So whatever happened to having just plain fun over the holidays?

Where the focus was spending time with family and friends? I use to get really stressed out when my kids started nagging me for the next best toy advertised on TV just before the holidays. Well “affluenza” season is upon us and it is a time when we race to find the perfect present or presents for our children; usually racking up credit card balances in the process.

I had bought into the whole “affluenza” epidemic and my kids had too many presents and didn’t have a strong sense of the value of money. So I set out to Save Santa and put the heart back into our holidays, and keep more money in my wallet!

So with the last days of holiday shopping around the corner, I would recommend a few holiday spending and saving tips to bring the true meaning of SANTA back into your life:

Spend Wisely - Don’t buy knick knacks and “on volume” just to fill the space under the tree. These things clutter the house and become “Cash in the Trash” very quickly. Have a written holiday budget and stick to it! Pick one major gift for your child that is a lasting and more memorable item.

Activate Abundance – the spirit of Santa or the holiday season is about sharing what we have with others. Teach your children gratitude. When we feel abundant and grateful for what we have, we are able to give more generously of ourselves.

Needs vs. Wants - help your child understand the difference between needs and wants. Retailers and marketers “sell” to our wants and feed on our emotions to capture our purchasing dollar. Don’t “buy” into the buy now, pay later mantra. Put the power of delayed gratification to work. This is the cornerstone to developing healthy saving habits!

Time - Save Santa and the spirit of the holiday season this year by giving time to your family. As time is such a valuable commodity, giving your time to your family through family traditions, volunteering at a community fundraiser such as Santa’s Anonymous and visiting with friends is one of the greatest gifts we can give over the holiday season.

Acknowledge – Take time this holiday season to acknowledge those important people in your life. Encourage your kids to write them a letter, poem or story to acknowledge them and why they are part of it. What a great gift!

Kim Deep is a Certified Management Accountant, Business Coach and trainer, MOM and Manager of Money, and published children’s author. Kim advocates that individual leadership from the inside out is what facilitates change and inspires visions. Kim is founder and President of Kidz Make Cents, an organization dedicated to empowering children ages 3 through 17 to "lead with heart" using financial literacy and leadership skills as fundamental guiding principles. Kim is a columnist with CBC Wildrose Country “Deep Pockets” and has been featured on the CMA National Magazine Cover.