Five Simple Ways to Move Toward Enough During the Holiday Shopping Season
Black Friday (the biggest shopping day of the year) is only 11 days away. The ads for Thanksgiving sales have already started. The mantra that “you need this, you deserve that,” is already being chanted. And if you’re not fully equipped, you’ll fall prey to it.
Don’t. Determine right now to live differently this year. You don’t have to hit January and wonder where all your money went. Here are 5 great ways to move toward enough during this holiday shopping blitz.
1. Pray about your spending. I’m serious. Start today asking God how much you should spend on yourself and on gifts this year. Remember, it’s his money anyway. He might appreciate being consulted before you blow it all on gifts that others won’t remember 3 months from now. Ask God to give you wisdom and disciple in your spending habits.
2. Set a holiday spending budget. After you have prayed about your holiday spending, set a budget and stick with it. Determine what is responsible, affordable and God-honoring for your to spend in the next 7 weeks, and then spend only that, not a penny more.
3. Put non-profits and churches at the top of your giving list. Give the bulk of your holiday budget to churches and non-profits, many of whom are carrying the load for serving the poor, fighting oppression and sharing the life-transforming news of Jesus Christ. Such ministries are notoriously under-funded. Determine early on that the bulk of your Christmas spending will be on those who are changing the world.
4. Decide that you already have enough. Unless you’re living at or below the poverty line, you probably don’t really need anything. You may have wants, but not needs. Go ahead and confess that you have enough and tell people that when they ask you what you want for Christmas. And, don’t spend on yourself. Don’t fall victim to the entitlement message that will be blasted this holiday season. You really do have enough.
5. Write notes and give time. Instead of buying a tie that will be out of fashion in a year or giving a new set of steak knives, give the gift of yourself. Write someone a note that they will have until they die. Tell them what they mean to you. Give them a homemade certificate that commits you to 6 coffees (and conversions) with them over the next year. Those types of gifts matter far more and have much greater impact that throwing more stuff at an already overstuffed soul.
6. Bonus Suggestion–Read Enough: Finding More by Living with Less. It will forever transform how you see what you have.
