Can You Save During The Holidays?
BOSTON (CBS) - Can you save on Christmas spending? Giving to fewer recipients is a good start.
Can You Save During The Holidays?
Trim your list down to a reasonable number. If you have a large family and you usually buy a gift for everyone in the family that can get very expensive. And it creates mayhem on the holidays and afterwards as well when many of those gifts need to be returned.
Consider foregoing the adults and just the kids get gifts, perhaps only those under 10 who are still fun to shop for. For the rest do a Yankee swap after dinner.
Or consider putting everyone's name in a hat and each family member draws a name. You can do this for kids as well. The bonus, less shopping and you can afford nicer gifts. And as a family put a limit on the dollar amount spent on each gift. Make it reasonable for not everyone has the same earning capacity in a family.
Consider buying a family gift rather than individual gifts for your siblings' kids. A gift that keeps on giving, one that can create memories. And you can make memories on the cheap.
How about a trip to Faneuil Hall Marketplace for pizza and to see the free light show, Blink, which will be there thru January 4h. The sights and sounds are pleasing to all ages.
A membership to the Aquarium to check out the penguins which are my favorites. There are over 80 penguins there now. If the kids are older consider taking in the 3D movie, Great White Shark. If the kids are younger then opt for the Island of Lemurs filmed in Madagascar.
A membership to the Museum of Science so the kids can visit the Planetarium. They have full size models of the Apollo and Mercury capsules. The Polar Express 4D experience is playing thru the 4th of January so this is a great place to go during Christmas break.
Creating memories is a far better gift and they last longer than a toy.
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You can hear Dee Lee's expert financial advice on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 each weekday at 1:55 p.m., 3:55 p.m., and 7:55 p.m.
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