CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Who handed out the Christmas gifts during the Protestant Reformation? It sure wasn’t jolly old St. Nick. Back in the 16th century, the role of saints was on the decline and some already-established gift-giving traditions involving St. Nicholas were under attack. Luckily, the big ol’ elf persevered. In 1823 a poem now known as “The Night before Christmas” celebrated his giving ways and helped to elevate him to his now iconic status. Today, St. Nick isn’t the only one handing out presents, though. All of us do. Gift baskets are a very popular choice. They can be a perfect gift for everyone. You can even have them custom-made. Do your best to make up for the years when St. Nick was kept out of the giving loop by handing out some good cheer of your own in the form gift baskets.

SILVER

You could get four gallons of gas for a dollar back in the day. Then, U.S. currency was backed by precious metals, like silver. Dollar bills even said “silver certificate” right on them. That’s no longer the case, and in some places you can’t get much more than a gallon of gas for a buck. The same amount of silver, however, still buys the same amount of gas it once did. Precious metals, you see, retain their value even while paper money loses a great deal of its buying power. That makes precious metal investment an attractive option--especially in unsteady political and economic times like ours. A company like Monex, who has been giving investors great guidance with respect to precious metals for almost forty years, can help you diversity your portfolio with a little bling! Precious metals might be just what you need to round out your investment plan.

WEDDING EXPENSES

Getting married? It’s time to think about paying for the wedding.

Here’s the formula:

Bride’s Family’s Contribution + Groom’s Family’s Contribution + Bride’s and Groom’s Contributions = Total Wedding Funds Available.

Now, here’s another important equation:

Total Wedding Funds Available >= Total Wedding Costs

It can be tricky to make it all work. Basically, you need to scrape up enough money to cover the difference between your wedding plan and what you can get from others. That may mean upping your own contribution or decreasing your expenses.

There are some essentials you shouldn’t do without--things like wedding cameras, a memorable cake, a beautiful gown, etc. However, it is possible to cut costs here and there and still have a great wedding day.

Alternatively, or in conjunction with that strategy, you can do your best to put away more money to pay for the wedding. That might require smarter, cheaper living, but the sacrifices made will undoubtedly pay off when the wedding goes off perfectly.

A recent report said that a 150 guest wedding averages a cost of about $25K. Your costs may be lower or higher, depending upon a number of factors, but the undeniable fact is that exchanging vows tends to be a real investment. Take it just as seriously as you would any other investment and plan carefully!