Dear Dave,

My wife and I are still paying off debt, so we didn’t budget anything for Christmas. How much do you think we should spend on close friends and family members?

Dan

Dear Dan,

Not having a budget for Christmas probably isn’t a great idea if you want to have a happy marriage! It’s really not that difficult. I don’t know if there’s a certain amount that works for everyone, because everybody’s circumstances are different. But you must have a plan when holidays or other special occasions come along — especially when you’re trying to get out of debt.

If you have kids, you certainly need to budget for them. They may not get everything they want, but there’s no reason there can’t be something from Santa under the tree. You also need to budget a little something for your spouse. The good thing is you can have a little fun with these gifts and make them more from the heart than the wallet.

What if you gave your wife a coupon that says you’ll cook a real dinner for her and the kids once a week for the next three months? Or perhaps it’s a voucher for a free back rub any time she’s feeling stressed and tired. Maybe you could find a nice but inexpensive frame and put a favourite picture of the two of you inside. Things that come from the heart, or that include little acts of kindness or serving the other person, can go a long way. Those kinds of things are especially meaningful to most folks during the holiday season.

Trust me, Dan. You can have a wonderful, loving, quality Christmas without spending a lot of money. You’ll have to spend a little here and there, but just make sure it’s an amount that’s appropriate for your financial situation. If you’re making $200,000 and trying to get out of debt, that’s one thing. But if you’re making $20,000 a year and trying to get out of debt, you need to do things that are creative and don’t require a lot of cash!

—Dave

***

Dear Dave,

My husband and I are looking at getting a second vehicle. We found one we like, and it’s in great shape, but they’re asking more than we can afford to pay. How do you make a low offer without making someone angry or insulting them?

Angela

Dear Angela,

It’s always a smart move to try and stay on the seller’s good side. You want to be classy and diplomatic, and never point out the bad things about an item someone’s selling just to drive down the price. If you insult their merchandise or insinuate the price is unfair, you’re likely to blow the whole deal right off the bat.

How about this? Tell them it’s a fine vehicle, and their price is fair, but the amount they’re asking is outside your budget. Let them know how much you want to work out a deal, but, in order for it to fit into your lifestyle, you can only pay a certain amount. You might throw in that a lot of people are selling things right now because of the economy, and you’re just looking for the very best deal.

Maybe that, and letting them know you’re standing there with money in hand, will help swing this thing in your favour. Good luck, Angela!

—Dave

* Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than eight million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.