There's something about shopping during the holidays as

I watch consumers being attacked by exuberant cashiers

pushing their store's credit card that gets me concerned

for those trying to build a solid life after bankruptcy.

These clerks seem to be unaware of how careful

individuals have been all year to build their life after

bankruptcy; by watching what they spend, and how easy

it is to go over budget. Offering a ¡°credit rebuilder¡± a

new card is like offering a recovering chocoholic a gooey

double-fudge brownie supreme.

The holidays bring about mixed feelings among my

clients: joy, anxiety, fear, sadness¡­.not any of it relating

to the reason for the season.

Rebuilding your credit and creating the life after

bankruptcy that you desire is a difficult tightrope balance

between moving forward with your life and not ruining

the upward progress of your credit score.

Holidays mean gift-giving gatherings with sometimes

hundreds of people, if you total them all up. Pressure

rises when the office party committee asks us to pitch in

for gifts for management.

Your head starts spinning when you think about how

your extended family has grown and how they will all

exchange presents Christmas Eve at your house this

year. You finally feel the wind knocked out of your sails

when the cashier tells you that you can save up to 25%

on your purchase if you apply for their wonderful store

credit card.

Just remember and keep this thought at the front of your

mind...creating the desirable life after bankruptcy is the

objective, not the savings of 25% that is surely to be out

of our original budget anyway.

As someone who has recently discharged a bankruptcy

and is trying to rebuild life after bankruptcy as well as

create a high credit rating, should you respond to such a

sweet, seductive offer? (Twenty-five percent off

purchases, after all, would give you the extra money to

buy Aunt Millie that deluxe food steamer!)

But here's what I teach as a financial counselor from

Credit Is Key: though it is much easier said than done,

do NOT apply for any credit cards during the holiday

crunch.

Every financial move should be the result of planning and

preparation for your life after bankruptcy - not suddenly

caving in to pacify the salesclerk - or Aunt Millie. If you

say ¡°yes,¡± then the store will make an inquiry on your

credit.

Did you know that even a couple inquiries will actually

hurt your credit?

Rebuilding your life after bankruptcy requires inner

strength. A strength you have been nurturing and

growing since your discharge. A strength that is given a

boost by having a specific goal in mind and a planned

strategy in place; building a wonderful credit rating to

enjoy your life after bankruptcy.

Help yourself! Instead of falling into the ¡°get-a-credit-

card-and-reduce-your-spending¡± trap, try these ideas for

holiday savings --- without inquiries or damaging

rejections. Always remember the objective...improve your

life after bankruptcy by improving your credit rating!

? Let's get back to sweet Aunt Millie. Do you really

think she cares what gift you give her? Your friends and

family care more about you, your life after bankruptcy and

your financial future than any gift you could bring. Aunt

Millie would be delighted with any small token of affection

and would much rather have a visit from you than to

have you depressed or bankrupt again.

? Christmas cards are expensive, consider sending

e-mail greetings or holiday cards.

? Many people would rather have an old-fashioned,

hand-made gift than an expensive gadget. Consider

these hand-crafted, thoughtful options:

o Frame your favorite photograph of you and the

recipient; group several snapshots in an inexpensive

frame. Your life after bankruptcy is much more important

and this gift lasts forever.

o Instead of buying each other gifts, go out to lunch

or dinner together.

o An alternative to giving every member of your

family something is to suggest doing a ¡°Secret Santa¡±

gift. Each person buys just for one other person,

instead of a whole family. Remember, creating your ideal

life after bankruptcy does not have to be an "ordeal", the

Secret Santa method is fun.

o Celebrate the winter holidays with a holiday

¡°spending freeze.¡± Set a limit, remain committed to your

life after bankruptcy and don't go over it. Agree to keep

your spending at this level for the next several years.

Part of the joy is in which friend or family member can be

the most creative or find the most interesting gift for

under $10.00. (Talk about friendly competition! You'll

probably laugh a lot more than if everyone had given

fancy, store-bought gifts!) You see, creating your ideal

life after bankruptcy does not have to be boring.

o If you can cook, present a coupon for a delivered

dinner or casserole on a certain night. Send cookies in

February or a cake on a birthday. (Sometimes people

need and appreciate these things more at other times of

the year than they do at Christmas.)

o If you're creative, call a day with your family to

make presents; handmade stationery or notecards, hot

chocolate or spiced tea mix, painted t-shirts, or slippers

embellished with buttons, ribbons, or initials,

embroidered dishtowels, or create a scrapbook of family

stories and quotations. Many clients gain huge

perspective during their life after bankruptcy regarding

the true meaning of holidays.

o Instead of buying a lot of unnecessary items, buy

each person one nice gift. (You'll be surprised how those

tiny little ¡°filler¡± presents add to the budget!)

o A family favorite, even if you aren't trying to stay

within a budget, is to create a ¡°Gift Coupon Book¡±,

regardless of your life after bankruptcy commitment. In it

you can entitle bearer to free breakfast in bed, a leisurely

Saturday without kids, and even 'wildcard' coupons that

let the bearer fill in the gift.

Make sure you know your receiver well if you intend to

include the last category!

The offer to get a credit card may be appealing, but in the

long-run, enjoying the holidays, your family, (especially

that sweet Aunt Millie!) your friends, and knowing you

stuck to your plan of rebuilding your life after bankruptcy,

control over your finances, is much more rewarding than

a smile on that cashier's face.

For those needing their own strategy to rebuild credit

and their life after bankruptcy, join the Credit Is Key

membership website. Members enjoy access to many life

after bankruptcy rebuilding resources, including a FREE e-

course on strategies to quickly and effectively rebuild

your damaged credit.

Join the Credit Is Key membership website and receive a FREE e-course to use our proven strategies to rebuild your credit and your life after bankruptcy. Click now to rebuild your

life after bankruptcy.