The Santa-Grinch Spectrum

SANTA

Pros- everyone loves ya; lots of cheer awarded to loved ones
Cons- habitual over spender; paying a lot more for cheer given financing costs

VS. GRINCH

Pros- never over spends; no credit card debt

Cons- black sheep of gathering; nothing in return

So which one are you during the holidays? Big bubbly Santa with tons of gifts and a big Visa hangover come January? Or Grinch with a dour predictions and a feeling of loss as the New Year rings in?

Most cheery Americans and HMW tend to be Santa-like. We grow up bombarded by holiday "spend, spend, spend" messages. The music starts playing in the stores in October and is downright ear numbing by December." This predisposition is actually great for our consumption- and service- based economy. But it's not so great for our wallet. Nor the waist as it turns out -- it's no coincidence that over-spend and over-eat/drink are partners in crime.

As a LMF4HMW, I'm certainly not advising that you become a Grinch. How would we put the "fun" in dysfunctional during all those holiday gatherings without some good cheer? I'm merely suggesting that you create a plan before the merriment officially begins and stick with it no matter how many eggnogtinis you down before embarrassing yourself in front of your mother-in-law. The following are a few ideas -- I'm sure you can come up with more:

1. Make a good old fashioned budget. Decide for whom you're buying and how much. Be sure to total it so that you can see how much you're actually spending -- $50 times 20 gifts seems a lot less brutal than $1000 line item on a bill. That way, when you're a couple of drinks in at the shopping mall (or online -- who has patience for those lines?!!) you're not side-tracked by the latest-greatest-three-times-what-you've-planned-to-spend-she-deserves-it(buy me!)-what-the-hell-it's-holiday-season gift.

2. Consider a gift exchange. Draw "secret" names between your key groups - maybe one or two circles of friends, the office pool and your family. Set a mutually agreed upon budget per person and enjoy the suspense. Most people will instinctively choose $50 or $100+, which is fine as you're shopping for one not ten. But consider the $15 and under limit because your compadres' creativity might surprise you. One of the best holiday gifts I ever received was a delicious book -- I gobbled it up within a day and could still fit into my skinny jeans!

3. Send holiday postcards - like to send holiday letters and photo cards? I do -- in fact, I'm so into it that I've already received mine for 2008! Save yourself some time and money by sending postcards. VistaPrint has some mighty fine deals and even customizable options.

4. Host potlucks partays - fan of the festive gatherings? Who isn't, really?!! Why not ask each invitee to bring a favorite hometown holiday dish and a bottle of cheer? You'll create quite the assortment and cut way down on your expenses. And you don't have to feel guilty because you're still the one doing all the clean up the next day!

5. Ignore #1-4 above and get seriously real. I recently heard an announcement on the radio about ReThink Christmas. I thought it was about creating donation or charitable type wish lists specifically and more generally promoting the idea of a return to a less consumerism-focused holiday. Turns out that it's that plus more: ReThink is a message started by a church, Advent Conspiracy, which seeks to have people "worship fully, spend less, give more and love all". While I don't tend to be a religious type, the message is quite valuable. Even if you're not Christian or religious. And the bottom line for them is promoting clean water through Living Water.

Even if you don't want to forgo gifting and spending, do spend some time giving the most valuable resources -- serve food, donate water, or build shelter. These are the gifts that truly do keep on giving. And the ROI is beyond calculation!