The atmosphere, the smells, the music, the shopping, the decorating, the parties and the food. Yes, it’s Christmas time all right. The question is can we tone it down in response to calls for tightening our belts and saving?

It’s Christmas time again. But wait, by all counts, we should be thinking in terms of avoiding extravagance and saving for the storm ahead. I wonder if we can tone it down without sacrificing the joy of the season.

Here are my ideas:

Keep it simple

How many years have you been telling yourself that next year, you will stay clear of all the fluff that usually accompanies the Christmas holiday, yet year after year you allow yourself to get sucked into the hoopla?

You give gifts to people you don’t even like. You agonise through parties and functions wishing you were somewhere else. You work yourself to a frazzle decking your halls and wonder why. You feel pressured to host a bunch of family members and regret it the moment they all begin filing in through your front door.

Dish the pressure, cast aside the guilty feelings and refuse to apologise. Set your own priorities, work within your own budget, forget the Joneses and make simplicity your watchword.

Plan for simple clean-ups, simple decorations, simple meals, simple activities. It’s that simple.

Keep it practical

Hardly anyone can say that gift-giving is easy. Rather it is a major stressor of the Christmas holiday. After five, 15, 25 years, it can be very stressful to think of an appropriate gift for some family members and friends.

Before you begin pulling out your hair, think about the normal everyday things people do and use then select a gift that would make their life or their favourite activity easier or enjoyable. For example:

• For the cooking or baking hobbyist, think in terms of kitchen tools and gadgets.

• For the garden enthusiast, focus on those little extras that will make gardening a little more pleasurable, comfortable and conducive to good health.

If items like those listed above are out of your budget, or not easily available in your usual shopping spots, you might want to consider giving a monetary gift they can use at their own discretion. 

Keep it healthy

Take a serious look at the content and quantity of the foods you usually consume during the holidays. One important aspect of living a healthy lifestyle is the daily discipline of saying “No” or “That’s enough” and to do so consistently. It is a matter of self-control and making healthy decisions whatever the occasion and however tempting the table spread may be.

No doubt you’ll want to celebrate the Christmas holiday by cooking traditional meals, entertaining and visiting. Just remember this:

Keep it frugal

Frugality is always a good practice no matter the state of the economy. But desperate times call for desperate measures and a switch to a frugal Christmas will guarantee money in your pocket when January rolls around. And that is always a great way to enter the New Year.

The call has gone out across the globe in countries that are already affected or expect to be affected by the downturn in the economy. Are you planning to cut back on your spending, tighten your belt and save? Don’t be too quick to dismiss the question because you could be hurting no one but yourself.

A toned down Christmas? We can do it. Yes we can.

E-mail Cheryl: cherylwright55@hotmail.com