by IX

Created on: November 18, 2009   Last Updated: November 20, 2009

Every year Christmas seems to cost more and more. I can't figure out how this religious holiday turned into a spend-fest where every good girl and boy is blessed with the newest iPod and Wii. The pressure is on to find the perfect gifts, not just for kids, but for siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends, neighbors, teachers, even the mailman. The list gets longer and the debt gets deeper.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. It's about family, love and celebration, but sadly it can be easily overshadowed by the pressures of spending, often money we don't have. Here are five great ways to help ease the financial stress without losing the holiday spirit.

Christmas Cards
Technology can be a useful thing this time of year. My mother sends nearly one hundred cards at Christmas, and the list just grows. Between the cards and postage it's at least $100 every year. Try creating an e-card or family newsletter online this year. You can easily include family pictures and it doesn't cost a penny. Or if you just can't bare the idea of letting go of the paper cards, hand out as many as possible to save on stamps. That's 44 cents a pop. Save where you can, even if that means handing the cards out at your Thanksgiving get together. If the department stores can put tress up before Halloween, you can hand your cards out at Thanksgiving!

White Elephant
Gift giving can get out of hand. It's time to seriously sit down and cut back on the list. Instead of buying gifts for all your friends, suggest a white elephant gift exchange. If you've never heard of a white elephant, visithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exc hange. Organize a get together where everyone brings his or her favorite dish and let the merriment begin. Isn't that what the holiday season is about? Getting together with people you care about and having a good laugh. Plus consider it a gift to the environment, recycle and reuse!

Grab Bag
It seems so obvious, yet so many of us are still buying gifts for every member of our family. The numbers really add up. Even at $20 per gift, you can easily be spending hundreds of dollars on small nick knacks for everyone. This year, when the family gets together for Thanksgiving, organize a grab bag for the adults. Set a specific dollar amount and prohibit additional gift giving outside of the grab bag, with the exception of gifts for children.

Baked Goods
Sometimes something from the oven is just the right gift. For school teachers or others

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