Ellington

A. My dear, dear one, whoever you are, how do I begin? Rampant consumerism can ruin anything, of course, particularly one's pocketbook. But whose rampant consumerism are we talking about? Only my own pursuits of unbridled materialism can ruin my Christmas. I'm certainly not going to let someone else's out-of-control spending spoil the best time of the year for me. Over the years I've developed a couple of rules for getting in control of Christmas spending.

Rule 1. Do not shop until the very last minute. As a general principle, the less time you have to shop, the fewer unnecessary gifts you will buy. This does, not, of course, keep you from spending too much, but it does cut down the possibility that you will give your dearly beloveds more than one useless and/or artless delight to clutter their already chaotic lives. I know some people—we all do—who start shopping for Christmas soon after New Year's Day, squirreling away presents all year. And by Christmas, they discover they've bought 16 gifts for the same person—or they never discover their stash of gifts at all. Not me. I never purchase a Christmas present before Dec. 15, and I make it a point always to buy one (and only one) present on Christmas Eve. Nothing puts me in the spirit of Christmas more than a single sortie onto the retail battlefront on Christmas Eve—although more than one such foray would put me in Whitfield.

Rule 2. Buy books and handmade items. Once upon a time I had good intentions of making my own Christmas presents, but many boxes of unfinished treasures forced me to abandon such false hopes. And besides, there's such joy in selecting the perfect book for someone you care about or finding a wondrous piece of art that came from the hands and heart of some gifted individual. Books and art come in all sizes and all prices, and buying them requires you to focus sweetly on your family and friends and what they mean to you. Is not that the true meaning of Christmas?