Holiday Frugal

This year I have been asked by so many what to give when you are on a budget. I know that times are tough and we all still want to give a little to everyone we love. Here are a few ideas I thought I would share.

• Give a "Dessert-of-the-Month" gift certificate to your friends and family. Each month you can deliver a different home-baked goody. You could also make this a "Dinner-of-the-month." Who doesn't want a night off from cooking?
• Give $5 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets. My family loves this, they're fun and there's a possibility of winning lots of cash!
• Give a box of recipes. Someone gave this to me one year and I loved it! All of my favorite dishes from my dearest friend.
  
• Give time to your friends and family. Set up a date with you spouse, wine night with your girlfriends or game night with your kids.

Remember the holidays are special because you share them with people that are special to us not because of the "things" we receive. Like the great Dr. Seuss wrote, "And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'til his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?"

Happy Holidays to all! May you make time to cherish these moments.