Hello to all my Frugal Friends!
This is the 13th year that The Dollar Stretcher has encouraged people to enjoy the holidays without unnecessary spending. But this year feels a little different than the other twelve. I'm not going to repeat 'the sky is falling' warnings that seem to appear on every nightly news program. Speaking frankly, most commentators are pretty clueless on the topic of economics. They just repeat what they heard from the last so-called expert.
But, this is a time where caution could be very, very wise. Last year I saw reports that the average Christmas shopper who charged their gift purchases and didn't pay them off immediately were paying for them all the way into May of this year! In a good times that's foolish. But, if you happen to lose your job those debts could be enough to ruin your credit rating or cause you to miss making your house payment.
It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have a choice. But you do. We have literally dozens of articles with hundreds of gift ideas that won't bust your budget. Spending less won't ruin your holidays. In fact, it will actually make them better!
In fact, I'd like to issue a challenge. I'm so sure that we can find ways to have a happier holiday by spending less we're going to create a thread in The Dollar Stretcher Community on that topic. Please come by and tell us how a frugal holiday was a better holiday. You can post your comments here or send them by email to gary @stretcher.com. We'll share some of the best ideas in the weeks to come.
Keep on Stretching those Dollars!
Gary
