Jul og økonomi! Det er ikke en lille ting for mange mennesker. Det er svært at følge med i det hele i løbet af måneden, og hvis der er flere børn i en familie, der både har arrangementer på skolen og i fritidsklubber, kan det blive en stram tidsplan. De voksne har jo også deres traditioner, så det er vigtigt at lægge en plan. Både økonomisk og tidsmæssigt.
Så det er tid til at være realistisk:
Økonomi:
Økonomisk - hvad har du egentlig råd til? Hvem skal have gaver, og hvor mange penge er der til hver gave? Så enkelt skal det være. Det er ikke rart at skulle afdrage på et kviklån eller et tilbud om 'køb nu og betalt en gang i januar'. Det holder ikke. Man har råd til det, man har råd til! Så er den ikke længere. Det er bedre at være ærlig, end at ødelægge sin økonomi.
Tid:
Tidsmæssigt skal man være kritisk med, hvad man vil deltage i. At stresse rundt gør ingen glade. Man ved i reglen, hvad der kommer, så overvej, hvad familien skal deltage i, så ingen går død i arrangementer, men kan nyde en hyggelig tid.
Pakkekalendere:
Skal børnene have pakkekalendere - eller skulle det være en adventskalender med lidt bedre ting i? Eller måske skulle den tradition afskaffes for ikke at drunke ungerne i en masse bras.
Aktiviteter:
Julekalenderen kan erstattes med familieaktiviteter. Gå i biografen eller besøge et børnevenligt sted. Det bliver såmænd ikke dyrere, men glæden kan vare en hel dag. For ikke at tale om en tur i skoven for at samle ting til dekorationer - måske med medbragte sandwiches og varm kakao. Bage småkager. Højtlæsningstime hver aften efter middagen. Der er uendelige muligheder.
Julegaver til voksne:
Skal de voksne have gaver? Eller kunne man udveksle 'naturalier' = jeg passer din hund/dine børn, mens I går på voksen-date. Hjemmelavede ting som syltetøj, hjemmestrikkede karklude eller en selvdyrket potteplante. En invitation til en hjemmelavet middag. Der er mange tjenester, der ville gøre nogen rigtig glade. Tænk på dem, du vil give gaver, og find ud af, hvad du kunne gøre i stedet.
Julegaver til børn:
Børn vil gerne have gaver, og det synes jeg også, at de skal også have. Men for det første skal man ikke give efter for urealistiske ønsker, og de behøver heller ikke at få ALT, de ønsker sig. Køb til børn med omtanke. Giv dem noget, de kan have glæde af længe.
Lyder det trist? Tja, måske er det lidt en spand koldt vand, men det vil få livet efter jul (for der er et liv efter jul!) til at føles meget lettere, og til den tid er det meste glemt alligevel. Ikke mindst, hvad man har fået i julegave. Med mindre gaven er meget gennemtænkt og kan holde rigtig længe eller er et skønt minde, og det behøver den ikke at være dyr for!
Bestem dig nu for at holde en afslappet, økonomisk forsvarlig jul med tid til at hygge i denne mørke tid med de mennesker, som betyder mest for dig.
Now the grumpy Christmas elf is on the run again! So now you are warned and can ship this blog post, if you aren't in the mood for having your Christmas mood interrupted.
Christmas and economy! It is not a small thing for many people. It is difficult to keep up in general during the coming month, and if there are children in a family, events at school and other places, the schedule can become quite stressed. Economically and time wise.
So it is time to become realistic:
Economy:
Economy - what can you afford? Who are going to have presents, and how much money is there for each gift? That's how simple it is. It is not a good thing to take loans or offers about 'buy now, and pay some time in January'. It doesn't work. You can afford, what you can afford! That's it. It is better to be honest, than to ruin your financial situation.
Time:
You should be critical about, what you want to participate in. To stess around doing everything makes no one happy. Most of the time you know, what is going to come up, so consider what the family should participate in, so you don't get tired, but can enjoy a pleasant season.
Christmas calendars:
Should the children have daily calendar gifts - or should they have advent calendars with better packages? Or maybe this traditions should be abolished to avoid drowning the kids in a lot of junk.
Activities:
The calendar could be replaces with doing something including all family members. Go to the movies or visit a child friendly place. It doesn't become more expensive, but the joy lasts for a whole day. Not to speak about a trip to the forest to collect branches, cones etc. for the decorations - maybe bringing sandwiches and hot cocoa. Baking cookies. Or gathering the family in the afternoon reading a book out loud.
