Showing posts with label finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finance. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Are you ready?
Preparedness. Are you going to rely on your government to save you if something happens?
What excuses do you use? Do you expect someone else to take care of you? You can't rely on anyone else in an emergency. Look at what FEMA did after Katrina.
There is preparedness and then theree is over preparedness...paranoia. Do you have a bomb shelter or do you have your basement set up for practical rotating storage?
The time to prepare is now. Don't wait for a disaster to strike!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Will there be Social Security or Medicare after 2016?
Social Security and Medicare finances worsen
May 12th, 2009 @ 3:01pm
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The financial health of Social Security and Medicare, the government's two biggest benefit programs, have worsened because of the severe recession, and Medicare is now paying out more than it receives.
Trustees of the programs said Tuesday that Social Security will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, one year sooner than projected last year, and the giant trust fund will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner.
Medicare is in even worse shape. The trustees said the program for hospital expenses will pay out more in benefits than it collects this year and will be insolvent by 2017, two years earlier than the date projected in last year's report.
The trust funds _ which exist in paper form in a filing cabinet in Parkersburg, W.Va. _ are bonds that are backed by the government's "full faith and credit" but not by any actual assets. That money has been spent over the years to fund other parts of government. To redeem the trust fund bonds, the government would have to borrow in public debt markets or raise taxes.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the head of the trustees group, said the new reports were a reminder that "the longer we wait to address the long-term solvency of Medicare and Social Security, the sooner those challenges will be upon us and the harder the options will be."
Geithner said that President Barack Obama was committed to working with Congress to find ways to control runaway growth in both public and private health care expenditures, noting the promise Monday by major health care providers to trim costs by $2 trillion over the next decade.
However, Republicans pointed to the newly dire assessments as evidence the Obama administration has failed to come forward with actual entitlement reform to close the funding gaps.
"Instead of getting existing public programs in order right now, some are saying we should create a new government-run health insurance plan," Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, said in a reference to the administration's health care proposals. "When we can't afford the public health plan we have already, does it make sense to add more?"
House Republican leader John Boehner said the trustees report "confirms what we already knew: Our nation cannot afford to continue this reckless borrowing and spending spree."
The findings in the trustees report, the annual checkup given the two benefit programs, did not come as a surprise. Private economists had been predicting that the dates the programs would begin to pay out more than they take in and the dates the trust funds would be insolvent would occur sooner given the economic recession.
The deep recession, the worst the country has endured in decades, has resulted in a loss of 5.7 million jobs since it began in December 2007. The unemployment rate hit a 25-year high of 8.9 percent in April.
Fewer people working means less being paid into the trust funds for Social Security and Medicare.
The Congressional Budget Office recently projected that Social Security will collect just $3 billion more in 2010 than it will pay out in benefits. A year ago, the CBO had projected that Social Security would have a much higher $86 billion cash surplus for the 2010 budget year, which begins Oct. 1.
The trustees report projected that Social Security's annual surpluses would "fall sharply this year," then remain at a reduced level in 2010 and be lower in the following years than last year's projections. The report said that the Social Security annual surplus would be eliminated entirely in 2016, reflecting increased demands from the wave of 78 million baby boomers retiring.
That means Social Security will have to turn to its trust fund to make up the difference between Social Security taxes and the benefits being paid out beginning in 2016. The trustees projected the trust fund would be depleted in 2037, four years earlier than the 2041 date in last year's report.
At that point, the annual Social Security taxes collected would be enough to pay for three-fourths of current benefits through 2083. To tap the trust fund, the government would have to increase borrowing or raise taxes because Social Security bonds exist only as bookkeeping entries.
While the government is obligated to redeem those bonds, it has already spent the excess Social Security collections over the years to fund general government operations, providing the trust funds with IOUs.
While the smaller surpluses that will begin this year will not have any impact on Social Security benefit payments, the government will need to borrow more at a time when the federal deficit is already exploding because of the recession and the billions of dollars being spent to prop up a shaky banking system.
Medicare's condition is more precarious, reflecting the pressures from soaring health care costs as well as the drop in tax collections.
