PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS

A whole lot of efforts go in to making your preparation a perfect one. We all have different views of how and what we should buy and shouldn't buy, where we should visit and where we shouldn't and may be how much we should budget for our expenses. What you put into making your Christmas depends on you.



Preparing for Christmas may not take a whole year but you sure need a lot of planning in order not to mess things up for your self during and thereafter. The first thing you should consider in my opinion is finance. How much you are going to spend depends on your income and the size of what you have in mind. I am going to try and make it a lot more easier four you by taking them one after the other.

FINANCE
How much your income is determines the type of preparation you are going to put in. The law of good financial ethics says that you don't spend above what your income is. When your expenditure is above your income, then you got trouble coming your way and that should be the last thing you want this season. Surely you got bills to settle after the yuletide season, don't you? Don't go making a jumbo budget when you know that you are going to run into trouble thereafter. You have to know that shoes, clothes, foods, gifts and the rest of them are important but they require wisdom when you want to buy them. Remember you got the economic meltdown to deal with or at leats you don't want a meltdown in your home. This is one area when mothers should really sit with fathers to get the best out of there resources. Spend only what you can and not more than that. As a matter of fact, if by mid November, you don't know how much you intend to spend for Christmas, that in my opinion is a bit late!

THINGS TO BUY
Like I said earlier, you don't pay for what woun't give you value. What do you need several pairs of shoes of the same design but different colours for when you know that you have to pay Bill s after Christmas? Buy only the best and only at the prices in which they are good at. Though you got to flaunt it if you have it, but, be prudent and rather than by collection of shoes, buy only what will do for that period and that includes taking colours in to consideration and of course what is in vogue.

WHERE TO VISIT
Sometimes we want to visit a couple of places but we are limited by what is in our pockets. I want to visit Zoos and other wonderful places in Kenya, Falls in Zimbabwe and Yankari some where in Nigeria, they are not bad ideas afterall but you need a lot of money to do all these. So, what is the way out? Remember you want to make the best out of a season that comes just once in a year. This is what I would do if I were in your shoes. I would start planning that now and probably wount say anything to my kids because they could end up influencing my decision even if its against my income. I tell you, telling my kids is not a bad idea if I have enough of money in my bank account but if I don't, I just plan inside my heart. There are couple of places one could go to with out going to Kenya. If you live in the United States for instance, you could take them to the National Museum for instance, what about the Zoos and many other places.Come on, you don't have to run your self dry to enjoy the Christmas.

WHO TO INVITE
This is not as difficult as the ones listed above. If I were you I would involve my family in this. You don't want to invite friends or cousins who would make your Christmas holiday a boring one do you? Make the best of the moment, carry your entire family along in making this decision as you don't have to be selfish on this one. Don't go inviting the every day person or cousin to your home for Christmas. Yes! I know nothing is wrong with celebrating Christmas with your neighbours but what is wrong in inviting friends, cousins, uncles and relatives you haven't seen for decades or even months?



Make the best of this season. Comments are welcomed, please share with me and the rest of the world how you intend to prepare for Christmas and lets see how it is going to look like.