Rethink Your Holiday Spending

By Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall


Happy Thanksgiving, Ho, ho, ho! Turkeys and cookies are baking, bells are ringing, and sounds of holiday cheer fill the air. The holiday season is fast upon us. In this “most wonderful time of the year”, It’s easy to slip into the holiday mood and buy just one more present for an acquaintance, one more outfit for a holiday party—and wake up with a splitting-headache spending hangover in January.

The holiday season is a time of renewal and fellowship—and also time of wild consumerism. We seem to worship the mall and the Hallmark store, instead of our faith, our traditions, and our connection to our families and the world. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or simply “the holidays”, it’s important to develop your own personal meaning for the season. Instead of spending money this season, consider spending time with those you love.

The above is an excerpt from the curriculum (wife.org) for the INATM Money club. Each month we discuss a topic or money zone to help women become financially educated. If you would like more information about a new club starting next year click here

The following questions may help you focus on some of your beliefs around money and the holidays so you can make conscious and helpful decisions about your Christmas spending.

• What were the holidays like when you were a child? Were they lavish or low-budget?
  Were they well-planned or last-minute?

• What were your parents’ gift-giving rituals? Was there a spending limit per present? A
  resolution to only give presents to the children? At what age did you start giving presents to your parents?

• What interesting traditions do your family and friends have for the holidays? How have
  they saved time or money or added additional meaning to the season?

• What new traditions for the holidays have you started in your adult life? Why did you choose these?
  

Who's on Your A Team?

As you are reading this I am on an airplane off to Vancouver, Canada for a dynamite training opportunity. The love of learning is one of my values that I get really excited about. In fact, I’ve done a lot of traveling over this year and it is only possible because I have a great team of people around me who support me. I call them my A team.

For the past 5 months a team of us have been planning and organizing a fundraiser for a non profit organization called Walking in Grace, Inc. (WIG) Many of you may not know that INATM is a program under the WIG umbrella. WIG was born about 10 years ago and has helped many people over the years.

The financial needs of WIG have grown, therefore; the call for a fundraiser. This being our first annual fundraiser we have all learned a lot! Most important I recognized that most projects, programs, family needs etc. need a team to accomplish the goal. We all need an A team; where all are committed and passionate about the vision and goal. Where the team members are willing to actively work towards the aspiration.

I learned this first hand. I know it in my head, in fact I teach other people about this very concept. This time was a little different for me. I was way out of the box with what I am familiar with and I had to rely on others to follow through with what they said they would do. I couldn’t do it all.

Second, there were a couple times through the preparation process that I
· Doubted the purpose of the fundraiser
· Regretted how much work it took
· Unsure that the financial outcome would be “worth it”
· Were we really in God’s will?

So here is the bottom line of what I learned. We all need an A team of people around us to accomplish those small and extensive goals. It’s that place where 1+1=11 meets. I learned that when God gives me direction and clarity on what to do, He will bring the results around. You see one of the things I began to believe was that this was all going to be a waste of time. I couldn’t see the results God had planned for me; only my short-sighted perspective.

God’s plan was the absolute best. The outcome blessed me beyond the financial support we received. This learning will stick with me for a long time! See, I love to learn.

To wrap up, “Who are your A team members?” Remember, "God can do anything yyou know-- far more that you coule ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not hy pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
Ephesians 3:20 Message Bible