Obama on Monday praised the pledge by the health care industry to achieve $2 trillion in savings on health care costs over the next decade, but it was unclear how much help those pledges would be in achieving Obama's goal of extending coverage to some 50 million uninsured Americans. The administration is pushing Congress to pass legislation in this area this year, preferring to tackle health care before Social Security.
The trustees report is likely to set off renewed debate over Social Security and Medicare. Critics have charged that the Obama administration has failed to tackle the most serious problems in the budget _ soaring entitlement spending.
The administration on Monday revised its federal deficit forecasts upward to project an imbalance this year of $1.84 trillion, four times last year's record, and said the deficits will remain above $500 billion every year over the next decade.
May 12th, 2009 @ 3:01pm
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The financial health of Social Security and Medicare, the government's two biggest benefit programs, have worsened because of the severe recession, and Medicare is now paying out more than it receives.
Trustees of the programs said Tuesday that Social Security will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, one year sooner than projected last year, and the giant trust fund will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner.
Medicare is in even worse shape. The trustees said the program for hospital expenses will pay out more in benefits than it collects this year and will be insolvent by 2017, two years earlier than the date projected in last year's report.
The trust funds _ which exist in paper form in a filing cabinet in Parkersburg, W.Va. _ are bonds that are backed by the government's "full faith and credit" but not by any actual assets. That money has been spent over the years to fund other parts of government. To redeem the trust fund bonds, the government would have to borrow in public debt markets or raise taxes.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the head of the trustees group, said the new reports were a reminder that "the longer we wait to address the long-term solvency of Medicare and Social Security, the sooner those challenges will be upon us and the harder the options will be."
Geithner said that President Barack Obama was committed to working with Congress to find ways to control runaway growth in both public and private health care expenditures, noting the promise Monday by major health care providers to trim costs by $2 trillion over the next decade.
However, Republicans pointed to the newly dire assessments as evidence the Obama administration has failed to come forward with actual entitlement reform to close the funding gaps.
"Instead of getting existing public programs in order right now, some are saying we should create a new government-run health insurance plan," Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, said in a reference to the administration's health care proposals. "When we can't afford the public health plan we have already, does it make sense to add more?"
House Republican leader John Boehner said the trustees report "confirms what we already knew: Our nation cannot afford to continue this reckless borrowing and spending spree."
The findings in the trustees report, the annual checkup given the two benefit programs, did not come as a surprise. Private economists had been predicting that the dates the programs would begin to pay out more than they take in and the dates the trust funds would be insolvent would occur sooner given the economic recession.
The deep recession, the worst the country has endured in decades, has resulted in a loss of 5.7 million jobs since it began in December 2007. The unemployment rate hit a 25-year high of 8.9 percent in April.
Fewer people working means less being paid into the trust funds for Social Security and Medicare.
The Congressional Budget Office recently projected that Social Security will collect just $3 billion more in 2010 than it will pay out in benefits. A year ago, the CBO had projected that Social Security would have a much higher $86 billion cash surplus for the 2010 budget year, which begins Oct. 1.
The trustees report projected that Social Security's annual surpluses would "fall sharply this year," then remain at a reduced level in 2010 and be lower in the following years than last year's projections. The report said that the Social Security annual surplus would be eliminated entirely in 2016, reflecting increased demands from the wave of 78 million baby boomers retiring.
That means Social Security will have to turn to its trust fund to make up the difference between Social Security taxes and the benefits being paid out beginning in 2016. The trustees projected the trust fund would be depleted in 2037, four years earlier than the 2041 date in last year's report.
At that point, the annual Social Security taxes collected would be enough to pay for three-fourths of current benefits through 2083. To tap the trust fund, the government would have to increase borrowing or raise taxes because Social Security bonds exist only as bookkeeping entries.
While the government is obligated to redeem those bonds, it has already spent the excess Social Security collections over the years to fund general government operations, providing the trust funds with IOUs.
While the smaller surpluses that will begin this year will not have any impact on Social Security benefit payments, the government will need to borrow more at a time when the federal deficit is already exploding because of the recession and the billions of dollars being spent to prop up a shaky banking system.
Medicare's condition is more precarious, reflecting the pressures from soaring health care costs as well as the drop in tax collections.
