Sara Gelser - Sarison Communications + Design

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MOM money
Don’t wrap up the year in the red .
Stick to your holiday budget .
Be sure to give yourself and your family
the gift of staying on budget this holiday
season. Use these practical, fun holiday
budget tips from local moms.
Make that list—and check
it more than twice
Getting organized is key to staying on
budget. Albany mom Missy Rice Cook says,
“It’s hard to keep everything straight, so I
make a spreadsheet and carry it in my
purse to fill out as we make purchases.
I also write down gift ideas as I think of
them so I don’t forget.”
Don’t go overboard on the kids
For kids age one and younger, you can get
away with wrapping up just about
anything, including the kitchen colander.
Toddlers will appreciate toys, but they
have no idea if items come from Craig’s
List or Goodwill—freeing up
much-needed wiggle room in
your budget.
What about older kids who have evergrowing
lists of big ticket items? Jean
Gritter of Albany says that in her family,
“The big kids (ages 15 and 16) are
encouraged to think of a single
significant gift they’d like, rather than
multiple things.”
Get crafty
Julie Renzema of Clackamas gets her
three sons involved in making gifts,
including hand-painted pottery,
cookies, fudge, ornaments and cards.
“Our boys especially love to help with
the cookies,” she says. If crafts aren’t
your style, you can opt for
charitable giving. (See
side bar.)
No need to exhaust your
emergency savings fund to
buy the latest toys and
electronics this holiday.
Follow these simple budget
tips to start 2009 on the right
track. Happy holidays from
your friends at OSU Federal.
Charitable giving
Get your whole family involved in the
holiday spirit with these gift ideas that
keep on giving.
» Local malls often feature “giving
trees,” with paper ornaments profiling
needy families or individuals.
» Does your favorite uncle really
need (or want) another sweater?
Consider a donation in his name to a
charity that appeals to his interests.
» Volunteer! The whole family can
help out at local soup kitchens or
retirement communities.
» Shop with a cause: your purchases
can directly fund rainforest protection,
breast cancer research and more.
Check out sites such as
www.greatergood.com.
» Give globally: Buy an alpaca for a
family in Peru or provide a well for an
African village through many
worldwide relief organizations.
Not sure about a charity’s reputation?
Check with the Better Business Bureau
Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org.
Share your brilliant
MOM money ideas
Email your favorite money management
ideas to MOM Magazine at
raeann@mommag.com, or to Bruce at
OSU Federal at btucker@osufederal.com.
MOM money is brought to you courtesy of
OSU Federal and MOM Magazine. See ad on
page 8.