14/12/2022
Ho, ho, ho! Hi, children. I’m Santa Claus! Time flies and it’s December now. Do you miss me? Have you been good this year? Have you studied hard at school and played hard during the holidays?
Enjoy the holiday wisely
My reindeers and I started the seasonal preparation early since we are inspired by the four idioms from “The Chin Family Money Management Idioms” animation series. The first one idiom is to “make hay while the sun shines”, which means to prepare well for anything that may come. As we have to visit children in every corner of the world, we have to plan ahead to make sure we can accomplish the mission with the resources we have in a timely manner. If I am late or miss any children, they will be very disappointed. Therefore, I must work hard to finish my job!
The second and third idioms are to “make the most out of what you have” and “words are empty without action”. While the former reminds us to fully utilise our existing resources, the latter means that we’ll never achieve anything if we don’t act. My reindeers and I promise to spend within budget, so we used online tool to record our expenses, and started stocktaking earlier to see if there are any materials that can be reused from last year. These actions can reduce waste and help us make good use of our money. Older children may use the Budget Planner developed by IFEC, and the younger ones can use The Expense Tracking Kit (Chinese only).
Share your blessings with others
The last idiom is to “think twice before you act”. You should learn to think carefully before taking any action. For example, when you write to me and wish for a building block set, you should think about if you already have something similar at home? And do you really need it?
More importantly, I hope that you can reflect on the meaning of Christmas by sharing your love and blessings with others. For instance, you may donate your gifts to charities or those in need, or give any stationery, toys, books or clothes in good condition to people who may need them.
This Christmas, you can join me and become a money-smart Santa Claus too to share the festive joy with those in need!
More:
Animation and toolkit: “The Chin Family Money Management Idioms” animation series
Article: Teaching money management during Christmas
Christmas-themed activities: Design your own Christmas card