Obama on Monday praised the pledge by the health care industry to achieve $2 trillion in savings on health care costs over the next decade, but it was unclear how much help those pledges would be in achieving Obama's goal of extending coverage to some 50 million uninsured Americans. The administration is pushing Congress to pass legislation in this area this year, preferring to tackle health care before Social Security.
The trustees report is likely to set off renewed debate over Social Security and Medicare. Critics have charged that the Obama administration has failed to tackle the most serious problems in the budget _ soaring entitlement spending.
The administration on Monday revised its federal deficit forecasts upward to project an imbalance this year of $1.84 trillion, four times last year's record, and said the deficits will remain above $500 billion every year over the next decade.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Stimulus Package Details. American Dream?
Where are you going to spend your rebate check?
Facts regarding the controversial economic stimulus package as found on the IRS Internet site at www.irs.gov are summarized here.
Stimulus checks begin being mailed in May, 2008.
To qualify, you must file your 2007 tax return.
Checks will be available via direct deposit if that is the option provided on your 2007 income tax return.
Eligibility.
"In most cases, the payment will equal the amount of tax liability on the return with a maximum amount of $600 for individuals ($1,200 for taxpayers who file a joint return) and a minimum of $300 for individuals ($600 for taxpayers who file a joint return).
...Low-income workers who have earned income above $3,000 but do not have a regular filing requirement must file a 2007 tax return to receive the minimum stimulus payment. Similarly, Social Security recipients, certain Railroad retirees, and those who receive the veterans’ benefits mentioned above must file a 2007 return in order to notify the IRS of their qualifying income."
"Parents and anyone else eligible for a stimulus payment will also receive an additional $300 for each qualifying child. To qualify, a child must be eligible under the Child Tax Credit and have a valid Social Security number."
Note: Limited to those with Social Security Numbers only! Please read all exclusions.
Once U.S. citizens receive the package rebate checks, instead of paying off debt, they are reportedly going to turn around and spend most of it at places like Wal-Mart.
What is wrong with shopping at Wal-Mart, you ask? For some, it remains their only option. This is understood.
However, the money spent at Wal-Mart will most likely go straight to China.
Here is the reason that the rebates may most likely go straight to China if spent at Wal-Mart. Click Here For Link To Article
"China is Wal-Mart's most important supplier in the world. The overseas procurement home office in Shenzhen, a city of South China's Guangdong Province, has played a key role in the firm's global purchasing business.
Wal-Mart shifted its overseas procurement centre from Hong Kong to Shenzhen in February 2002 to better serve the purchasing and exporting business.
"If Wal-Mart were an individual economy, it would rank as China's eighth-biggest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia and Canada," Xu said."
The word is getting out about our free trade issues, however. More Americans are realizing that our trade issues are directly affecting our economy. For instance, the jobs that are now at stake regarding the $40 billion contract for Air Force aerial refueling tankers that has been awarded to a partnership between Northrop Grumman and the European parent of Airbus, instead of the American manufacturer, the Boeing Company (refer to this link to The New York Times article.
An article on CNN.com relates the feelings of the American population quite eloquently. Click Here For Link To Article
"We are a nation crawling into a fetal position, cramped by fear that America has lost control of its destiny in a fiercely competitive global economy. The fear is mostly about jobs lost overseas and wages capped by foreign competition."
"Median household income in 2006, at $48,201, was barely ahead of where it was eight years earlier. So the prospect of a recession has made the anxious middle class even more so. Coming in a presidential election season, the approaching storm clouds have turned the economy into the No. 1 issue on the campaign trail. Fear is a potent force in American politics, and Democratic Party leaders have astutely tapped into rising voter unease about globalization."
"No matter which candidate or which party takes control of the White House one year from now, free trade will - in the words of Hillary Clinton - take a "time-out." That's because Congress - which will most likely remain in the hands of the Democrats regardless of who wins the White House in November - took away President Bush's ability to negotiate trade deals by quietly letting so-called fast-track authority lapse last summer. And lawmakers won't hand that power back to any new President - Democrat or Republican - without major new federal programs (and new trade rules) designed to ease the stress of globalization on U.S. workers."
What do you and I do in a time like this?