Christmas gifts for adults:
Should the adults have presents? Or could you exchange services = I will take care of your dog/children, so you can go on a date. Homemade things like jam, knitted kitchen cloths or a home grown plant. An invitation for a homemade dinner. There are lots of 'services', which would make a lot of people happy. Try to think of the ones, you want to give a gift, and find out, what else would make them happy.
Christmas gifts for children:
Children want presents, and of course they should have presents. But you shouldn't give in to unrealistic wishes, and they don't get to have EVERYTHING, they want. Buy presents for the little ones with care. Give them something, which will give joy for a long time.
Does it sound gloomy? Well, maybe it is kind of a bucket of ice water over the head, but it will make life after Christmas (because there will be a life after Christmas!) so much easier, and at that time most of it is forgotten anyway. At least most of the presents will be. Unless the gift is well thought out and can work for a long time after or become a sweet memory, and it doesn't have to be an expensive one to become memorable.
Make up your mind to have a relaxed, economically responsible Christmas with time to 'hygge' in this dark season with the ones, you love.
Børn vil gerne have gaver, og det synes jeg også, at de skal også have. Men for det første skal man ikke give efter for urealistiske ønsker, og de behøver heller ikke at få ALT, de ønsker sig. Køb til børn med omtanke. Giv dem noget, de kan have glæde af længe.
Lyder det trist? Tja, måske er det lidt en spand koldt vand, men det vil få livet efter jul (for der er et liv efter jul!) til at føles meget lettere, og til den tid er det meste glemt alligevel. Ikke mindst, hvad man har fået i julegave. Med mindre gaven er meget gennemtænkt og kan holde rigtig længe eller er et skønt minde, og det behøver den ikke at være dyr for!
Bestem dig nu for at holde en afslappet, økonomisk forsvarlig jul med tid til at hygge i denne mørke tid med de mennesker, som betyder mest for dig.
Mit første juletiltag - My first sign of Christmas
Now the grumpy Christmas elf is on the run again! So now you are warned and can ship this blog post, if you aren't in the mood for having your Christmas mood interrupted.
Christmas and economy! It is not a small thing for many people. It is difficult to keep up in general during the coming month, and if there are children in a family, events at school and other places, the schedule can become quite stressed. Economically and time wise.
So it is time to become realistic:
Economy:
Economy - what can you afford? Who are going to have presents, and how much money is there for each gift? That's how simple it is. It is not a good thing to take loans or offers about 'buy now, and pay some time in January'. It doesn't work. You can afford, what you can afford! That's it. It is better to be honest, than to ruin your financial situation.
Time:
You should be critical about, what you want to participate in. To stess around doing everything makes no one happy. Most of the time you know, what is going to come up, so consider what the family should participate in, so you don't get tired, but can enjoy a pleasant season.
Christmas calendars:
Should the children have daily calendar gifts - or should they have advent calendars with better packages? Or maybe this traditions should be abolished to avoid drowning the kids in a lot of junk.
Activities:
The calendar could be replaces with doing something including all family members. Go to the movies or visit a child friendly place. It doesn't become more expensive, but the joy lasts for a whole day. Not to speak about a trip to the forest to collect branches, cones etc. for the decorations - maybe bringing sandwiches and hot cocoa. Baking cookies. Or gathering the family in the afternoon reading a book out loud.
Christmas gifts for adults:
Should the adults have presents? Or could you exchange services = I will take care of your dog/children, so you can go on a date. Homemade things like jam, knitted kitchen cloths or a home grown plant. An invitation for a homemade dinner. There are lots of 'services', which would make a lot of people happy. Try to think of the ones, you want to give a gift, and find out, what else would make them happy.
Christmas gifts for children:
Children want presents, and of course they should have presents. But you shouldn't give in to unrealistic wishes, and they don't get to have EVERYTHING, they want. Buy presents for the little ones with care. Give them something, which will give joy for a long time.
Does it sound gloomy? Well, maybe it is kind of a bucket of ice water over the head, but it will make life after Christmas (because there will be a life after Christmas!) so much easier, and at that time most of it is forgotten anyway. At least most of the presents will be. Unless the gift is well thought out and can work for a long time after or become a sweet memory, and it doesn't have to be an expensive one to become memorable.
Make up your mind to have a relaxed, economically responsible Christmas with time to 'hygge' in this dark season with the ones, you love.
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