Unless you are far more wealthy than I, finding the perfect gift is one thing but purchasing it might be quite another matter. As the mother of two wonderful sons, daughters-in-law and three perfect (well, almost) granddaughters, I’d love to pay off their mortgages, buy the car or the boat of their dreams and send them all on exotic vacations but it’s the B word that prohibits any such action. I’m talking about Budget.
Contrary to the messages of retailers, credit card companies and our internal or maternal urges, sometimes the best gift we can give (at least to ourselves and our households) is to be ruthless in our adherence to a budget. Nights of worry can be avoided by judicious spending so years ago I adopted the habit of putting away small amounts during the year to take the edge off restricted spending for gifts (Christmas, birthday, graduation or whatever). The monthly pension income is off limits.
Staying within self-imposed spending limits can sometimes be made easier with consultation. Since opposites attract, a spouse or partner may be able to serve that purpose; I’ve also found that taking a trusted friend along helps me think things through before flashing that colourful plastic rewards card.
This is also a good place to reference another list, this time a list of priorities. Will this lovely but very expensive gift affect my ability to give to those less fortunate? Will it mean substituting the holiday turkey with bologna? For some of us senior citizens, we dare not forget the costs that accompany aging. Because value isn’t restricted to a bank account, giving way to impulsive buying can incur costs we neglected to calculate.
“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls…Without counsel, plans go awry….” (Proverbs 15:22; 25:28).
Amen.
