We’ve all just gone through the most intense shopping spree of the year. Now is the time to make notes about what we have done and plan for next year. That’s right. It’s no surprise, you will face this all again next year. It’s almost like these last four weeks are part of our civic duty. If you don’t buy gifts for your family and friends, not only will they be disappointed but so will the merchants who count on this seasonal shopping to turn a profit for the year. Our government counts on the sales taxes from this annual shopping orgy, too. And think about the jobs it creates. We need to create jobs, don’t we?

Excuse me! I was getting into my “Humbug” mode. There is much more to the season than what might seem to be our civic duty, but it still involves some shopping.

You can make next year’s shopping frenzy a bit more manageable if you make some notes from what you did this year. So, why not give this technique a try?

Start by making a list of everyone who was on your gift list. Do it now before you forget what happened. Make a note of what you gave each person and how much it cost you. Include the shipping costs if you had to ship a package to someone. Compare this list to the credit card statements and bank statements to make sure you remembered everything.

Make another list of everyone on your greeting card list (even if you only sent e-mail greetings). Make a note of who sent you a card. You might want to make sure you send them a card next year. Check the addresses to make sure you have the most recent address (street addresses and e-mail addresses).

Tally up all the costs for gifts, cards, entertainment, postage, and decorations. You want to allow this in your budget for next season.

With the information you have just collected, you will be better prepared to understand your credit card statement when it arrives. Suddenly that gift for Aunt Sarah is seen as part of a larger seasonal project. Remember when you bought that gift? You thought of what Aunt Sarah meant to you and figured she was worth at least what you spent on her gift. But now, the “larger seasonal project” is threatening your bank account. With this list you will better understand why you have such a large credit card bill to pay.

After you examine your credit card statements and realize how much debt you have added with your seasonal spending, write yourself a letter explaining what you want to do differently next year, and why. Remind yourself how you felt about the joy you had shopping for gifts for your family and friends, and how you felt about the gifts you received from others. Remember to include how you feel about paying the bill.

Summarizing your holiday experience in this way is not just a chore to take up your time. Next year, you will have a useful roadmap to get you through the process with more purpose. The list of names for cards will save you time and help get you organized. The list of gifts will give you a moment to think about each person and how things might have changed in their lives (kids grow up). When you read the list next season, you will recall what you got each person this year, feel more connected to them, and get a head start on ideas for gifts.

Next year, when you pull out these lists (and the letter to yourself) you want to compare the money you have available and the money you expect to pay for everything. If you don’t have enough money saved to pay for your seasonal shopping you should look for ways to cut back on the spending. The letter you write to yourself might explain how the true value of the gifts isn’t in the “stuff” you gave, but rather the thought you expressed to the person you were giving to. Using that information you might find a way to give meaning while not emptying your wallet.

During the past month, merchants have paid good money to advertising agencies and the media to get your attention. At times their messages might have overwhelmed you. The message to “Buy! Buy! Buy!” is delivered repeatedly in the midst of glitter, music, and so much nostalgia for times gone by. The lists from this year will help you focus on what you want to accomplish in the midst of all that advertising next year. And that letter to yourself will serve as a constant reminder of how clearly you saw things after the bills came due. Next Season you will be shopping with purpose. Maybe you will save time and money. And you might find Peace, Joy, and Good Will along the way. That’s my wish for you next year!

James W. Stone, has been involved in new product development and marketing for most of his working career. Jim has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA. His current interests focus on the psychology and sociology that influence our daily decisions when we spend money.

Much of this is covered in his book “Spend Joyfully!” http://www.spendjoyfully.com

Read more of Jim’s articles at http://www.jameswstone.com

The Holidays are over and many of us have received adorable and unique holiday photo cards from friends and family. They looked great sitting on our mantle, hanging on the wall and displayed on our tables and refrigerators. But now what do you do with them? Here are a few creative ideas to help you recycle your photo cards and save them as keepsakes for years to come.

Create a Photo Album: Buy an inexpensive photo or scrapbook album or even a binder with sheet protectors and place the photo cards inside. Categorize them by year or by family. Categorizing them by family is great because you can look back and see how much the family has grown and changed over the years. You can also write notes or memories next to each photo. Get your kids involved and have them help you create the album.

Christmas Tree Ornaments: Purchase some large round ornaments in any color and size during the after Christmas sales. You can usually get them for half off. You can also recycle old ornaments that you might have otherwise thrown away. Cut out the photos from the cards you received and use a decoupage type glue that you can find at any craft store to apply the photos. Let them dry and store them away to decorate your tree for next year.

You can also cut out fun designs like trees, snowflakes and snowmen on construction paper and glue the photos on. Cut a hole in the top and use recycled ribbon from all of your holiday packages to create a hanging ornament. These are both great projects for kids.

Framed Photo Collage: Create a photo collage with your photo cards. You can cut the photos or leave them as is and arrange them in a collage design on a piece of construction paper or cardstock. Purchase an inexpensive frame or use one that you already have to display the photo collage. You can put it out next year at Christmas or keep it up year round.

Gifts: You can use the photo cards that you received from friends and family this year to make a gift for that friend or family member next Christmas or even for mother’s day, father’s day, Easter or Valentine’s Day. Great gift ideas are coasters, placemats and framed photo cards.

So the next time you are wondering what to do with all of your holiday photo cards use one of these fun and easy ideas.

So Sweet Stationery is an online stationery store dedicated to providing customers with unique personalized stationery, photo cards, invitations, birth announcements and much more! We have a wide variety of both modern and traditional stationery products that are sure to add a little “sweetness” to someone’s day!