But is it really possible to have a Christmas without using our credit card? Absolutely! It isn't hard -- it's just a matter of getting started now! Here are these 3 simple steps to begin ...

Step 1: Determine exactly how much cash you will need.

How much do you normally spend for Christmas gifts and goodies? Be sure to add in special food expenses to your total, if you're providing main holiday meal(s) or responsible for a large portion of it. Not sure? Do a guesstimate, erring on plus side to be safe.

Step 2: Using your total from above, determine how much you'll need to save daily or weekly. Divide it by number of weeks or days left to save up money.

Examples: (These are approximate amounts.)

$500 divided by 15 weeks = $34.00 wk $300 divided by 15 weeks = $20.00 wk $400 divided by 107 days = $ 3.75 day $200 divided by 107 days = $1.90 day

Step 3: Choose your Method(s) to begin Saving

Pull out your old favorites, and get going! Listed below are a few ideas to get you started.

Gift Certificates are Not Just for Others ...

Buy a gift certificate each pay period. When you're ready to shop, use your certificate to pay for items. Be sure to watch for expiration dates.

Marlene, a good friend of mine, does this year round. She then buys items as they come on sale, using her certificates. Marlene is a single mother who has found a way to buy gifts for her children without using credit cards or draining money from checkbook.

Christmas Account

Rule #1 Expect A Great Deal From Your Kids If your kids know that you expect a lot from them, they’ll rise to occasion. Everything from saying please and thank-you, to efforts in school or on athletic field, if expectations are made clear in a loving atmosphere your kids will know that you think a lot of them. When they know this, they’ll respond.

Rule #2 Always Be Willing To Be Problem When you’re convinced that someone in your family is causing problems and you’re blaming them for it, realize that this problem won’t get better until you accept that you’re making it worse by blaming them. It may briefly feel good to blame, but it never improves anything. Loving and accepting that person will make a positive difference.

Rule #3Know Your Child’s Life Intimately Get to know all that you can about your kids. Know what their favorite toys and colors are, who their best friends are, who their heroes are, etc. By showing interest, you’re showing you love them. By not asking, you show that they’re not that important to you.

Rule #4Say No To Your Kids There’s an awful lot of stuff out there for kids these days...and of course they want to have it all. Kids who get almost everything they want typically don’t turn out to be very happy kids. Kids learn discipline, self-control, and how to delay gratification when they are told no by their parents. It may be a difficult struggle, but saying no and meaning it will help you to have happy, healthy, and cooperative kids.