In publication since January 16, 1998, The Crusader explores many of the changes needed to reorient our lives and put each of us on the "road less traveled" - the Road to Wealth & Prosperity. Enjoy the journey!

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Al Crisp CPA

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The Christmas shopping season divides the true shoppers from us amateurs. Some people spend hours going from one store to the next, hunting for that true bargain. Those are the die-hard shoppers. Not me. I fall into the other category of shoppers - those that enter a store only when absolutely necessary.

Somewhere along the line my genes must have gotten mixed up. Don't all women like to shop? Well, perhaps I have more of my father's genes, because I really hate it. The thought of starting Christmas shopping is to me what doing income taxes is for some other procrastinators that I won't mention!

Since I spend so little time in stores, you'd think that I wouldn't have to worry about impulse buying. You couldn't be more wrong. I'm probably more at risk than a lot of other people.

The stores know just how to place items near the entrances and the registers to catch your eye. I find myself buying something I hadn't planned on, just so I won't have to go looking for a gift for that person later. No matter if it's more money than I'd planned on spending. It's the idea of eliminating another shopping expedition that is so appealing to me.

Even people who usually show remarkable self control can fall victim to impulse purchases during the Christmas shopping season. Let me share just a few ideas to help us all stick to our budgets this season.

1. Always make up a shopping list ahead of time. This is a tough one, especially if you don't want to buy Uncle George a tie for the 17th year in a row. But if you have a plan ahead of time, it's much easier to stay away from those impulse purchases.

2. Catalogs #1 - All of us receive 3 to 4 times as many catalogs in the mail this time of year. I find that I get lots of ideas for Christmas gifts from these catalogs, even if I don't order from them. For instance, I frequently get a catalog of computer software. I just love looking at all the new games available for children. Once I've de- cided on one that I want to buy for my daughter, I then go to the discount store nearby and make my purchase. I always save at least $5 over the catalog price. Plus, using this method keeps my actual time in the store to a minimum, the best part!

3. Catalogs #2 - I often find it so much easier to purchase gifts through these catalogs than to go to the mall shopping. For me, it's a good excuse to avoid impulse purchases. But be careful to follow your Christmas shopping list as you look through these catalogs. It's easy to forget that you've already purchased a waffle iron for Aunt Sue and get her a bird feeder also.

4. One final catalog note - Never charge your order! Write a check, and you'll find yourself spending less money.

5. One of the easiest ways to control your Christmas purchases is to use cash. You'd be amazed how much more you spend when you know you've got your credit card with you. But if you have only cash, you'll end up limiting how much you spend.

6. Try not to enter a toy store after Thanksgiving. I do one huge shopping trip for all the children on my list at one time (always using a list, of course!). After Thanksgiving, the toy stores are just packed. Whenever I'm in an impossibly crowded store, I find myself grabbing whatever I can get my hands on just to get out of there. For those who hate shopping as much as I do, make the toy store your first stop, as early in the season as possible.

7. Over the years I've discovered the joys of giving gifts from my kitchen. I've even found special bags that I get printed up with "Gifts from Linda's Kitchen" for that special touch. Sometimes I make cranberry bread for the neighbors. One year my daughter and I made large gingerbread men cookies and spent lots of fun time together decorating them for really special gifts. Last year my daughter made tape recordings of her playing songs on the piano. Some of the people that she gave the tapes to had never heard her play the piano before, so they really enjoyed this.

Or you might give a gift of your services to be used at a time of the recipient's choosing. For instance, you might wrap up an IOU for babysitting to some new parents so they can have a night out. One year I received an IOU for a lasagna dinner delivered to my house on the night of my choosing. This was a thoroughly appreciated gift that I used during an especially hectic week. The idea here is that gifts don't have to be purchased to be appreciated.

8. When buying gifts for your children, keep in mind that you need to find places for all these new toys! I have an especially hard time with this because my daughter's birthday is in mid November. I've learned to buy gifts for her birthday and Christmas at the same time. This makes it easier to see how many gifts we'll end up with.

9. Try not to buy everything that is on your child's wish list. This is another really tough one. Many of us feel guilty about not spending enough time with our children. And there is so much wonderful educational software available now that so many of us (me included) just have to get for our kids. But one year I found that my daughter got so many gifts on Christmas morning that she got tired of opening them! That really opened my eyes. Now I try to remember that day when I do my Christmas shopping now.

10. Remember that you don't need to buy a Christmas gift for every person that you know. Some people I know buy gifts for every person in the office. This can really get out of hand.

11. Don't wait until the last minute to purchase gifts. Some stores used to mark down merchandise right before Christmas Eve. That's no longer true. If you wait until you have next to no time left, you'll be tempted to just pick up anything you can find, regardless of the price. And all the rushing at the last minute takes away any joy you might have experienced in picking out something special.

12. Finally, don't forget to use the Internet! If you are purchasing books or music, Amazon.com should be your first stop. You'll be amazed at how much money you can save. Also check out Smarterkids.com and Etoys.com where you can frequently find items at lower prices than the local mall.

We all need to remember that Christmas isn't about giving lots of presents. It's about celebrating the most special birthday of them all. Let's all take time to remember the true "Reason for the Season" this year.

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