Yes, the holiday season and all the shopping and spending it brings is here once again. And while holiday shopping isn’t new to you, your kids may never have had to plan, budget and shop for someone else. This makes the holidays a great time to teach your kids about money.

Start by identifying the various costs the holiday season:

• Gifts
• Supplies for making gifts
• Cards (with postage)
• Family Christmas letters
• Gift wrappings
• Parties
• Bringing family meals to gatherings

Identify your overall monetary limit for the entire season the best you can. You should also set a budget as to what you’ll spend on immediate family members. Be sure to include your kids in these talks. This will help them see how budgeting works in a real life scenario.

Limit gift giving outside of immediate family with easily duplicated homemade gifts. This is another way you can cut costs if you have a long list of people outside of your immediate family you want to give gifts to. Ideas for these easy and efficient gifts include:

• Cookies
• Cookie mixes or other mixes for baked goods in a jar
• Spice rubs
• Trail mixes

The ingredients for these gifts can all be bought in bulk, making them inexpensive options.

Bring your kids shopping with you. Before you enter the store, make sure you share with them how much you are aiming to spend. Have them help you find items on sale or comparable items at lower prices.

When it comes time to check out, pay with cash if possible. The visual of you handing money to cashier makes a far greater impression on your child than the swipe of your debit card. It’s also not a bad idea to spread out your shopping trips from week to week to nip procrastination in the bud.

When you get home from your shopping trips, pull out the receipts and create a running tally of your expenses. Not only does it help you keep track of what you’ve spent, but it also shows your kids how small costs can add up over time.

Most of all, see how fun you can make this for your kids! You’ve been through the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping numerous times, and have probably grown to dread it. The more fun and exciting you can make holiday shopping, the more positively and responsibly your kids will approach it themselves.

Good luck!

When you think of the holidays, what do you picture? Extended family gathered around a dinner table with a feast set in front of them? Wrapping gifts while sipping hot chocolate? The truth is, that while many of us are fortunate enough to have these experiences, many of our fellow community members are not.

Whether it be due to job loss, a medical condition or another circumstance, many individuals and families in our community will be without basic necessities this holiday season, let alone the means to have a holiday celebration.

But we can all help. There are some great organizations in our community that we can work through to make the holidays a little brighter for those less fortunate.

Take a look at the list below and identify which good deeds you can do this holiday season.

1. Make and serve a meal or holiday treats – cookies and casseroles can be great gifts this time of year. You can provide them for those who don’t have the means or are short on food, you can donate them to a local warming shelter or share them with the local fire or police station as a way of saying “thanks”.
2. Pack stockings for the homeless – pick out some inexpensive stockings and fill them with practical items. These can range from food and drink (granola bars, bottles of water, etc.) to gloves, socks and personal hygiene items.
3. Donate gently used toys – kids’ toys and games can be pricey. Repurpose your kids’ toys and donate them to children who would love to get them as a Christmas gift.
4. Pay a visit to a local nursing home – the holidays can be lonely for elderly people living in nursing homes who don’t have family members nearby. A small visit or gift from a stranger could brighten their day, or even make their entire week.
5. “Adopt” a family – there are many ways you can support families in our community. A food pantry would be a good place to start to find out about families in need and how to support them throughout the winter. The Salvation Army is also a great resource to adopt a family and provide parents and children with gifts and necessities to unwrap on Christmas.
6. Donate to a food bank – winter, especially in our area, is a difficult part of the year; it is far worse if you don’t have enough food. Food banks and food pantries could put your donation to good use.
7. Have family members make a donation in your name – replace one thing on your Christmas list with the wish that in lieu of a present, a donation is made in your name to the charity of your choice.

If any of these ideas strike a chord with you, we encourage you to give a little extra this season to truly brighten someone else’s holiday.

As you enjoy your holiday activities and traditions, remember to think of those who aren’t as fortunate as yourself. Our community is only as strong as we make, so let’s work together to strengthen and uplift those who need it most.

Milledgeville State Bank, Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC

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