For one, we stop borrowing money. Additionally, we remain aware of the economy, the trade, and the large companies that are involved. We make wise choices regarding our spending so that the money can actually bolster the U.S. economy, instead of a foreign economy.
On the Glenn Beck show on CNN, he has addressing this issue head-on. Click Here for Transcript Page
"Once again, our politicians have shown that needlessly spending billions more of your tax dollars has a bipartisan appeal. They can come together on spending your cash."
"For once, I really wish our do-nothing Congress would have actually lived up to their name. Your children’s future is much, much worse off tonight...."
"...does anyone know what values these parties stand for anymore? I used to think that Republicans stood for smaller government and free markets, but that’s almost laughable now. Under this package, the people who paid no income tax will get full, as they like to call them, rebates. My grandfather would have called them what they really are, handouts."
"...it allows government-chartered lenders like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to double the size, or almost, of the loans they’re allowed to buy. Never mind that those companies may have over $16 billion in bad loans already on their books, which are your books."
"Deficit, deficit. Where I have heard that deficit? Oh, I remember it was from the Congressional Budget Office, which just announced...the 2008 deficit is expected to grow to $250 billion, and that is without the stimulus package or a recession factored in."
"Free markets create wealth. Governments destroy it. Look around the world if you want proof. Twenty percent of the countries that have the most economic freedom have five times more wealth per person than the bottom 20 percent."
"STEPHEN MOORE, SENIOR ECONOMIC WRITER, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ... We haven’t talked about the housing component. It’s, you know, I call this Uncle Sam subprime lender. Because what we’re going to do in this package, now that all the banks have finally smartened up and said, you know, "Maybe we shouldn’t be making these -- these loans to people who can’t repay them, who don’t have good credit ratings, who can’t make a down payment...
And now under this package what’s going to happen is the Federal Housing Administration, which is insured by you and me, Glenn, and Amity, we’re now going to be the subprime lenders. And you’re going to have another catastrophe in housing. But now, it’s not going to be the banks that are going to be losing money; it’s going to be the U.S. taxpayer."
"BECK: Yes. Stephen, I don’t know if you saw in "The New York Times," but Hillary Clinton revealed herself today as a spooky socialist, where she was talking about all the things that she wants to do, and she wants massive control on the markets and bigger, stronger government."
"MOORE: Yes. And this is my point. I mean, Hillary Clinton, this wasn’t yesterday, but a few months ago, she said America can’t afford all my ideas. And finally, she said something truthful."
Now that the question of the economy (which was in trouble before Bush came into office) is now in play, who do we vote for during these Presidential Elections? This is a seriously, thought provoking, mind-bending, brain-teasing, keep-you-awake-at-night question. The candidates certainly haven't lessened the stress. Instead of thinking of what will sound good coming out of their mouths, they may want to start thinking about what will actually function on paper going through the U.S. Congress to make changes once they are in office.
Sources:
www.irs.gov
www.chinadaily.com.cn
CNN.com
www.nytimes.com
The Glenn Beck Show on CNN
www.glennbeck.com
Friday, January 25, 2008
Stimulus for U.S. or for China?
Watching the news today, I had to almost laugh at the decision that our government is making as a "stimulus" for the economy. Why laugh? Because if I didn't laugh, I'd probably scream.
There is already controversy surrounding the package. Once U.S. citizens receive the package rebate checks, they are reportedly going to turn around and spend most of it at places like Walmart. What is wrong with that, you ask? Because the money spent at Walmart will most likely go straight to China.
Here is the reason that the rebates may most likely go straight to China if spent at Walmart. Click Here For Link To Article
"China is Wal-Mart's most important supplier in the world. The overseas procurement home office in Shenzhen, a city of South China's Guangdong Province, has played a key role in the firm's global purchasing business.
Wal-Mart shifted its overseas procurement centre from Hong Kong to Shenzhen in February 2002 to better serve the purchasing and exporting business.
"If Wal-Mart were an individual economy, it would rank as China's eighth-biggest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia and Canada," Xu said."
The word is getting out about our free trade issues, however. More Americans are realizing that our trade issues are directly affecting our economy.
An article on CNN.com relates the feelings of the American population quite eloquently. Click Here For Link To Article
"We are a nation crawling into a fetal position, cramped by fear that America has lost control of its destiny in a fiercely competitive global economy. The fear is mostly about jobs lost overseas and wages capped by foreign competition."
