This holiday season do yourself a favor and focus on what matters most. Time with family far away from the crowds at Costco are what I enjoy. Sure you can buy your Christmas cookies but why not spend time with the kids baking them instead!

Tip #1: Cook for Yourself

Eating out is expensive and with the average price of eating at a restaurant at $55, you can feast at home and have leftovers to take to work on Monday for that kind of money.

Tip #2: Shop the Thrift Stores

When our daughter turned 14 recently we bought her birthday gifts from the nearby dollar store and thrift store. She was happy as could be and told us that it was her best birthday ever! There are great deals at Goodwill and if you haven’t been in one lately, you should check it out. Most of the things there were used so little that they’re as good as new.

Tip #3: Make your gifts

Some of the best holiday cards we get are from our friends who have taken the time to make a card for us. And if you think art supplies are expensive, take a look at some of the packaging and things you are already throwing away and find a creative way to use them in your project. I like to think of this as taking the middle man out of recycling.

Tip #4: Watch Movies at Home

We must have 200 movies at home and have watched most of them only once. Except for the animated kids movies, of course, which we watch over and over again! I like to pull out one of my favorite “adult films,” Jerry McGuire and pretend I’m seeing it again for the first time. What does it mean when Bob Sugar says, “It’s not ‘show friends’—it’s show business”? And it gets me every time when the late great Dicky Fox points to his heart and says, “If this is empty,” then bonks his head on the palm of his hand saying, “this doesn’t matter.”

Tip #5: Enjoy Saving Money

Instead of rushing out to spend your hard earned cash this Christmas, put the money away. The thrill of purchasing something fizzles fast, but the security of money in the bank lasts. That way when you really need something, you won’t need to worry about how to afford whatever it might be.

As a parent of teenagers, I often feel caught up in working longer and harder so that I can provide my family with more things, a bigger house, or a better education. But the truth is: happiness isn’t for sale and real learning takes hard work and not high tuition.

So, WAKE UP this Holiday and see things for what they are. Don’t let life pass you by chasing a bigger home, nicer car, or faster toys.  What you need is right before you and it is FREE!

Merry Christmas Everybody!