I deal with this every year! The past couple of years it has been easy for me not to overspend because I have been a student with limited income. Still in transition. I am unemployed and do not have a stable income (work for two temp agencies and occasionally work as a hostess at a restaurant) so I tell my family not to expect more than token gifts. Or the other idea is to focus on the nieces and nephews, which makes no sense because they have way more than I had growing up.
What to do when you have the money? Most of us already have more than what we need. Time to start some new traditions. Instead of co-worker gifts, just give out greeting cards. Here are some other ideas:
- Decide not to do gifts and travel to a nice beach resort for Christmas.
- Set monetary limits on spending.
There is a lot of pressure to spend. So many obligations...