"Median household income in 2006, at $48,201, was barely ahead of where it was eight years earlier. So the prospect of a recession has made the anxious middle class even more so. Coming in a presidential election season, the approaching storm clouds have turned the economy into the No. 1 issue on the campaign trail. Fear is a potent force in American politics, and Democratic Party leaders have astutely tapped into rising voter unease about globalization."
"No matter which candidate or which party takes control of the White House one year from now, free trade will - in the words of Hillary Clinton - take a "time-out." That's because Congress - which will most likely remain in the hands of the Democrats regardless of who wins the White House in November - took away President Bush's ability to negotiate trade deals by quietly letting so-called fast-track authority lapse last summer. And lawmakers won't hand that power back to any new President - Democrat or Republican - without major new federal programs (and new trade rules) designed to ease the stress of globalization on U.S. workers."
What do you and I do in a time like this? For one, we stop borrowing money. Another choice is we stay aware of the economy, the trade, and the large companies that are involved. We make wise choices regarding our spending so that the money can actually bolster the U.S. economy, instead of a foreign economy.
On the Glenn Beck show on CNN, he has addressing this issue head-on. Click Here For Transcript Page
"Once again, our politicians have shown that needlessly spending billions more of your tax dollars has a bipartisan appeal. They can come together on spending your cash."
"Congressional leaders in the House compromised today on an economic stimulus package that includes $100 billion in tax rebates, if you make less than $75,000 a year. Other than that, you`re rich. Along with $50 billion in temporary business tax write-offs."
"For once, I really wish our do-nothing Congress would have actually lived up to their name. Your children`s future is much, much worse off tonight...."
"...does anyone know what values these parties stand for anymore? I used to think that Republicans stood for smaller government and free markets, but that`s almost laughable now. Under this package, the people who paid no income tax will get full, as they like to call them, rebates. My grandfather would have called them what they really are, handouts."
"...it allows government-chartered lenders like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to double the size, or almost, of the loans they`re allowed to buy. Never mind that those companies may have over $16 billion in bad loans already on their books, which are your books."
"Deficit, deficit. Where I have heard that deficit? Oh, I remember it was from the Congressional Budget Office, which just announced yesterday that the 2008 deficit is expected to grow to $250 billion, and that is without the stimulus package or a recession factored in."
"Free markets create wealth. Governments destroy it. Look around the world if you want proof. Twenty percent of the countries that have the most economic freedom have five times more wealth per person than the bottom 20 percent."
"STEPHEN MOORE, SENIOR ECONOMIC WRITER, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ... We haven`t talked about the housing component. It`s, you know, I call this Uncle Sam subprime lender. Because what we`re going to do in this package, now that all the banks have finally smartened up and said, you know, "Maybe we shouldn`t be making these -- these loans to people who can`t repay them, who don`t have good credit ratings, who can`t make a down payment...
And now under this package what`s going to happen is the Federal Housing Administration, which is insured by you and me, Glenn, and Amity, we`re now going to be the subprime lenders. And you`re going to have another catastrophe in housing. But now, it`s not going to be the banks that are going to be losing money; it`s going to be the U.S. taxpayer."
"BECK: Yes. Stephen, I don`t know if you saw in "The New York Times," but Hillary Clinton revealed herself today as a spooky socialist, where she was talking about all the things that she wants to do, and she wants massive control on the markets and bigger, stronger government."
"MOORE: Yes. And this is my point. I mean, Hillary Clinton, this wasn`t yesterday, but a few months ago, she said America can`t afford all my ideas. And finally, she said something truthful."
Now that the question of the economy (which was in trouble before Bush came into office) is now in play, who do we vote for during these Presidential Elections? This is a seriously, thought provoking, mind-bending, brain-teasing, keep-you-awake-at-night question. The candidates certainly haven't lessened the stress. Instead of thinking of what will sound good coming out of their mouths, they may want to start thinking about what will actually look good on paper going through the U.S. Congress to make changes once they are in office.
Sources:
www.chinadaily.com.cn
CNN.com
The Glenn Beck Show on CNN
www.glennbeck.com
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Give The Gift of Service
This week's theme of giving gifts from the heart instead of just from the wallet...
