It's that time of year again. To celebrate the birth of Jesus...and rack up the credit card debt? Last year during Christmas, Americans spent over $700 billion on Christmas... not sure if you got that...SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS! Now, there's nothing wrong with buying someone a Christmas gift, especially because giving to others mirrors God's generosity towards us. However, jumping off into dept can go from generosity to consumerism very quickly. So, how do we give to those around us, but remain in control of our finances? In his article, How Should You Spend Money During the Holidays?, Art Rainer shares a few tips!

1. Review your giving for 2018. Are you happy with it? Do you wish you could have been more generous?
2. Create a spending plan.
3. Don't forget about other holiday expenses (like travel)
4. When possible, agree to do something else instead of exchanging gifts.
5. Think meaningfulness over costliness.
6. Be aware of retailers' strategies.
7. Remember the least of these.

Read the entire article here.