DEAR KACIE

DearKACIE

CHRISTMAS ON A SHOESTRING

I’m a newly divorced mom of teenagers. To put it simply, I cannot afford Christmas. I can afford a few things for my kids, but I can’t give them nearly half of their list. I’m more worried about the extra expenses of the season—the presents for parents, bosses, white elephants, the family kids gift exchange, and teacher gifts. It’s a lot, and I don’t have the money right now. Is there a polite but cheap way of showing I appreciate my people during the holidays?

The holidays break a lot of us. And some don’t realize they’re getting broken until that credit card bill arrives in January. The holidays, unfortunately, can be commercial. But there are ways to relieve the financial burden.

Who is most important to you? What traditions are you not willing to give up? Let that be your focus and then divide and conquer. Figure out how much you can truly afford and stick to it. Even if you have to get cash out and literally divide what you can afford.

Other ideas? If you’re crafty or handy in any way, put your skills to use and make your own handmade gifts. Bake cookies, up-cycle mason jars, knit a scarf, build a wooden bench, or put together a gift basket. Also, Pinterest is a gold mine for DIY ideas! Coupons are also a great gift—maybe you can babysit your nieces and nephews for an evening. Or bring breakfast in bed to your best friend and her husband.

Just don’t let your finances force you to skip the party gatherings! You don’t have to bring a white elephant gift. Enjoy the bickering without the anxiety. And, sometimes people are looking to dump gifts at the end of the night anyway and you could get lucky.

The holidays truly are about spending time together and not about material things.