The following are some great websites I've stumbled upon with some great ideas for Christmas gift giving.
Helping the Needy for Christmas
Making gifts for needy leaves stitchers with a warm feeling..."Hugs and Stitches"
Adopt an Angel VOLUNTEER PAIRS GIFTS, NEEDY KIDS
Other service gift giving ideas may be...
...visit a senior center/retirement home and read or play games with those living there.
...volunteer at a home for the physically handicapped to read and/or play games.
...take cookies and a homemade card to one of your neighbors that you may have never met, or who you rarely interact with.
Don't forget Hanukkah. You may use these same ideas for other celebrations as well.
I hope that these ideas add to your enjoyment of the holiday season.
Have a fabulous day!
****************************************************************
Blogging Joke of the Day
We've all been passed by motorists on the road going much faster than we were.
But you can imagine my shock at recently being passed by a speeding lady going down the middle of the road's dotted line at a truly breakneck speed (at least 100 mph, on only a two lane road)!
The danger she proposed was high, so you can imagine my relief when I passed her later on down the road parked in front of a car with whirling lights.
Their conversation went something like this...
"License and Registration please," the officer asked.
"It's okay, Officer, I have a special license that allows me to do this," said the lady, smiling.
"Yeah, right!" he replied, "I've never heard of such a license."
The lady reached into her purse and handed him her license.
"Just as I suspected," the officer said, "this is an ordinary license, and I see nothing here that would allow you special consideration."
But the lady, still smiling, pointed to the bottom of the license.
"See? It says so right here: 'Tear Along The Dotted Line.'"
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Holiday Gifts...Think About It
Wallets are bound to be much tighter and lighter this season, or at least in many cases they should be at least tighter. Therefore, this week I've decided to make the theme of my blog revolve around giving from the heart, instead of so much from the wallet.
I've found many great resources for gift giving this season, that for my family will come in handy due to our unemployment situation.
Two original ideas...
...put together a small scrapbook for a close relative that you have spent a great deal of time with. This will mean so much when they realize that you have cherished the time with them and have taken your time to share the memories.
...give a computer-printed gift certificate (not from a store or restaurant) for a candlelight dinner for two, homemade at their home, with you cleaning up afterward. The dinner could be for your parents, grand-parents, siblings and their spouses, etc. Place the certificate in an envelope and then into a shirt-box with tissue and wrap it. They'll love that you want them to have time together and that you are willing to do the work to make it happen.
Here are some great sites with awesome ideas that fit into most budgets and are more personal than many gifts given during the season.
Alternatives...buy nothing christmas...
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html
Inexpensive, Creative and Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas
http://www.newdream.org/holiday/giftideastaff.php
Not Sold In Stores; Ways to Save Money, Protect the Planet, and Spread Cheer
http://www.newdream.org/newsletter/notsold.php
I hope that the above links give you some ideas to make this Christmas easier on your wallet, more personal for those receiving your gifts, and more rewarding in your giving experience.
Have a great day!
I've found many great resources for gift giving this season, that for my family will come in handy due to our unemployment situation.
Two original ideas...
...put together a small scrapbook for a close relative that you have spent a great deal of time with. This will mean so much when they realize that you have cherished the time with them and have taken your time to share the memories.
...give a computer-printed gift certificate (not from a store or restaurant) for a candlelight dinner for two, homemade at their home, with you cleaning up afterward. The dinner could be for your parents, grand-parents, siblings and their spouses, etc. Place the certificate in an envelope and then into a shirt-box with tissue and wrap it. They'll love that you want them to have time together and that you are willing to do the work to make it happen.
Here are some great sites with awesome ideas that fit into most budgets and are more personal than many gifts given during the season.
Alternatives...buy nothing christmas...
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html
Inexpensive, Creative and Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas
http://www.newdream.org/holiday/giftideastaff.php
Not Sold In Stores; Ways to Save Money, Protect the Planet, and Spread Cheer
http://www.newdream.org/newsletter/notsold.php
I hope that the above links give you some ideas to make this Christmas easier on your wallet, more personal for those receiving your gifts, and more rewarding in your giving experience.
Have a great day!
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