit card and use only cash.

When cutting back on entertaining, make a list of the things you normally buy for Christmas and then take a mental paring knife to it. Do you really need that high an alcohol budget? How much food does not get eaten, and is thrown away? Sure it is traditional to provide drinks with everything, and mountains of Christmas fare, but does it make sense if the alcohol just fuels family arguments, and no one likes mince pies anyway?

One big inexpensive bowl of punch may be all that is required, and a few eggnogs with Christmas Eve supper, while the food should be just what your guests will genuinely eat and enjoy. Trim off the fat from your Christmas budget, and you will not only save money, but a lot of stress and resentment as well.

By reclaiming a simpler Christmas, you can make the lessons of a failed economy lasting ones that bring happiness rather than pain.

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