Make a Holiday Spending Plan... and Stick to It!

If you carry a balance on your credit cards, this post is not for you. Go to https://extension.usu.edu/powerpay/ and focus on paying off your credit cards and other high interest debt. 

 1. Set your limits

Decide your bottom line. How much can you really afford? Once decided; break down amount per individual recipient. Don't forget the "stealth costs:" tips to service workers, holiday parties, gift exchanges.

2. Put money aside

For those who don't already have funds set aside see #6 below. What discretionary expenses can you forgo this month to fund your plan? Best to pay cash (really? yes!) or debit card. Really? Only use a credit card if you are SURE you can pay the bill IN FULL when due. Paying interest means every gift will cost 20% more.

3. Start buying as soon as possible

This doesn't mean getting frantic on Black Friday. Reduce stress by planning and buying now when you won't have to pay extra fees for expedited shipping. All shipping costs will be higher this year due to inflation. Just because you pay for Amazon Prime and get free shipping doesn't give license to overspend.

4. Buy or make creative or sentimental gifts 

Buy local when possible. Be creative; make some gifts that will mean more to the recipient than a store-bought gift. Give the gift of your time: babysitting, gardening, snow shoveling, leaf raking, baking or food preparation.

5. Don't spend money you don't have 

Holidays encourage overspending. Face it and reject it. Credit cards encourage overspending. 

6. Start in January to get a head start on next year's giving

Start an online savings account (currently paying 3%) and make an automatic monthly deposit to plan for next year's holiday expenses. 

Thanks to Kevin J. Ryan, writing in The Wall Street Journal, 11/23/22. With my elaborations and edits. 

Skip the Valentine's Day Roses if you care about the Environment

Quoted from NY Times Climate Forward By Jillian Mock
"Another Valentine’s Day is here, and we all know what that means: paper Cupids, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and the classic bouquet of red roses. Lots and lots of roses. This year, Americans are expected to spend $1.9 billion on flowers alone, according to the National Retail Federation.
But those beautiful blooms may come with an environmental price tag. Most of the fresh flowers sold in the United States are grown in Colombia or Ecuador, where there is plenty of sunshine and balmy weather. Flowers are so perishable that most are transported in refrigerated airplanes, an extremely carbon-intensive way to travel. What’s more, growing flowers can be a thirsty, pesticide-heavy endeavor, with the potential to contaminate or strain local water resources, said Kathleen Buckingham, a research manager in the forests program at the World Resources Institute.
Flowers grown closer to home could have an even larger carbon footprint. In colder regions, even temperate California, the flower industry relies on energy-intensive greenhouses. While airfreight is costly in terms of carbon emissions, heating and cooling greenhouses is much more so. A 2007 report by a researcher at Cranfield University in England found that growing 12,000 roses in Europe produced about six times the carbon emissions as growing those flowers in Kenya and flying them to Europe.
So what’s a romantic to do this Thursday? You could skip the flowers altogether, or look for responsibly grown blooms. Organizations like Fair Trade USA and the Rainforest Alliance examine flower farms and give their stamp of approval to farms that mitigate environmental impacts and ensure that workers, who are predominantly women, receive fair wages, health care and other benefits. Not all programs incorporate greenhouse gas emissions in their standards, however, and this remains a problem for the flower industry to tackle, Ms. Buckingham said.
Your local florist may be able to help you learn more, as many track where their flowers come from, said Cheryl Denham, an owner of Arizona Family Florist in Phoenix.
So, no matter how you decide to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, try to show the planet a little love, too."

Alternative Gift Market in Cache Valley

Saturday, November 11 | 9am-2pm Alternative Gift Market
 

If you are looking for meaningful gifts this year, consider the Alternative Gift Market. It will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 200 W Center Street. For more information, or to look at the gifts you will be able to contribute to, please visit their website at altgifts.org.

Most of us don't need more "stuff" and often the things we receive as well-intentioned gifts fall short of thrilling the recipient. Too much of what is purchased as gifts ends up sitting on a shelf, being re-gifted, or in the landfill. Reconsider your gift list this year by attending the Alternative Gift Market.

Where unwanted gifts end up

Long an advocate of less consumption and more investment, with advice like contributing to charity or 529 college savings funds instead of gift cards or buying gifts that are often unwanted, I was intrigued with the growth in on-line "consignment shops." According to Patrick McGroarty, writing for The Wall Street Journal, "unwanted holiday gifts and lightly worn clothes from years past are swelling the inventory of fast-growing online consignment and secondhand clothing retailers like Swap.com." An estimated 30% of holiday gifts are returned. Inside a massive warehouse near Chicago, "Swap’s 200 full-time employees spend 10-hour shifts unpacking, photographing and repricing a mountain of clothing from sellers hoping to make a quick buck." Many of the items are new with tags attached, reflecting the disconnect between givers and recipients.
Time to re-think traditional gift-giving practices. 

Volunteer at Global Village Gifts

Global Village Gifts needs some volunteers to help in the store for this busy holiday season!!! Support free trade and sustainable development! Youth or adults would be appreciated.

Stop in at the store (146 N 100 E Logan), go online http://www.globalvillagegifts.org/ or call 435-713-4347

You can contact Marie Shervais (mshervais@comcast.net ) or go directly to Julie Barker (Julie Barker  -  barkerroo@hotmail.com), who manages the GV store.