Holiday Stress Hotspot #2: Holiday Expenses

• Set a budget, and stick to it. Don’t buy gifts that you’ll spend the rest of the year trying to pay off.
• Think of alternative ways to give gifts (set up a gift exchange, make some handmade gifts or foodstuffs).
• Choose inexpensive ways of entertaining and enjoying. Have a potluck party instead of providing all the food yourself.
• Do activities with family and friends that cost little or no money: go on walks, have a movie night instead of going to see the latest blockbuster together.
• Give the gift of a phone call or note. Let the people you care about know how important they are to you with words, not expensive gifts. Most people need this type of nourishment in general and may need it even more during the holidays. It may be the best gift they get.