Spend Less

Now that our focus is on what matters most let's consider the second tenet of Advent Conspiracy  -  SPEND LESS

Question: What was the one gift you remember getting for Christmas last year?

Next question: What about the third gift? Do you remember that one?

Truth is many of us don't because it wasn't something we necessarily wanted or needed.

Spending Less isn't a call to stop giving gifts; it's a call to stop spending money on gifts we don’t really need or want.

One latest holiday consumer survey revealed that almost 60 percent of U.S. consumers would like to receive gift cards or gift certificates in 2013. Why do you think that is? Could it be they have a better chance of getting something they want or need when they actually need it?

America spends around $450 billion dollars during the Christmas season, and much of that goes onto a credit card.

Think about it – we are buying this year’s gifts with next years money!

The truth is we are spending next yrs money on this years gifts and we haven’t finished paying for last yrs gifts!

So many people spend all year getting out of bondage by paying off or paying down credit card debit only to pile it all back on again at the end of the year.

Question – where is the peace in that? Where is the worship in that? Where is the celebration in that?

Proverbs 22:7 says – The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Black Friday is designed to get retailers out of the red. It might get them out of the red but where does it leave you and me – not just in the red but without peace and in bondage!

I get the pressure to buy lots of gifts. But somehow we have to turn this thing around. By spending wisely on gifts we free ourselves from the anxiety associated with debt so we can take in the season with a full heart.

So what if we were intentional about spending less – buying less stuff that nobody really needs anyway – and in return we gave more?

Now maybe that sounds like an oxymoron but stay tuned for the next post!