If you find yourself at the stores the day after Christmas to grab gifts for next year, you need to get a grip. (I say this because so many people pride themselves on how they shop all year for the holidays. So now instead of shopping just a month or two before Christmas, it's a yearlong affair. That's not reasonable either.)
If you're worried that your honey won't get you what you want for Christmas, get a grip.
I'm speaking to you, ladies. Give the guys a break. No matter what the TV commercial says, every kiss does not begin with "Kay." Okay, so a blender is bland, but you've got to know that love is not measured by whether he knows to get you a diamond tennis bracelet. Please, get a grip.
Of course, it's not enough to just say (or write) "get a grip." You can't change bad behavior without replacing it with something better.
To that end, what follows are some ideas that may help you get a grip at holiday time.
When I think of all the odd gifts we give one another, I fondly think of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Lots of gifts in that song, but few are useful today.
And, if you actually bought all the gifts, from the partridge in a pear tree to the services of the 12 drummers, it would cost you about $17,200, according to PNC Advisors, which annually tabulates the cost of all of the items in the famous carol.
While consumers will be spending considerably less than that for their loved ones (on average about $800, depending on which survey you use), many Christmas budgets will still get busted, and debt will still be massively accumulated.
So how about a twist on "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that won't break the bank and may actually help someone you love put some money in the bank? Here's my version:
• "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me software to track my finances." I know this isn't an overly romantic gift, but let me tell you, not fighting about money can really lift your libido.
