With the tough economy, the holidays could turn out to be a very stressful situation for many people. In this newsletter, I will share 5 tips that could help you relax and relieve some of these financial worries.

How to save money this year

1. Be open with your friends and family. They know what's happening with the economy, so that won't be too difficult to explain. If you have small children who are too young to understand, they probably won't see the difference between expensive and inexpensive gifts. If you have teenagers, ...well they probably won't be 100% happy with what you would like to give them anyway, so I personally think that teaching them financial responsibility IS one of the GREATEST gifts you could give them. So basically, be open about it. It's NOT a sign a weakness, it's proof that you are financially responsible.
2. Consider "home-made" gifts. Why not bake, sew or craft your gifts this year? People always appreciate the time and effort you put in and you can have a lot of fun in the kitchen with your children.
3. If you're hosting a dinner, why not turn it into a "potluck"? Most people would probably be more than happy to help. Ask someone to take care of the potatoes, another to take care of dessert, another to take care of salad, etc. It will make your life easier and everyone will appreciate the overall dinner more because they had something to do with it!
4. You could consider giving each other gifts in early January instead of December. This would allow you all to take advantage of Boxing day sales and other post-holiday sales. Of course the selection will not be as great, but you could save up to 50%!
5. If you take part in gift exchanges with family, friends and co-workers, bring up the idea to reduce the price by 1/2 or 1/3 this year. There's nothing wrong with that idea and those who are too embarrassed to be openly financially responsible will appreciate your frankness.

Book of the Month

Don't forget to check out my my two book of the month recommendations. This month, I recommend an ebook about lucid dreaming (controlling your dreams) and a fiction novel about a serial killer on a killing spree in New Orleans, just around the time Hurricane Katrina hit.

Remember to Relax