Christmas Generosity

Money is a shitty thing for a lot of people.

And this is the time of year when it gets really stressful! Finding extra cash to buy gifts and food and holidays can be tough.

I think that two of the best gifts to give at Christmas are generosity & honesty. 

If you have money, be generous. If you don’t have any money, be honest! 

Now is the perfect time of the year to be generous. Generous with energy, generous with kindness, and generous with money. If you have money, now is the perfect time to sprinkle some of that shit around! 

Drop off gifts to people who have been amazing. Buy presents and donate them to charities or families you know in need. Popping anonymous cash into people's letterboxes is one of my favourite Christmas activities! An extra $50 can make the world of difference to a family with no cash to spare. A box of chocolates left on someone's doorstep can make their day.

There are loads of delivery services now where you can have food or gifts delivered. 

It doesn’t have to be about money. Baking someone a treat, babysitting children, visiting someone who lives alone, or volunteering with a charity are all generous acts of kindness.

Honesty is also a gift. It’s a gift to you and to the person you are honest with. Telling someone “I don’t have the cash to take part in secret Santa this year.” or “I am not in a position to buy Christmas gifts.” is honest and assertive. Tell people you are the gift!

Money is so hard for people to be honest about. People carry a lot of shame around the subject of money. Family history, business experience, and personality types all add to the stress. I have had a stressful history with money and have found taking responsibility and being honest was the cure!

It seems ridiculous to me that most humans interact with money every single day, and yet we hardly ever discuss it. It is not something that most people are comfortable talking about. 

People are very weird about talking about debt and income and levels of wealth.

In my experience, honesty is a relief when it comes to money. Keeping up appearances is both exhausting and expensive! Make this Christmas about kindness - to yourself and others.

Be honest. Be generous. Be a gift!

I am on TV this Thursday - I will be talking about taking the stress out of Christmas - tune into Seven Sharp at 7pm.