By: Trinidad Guardian

Tuesday December 08,

The people who are supposed to be in the know have said that we will not go into a recession. That’s no excuse to go on a spending riot with the money you have been saving for when the recession really hits. Budgeting is a wise practice whether “money is no problem or the problem is no money,” as Dr Eric Williams once declared. We have attached many customs to the Christmas season and we can budget them to ensure that we appreciate, celebrate and share it with the people who are important to us. The following is a short list of what you can budget for the Christmas holidays.

Budget your money
This is not a simple no-brainer as it might seem. We both know how easy it is to be tempted by signs and posters that scream Christmas sale, Christmas discount and Christmas special. Moreover, when parang is ringing in our ears, our hands seem to have a mind of their own. They reach into our wallets and whip out cash and cards. Then we walk away with bags of stuff and smiles on our faces. But we know who is having the last laugh, don’t we? Whether you have much or little, make an appropriate budget. Don’t let the sales gimmicks, the chac chac, the cuatro, the Sereno, the Aiyeeee make you bazodee.

Budget your gift list
One way to help you budget your money is to budget your gift list. How many times have you regretted spending money on a gift for someone out of a sense of obligation, false pride and guilt? Too many times to count? I’ve been there. Nobody has any business telling you who you should buy gifts for. Close the door on guilt and obligation and throw away that false pride. Budget your gift list with clarity and sincerity.

Budget your decorating
It is getting bigger each Christmas—decorating and lighting the whole exterior of the home. Makes me afraid to imagine what is happening on the inside. It has become a spectacle of mammoth proportions and no doubt a competitive one in some communities. Do you go all out decorating your home inside and out? Do you decorate for yourself and your family or is envy driving your choices? Are you in silent competition with your neighbours?

Budget your parties
The excitement in the air, Christmas fever rising, peace and goodwill oozing from friends and strangers alike, the lure of food, drinks, music and an all-round good time, can have you dancing as soon as the invitation arrives. Opt for smaller, more intimate gatherings—parties where you know most of the people very well, parties at the home of relatives and close friends. Budget the parties you attend and you will reap longer-lasting and more meaningful memories.

Budget your eating
Lifestyle diseases are linked to our eating habits but that Christmas food is so irresistible. Moderation is key to enjoying it all with no regret and no tell-tale signs of excesses. Buy, cook and eat healthy versions where possible and in budgeted proportions and still enjoy the holidays.

Budget your drinking
It is disheartening to hear and see the advertisements. The Christmas season seems to be an automatic signal to consume alcoholic drinks with wild abandon, all in the name of celebration and fun. That is sad. It is frightening too, because it is a holiday when people spend a great deal of time driving and travelling to visit friends and relatives and attending Christmas dinners, parties and other seasonal functions. 

Budget your enthusiasm
As the season heats up to its climax, you might forget the planned and opportunistic dangers that lurk, especially at this time. It will be a shame to allow your high enthusiasm to generate into low awareness that might make you a victim and mar the holidays for you and your loved ones. Don’t be a Christmas crime statistic. Budget your enthusiasm. Be aware, be careful and be proactive.  

Budget your time
How long have you been promising to not allow yourself to be bulldozed by the race to get all kinds of household chores done “for Christmas”? Remember last year? Remember the stress and fatigue that won’t leave? Saying “No” is a gift you give yourself and it blesses you with time to relax and enjoy everything associated with the holidays. It is important to budget time to remember, appreciate and celebrate the significance of the holidays, to spend memory-making moments with good and faithful friends, with loving family members and with those who don’t have the resources to celebrate the holidays as they may like to. Budget is not a dirty word. Use it liberally for the Christmas season and you will have savings you can apply to other areas in the New Year.

By Trinidad Guardian