This is the first year Philip & I have consistently put money aside every month for Christmas gifts. Now that it is time to spend those faithfully-saved dollars, there is a sense of accomplishment and pride knowing that the purchases are being made with intentionality and responsibility.
Part of the temptation at Christmas is that you always want to spend more than you plan. Naturally, you want to give those you love the most the best thing in the world--whatever they want.
But giving in to this temptation really has an opposite effect. Supposed three years down the road this same person you over-spent on at Christmas loses their job or has a catastrophic life-event that causes them to need help paying their mortgage? Will you really be able to help without going into debt yourself or causing serious strain on your monthly budget? Probably not. And that flashy Christmas gift you gave several years prior is more than likely at Goodwill or the trash.
We keep this in mind in almost every expenditure we make. Lord willing, we strive to be debt-free in seven years (the house included). And there are probably some of you reading this blog who are rolling your eyes and pessimistically saying "just wait"! Life happens, I know. But we want to do everything we can to reach our goal quickly. If you aren't living by a budget, I encourage you to take time and make a budget every month in 2011 (or better yet, December 2010)! You will be amazed how much money you will be able to pay down on your bills or save each month.
If you need help making a budget, go to Dave Ramsey's website to download free budgeting software!
Here's to striving towards debt-free living!
April
