10 Holiday Tips for a Merry Season…
Celebrate on a budget:
Before you buy everything on everybody’s Christmas list, write your own list of how much you can afford to spend on gifts, travel, decorations, and other holiday expenses. Then keep track of your spending as you go. If you’re on a budget too tight for comfort, look around for seasonal employment. Businesses need extra help during the holidays, and if you’re good enough at your job, you could start the new year with a permanent position!
Save money, save your house, and save the planet:
When coming up with a budget, don’t forget to figure in the wintertime electricity bill. Using LED holiday lights will save you energy and money, and since they’re cooler than incandescent bulbs, they reduce the risk of fires. Just to be safe though, don’t overload electrical sockets and make sure your smoke alarm has new batteries. You should also buy rechargeable batteries for all of those electronic gifts to help reduce the amount of harmful materials thrown away. Finally, after the holidays, look for ways to recycle your tree instead of just sending it to a landfill.
Buy age-appropriate toys:
Although we know that every kid ends up playing with the cardboard box instead of the actual toy, you should still remember that toys have age-labels for a reason: it’s not safe to give a two year old something meant for children ages 7+. So don’t give toys with small parts or sharp edges to small children. And if you buy your child a bike or skateboard, please don’t forget the helmet.
Give yourself the gift of health:
With the holidays, comes lots of food, and with lots of food, comes gaining weight. Listen to your heart before you add an extra-large slice of apple pie to the extra-large slice of pumpkin pie already on your plate: it will tell you to avoid those extra calories. If you do decide to indulge, balance it out by taking a walk with your family after dinner. And make sure you put away the leftovers as soon as you get back from walking. To save all that still-good food safe from nasty bacteria, never leave it sitting out for more than two hours and store it in shallow containers at the appropriate temperature.
Give the gift of service:
Last week’s blog brought up ways you can help foster children. However, there is so much more that needs to be done, especially during the holiday season. Instead of rushing to open presents on Christmas morning, take two hours to help out at a local soup kitchen or food bank. Not only will this will cheer you up if you’ve got the holiday blues, you’ll also ensure that other people have a happy holiday.
Happy Holidays!
Sufen Wang,
Wang Solutions
Wang Solutions 