Simple Tips for the Season of Christmas.

We are already in December, and with that comes one of the busiest seasons of the year. Christmas always comes with a lot of preparations. It's a season where people begin to travel from far and near to visit love ones. There is always lot of buying in this month, there is always be lot of clean up at our homes, there is always lot of family gatherings, and arrangements of different activities this season.
This is the season people usually look forward to. But it is also a period when we need to be more cautious.
From my experiences and what I have seen over the years, there are a few Christmas tips that I will love to share with us.

This is a period where we need to cut our coat according to our size. This period is not a time for competition. It is not a time to look at what others are buying for themselves and start feeling envious or pressured to buy the same things.

Back when I was a little boy, there was always this comparison among children. Once it was Christmas season, every child would always talk about what their parents bought for them. Some children would say my parents bought this type of clothes for me, another would say my parents bought this type of shoes, watch or toys for me and so on. And if you were yet to receive your own Christmas gifts, you would begin to feel jealous. I remember how I always give my parents cold attitude whenever they are yet to buy my Christmas clothes and gifts. But as I grew up, I came to realise that I just have to be content with what I have.

Whatever you have to celebrate this season with, manage it. Do not look at what others are doing or the preparations they are making and insist that you must do the same. Not all hands are the same. Some people even go as far as borrowing money for Christmas, leaving themselves with serious debts to pay the next year. So the little you have, use it well. If it is one cloth you have, use it. Even if you cannot afford new clothes, there are still those old ones in your closet that you wear once in a while that still look new. You can use them this season. After all, you don't own any body any explanation. Just be content and cut your coat according to your size. Your friends or neighbours did something big Christmas and your hands cannot afford what they afford, is fine, just pretend as if you didn't see anything and be okay with what you can afford.

The second thing I want to say is save. For most people, January is usually a difficult month. This is because many people spend everything they have preparing for Christmas and forget that January is coming. Many people develop the habit of spending all their money on Christmas and then go broke afterward. As you are spending and preparing for Christmas, remember that school fees will be waiting for you in January if you are a parent. Feeding will still be there, and other family bills will all be waiting for you. As a student in higher institution, your tuition fees will be waiting for you, your handouts, your books, and many other expenses will be waiting for you. So as you celebrate and prepare for the season, If you know you don't have much, spend little and save little against the coming year.

And the last thing I want to say is travel safe. Like I said earlier, this is a period where people travel to different places to visit loved ones. It is also a period when kidnapping and armed robbery are very common. So be careful. Do not travel at night. If possible, make your journey early in the morning. Inform someone about your movement, keep your phone charged, and avoid isolated areas. Your safety is important.

Remember the motive behind Christmas. The main purpose of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. It is supposed to remind us of the love, the sacrifice, the humility of Christ and to be grateful for his birth. But many people have turned the celebration into a day of drinking and getting drunk, partying, clubbing, and doing all sorts of things that do not reflect the meaning of the season. I am not against whatever what people choose to do this season, but let the motive be pure. Let our activities reflect the significance of the season. Whatever action we take has an equal and opposite reaction, meaning there is always a consequence. So celebrate wisely, stay safe, and remain blessed.