聽 聽 聽 聽 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鈥檇 love to pay off their mortgages, buy the car or the boat of their dreams and send them all on exotic vacations but it鈥檚 the B word that prohibits any such action. I鈥檓 talking about Budget.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 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.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 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鈥檝e also found that taking a trusted friend along helps me think things through before flashing that colourful plastic rewards card.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 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鈥檛 restricted to a bank account, giving way to impulsive buying can incur costs we neglected to calculate.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls鈥ithout counsel, plans go awry鈥�.鈥� (Proverbs 15:22; 25:28).
聽 聽 聽 聽 Amen.
