Dow is down. Get your Christmas Spirit up on the cheap

These sites are your best friends:

http://www.bradsdeals.com/
http://www.dealcatcher.com/
http://www.freeshipping.org/
http://www.retailmenot.com/

Listen to Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. They sound fantastic together and this song makes me happy. Don't buy it. Go to the library, take out the CD, bring it home, download it onto your iTunes, return the CD to the library.

Others to check out:
Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Leon Redbone - Christmas Island
A Christmas Together with John Denver and the Muppets (A MUST)
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas

~~ I once made Christmas mix CDs for all my friends. I wrote out the names of the songs and the artists in alternating green and red ink on the jacket and drew holly berries on the CD. It's a cute idea and it took a lot of time and love. People really like that crap. Everyone tells me that it's always the first CD they pull out when Christmas comes around again. Not to give anything away, but I'm working on a new mix :) FREE MUSIC. You're welcome.

The library has all the Christmas DVDs you could ever want. Go there and get them. Watch them and return them. Cost: $0

At night, walk down a street lined with trees that have gold lights tangled up in them. Instant Christmas spirit. Flurries = bonus.

HOT SOUP = $0. Oh wait, that's not true... Maybe $5.95

Rockefeller Christmas Tree sighting = $0

Don't spend a lot of money this year. My number one rule is don't spend money you don't have. This may actually be a great year to get back to basics. I can guarantee that your real friends will have no problem curling up with you on the couch with a bottle of wine to watch Rudolph instead of going out to a fancy restaurant. Some of my favorite and best Christmas memories involve years where I had little or no money. Funny how that works.

It really is the simple things that make this a special time of year. Snoopy. Charlie Brown. The Grinch (that bastard.) The first snowfall. I remember playing in the snow with my sister and my dog Lady. Lady loved the snow. My mom says it's because she was born in the snow in Maine. Apparently if you love snow, it means you were born in the snow. I guess I was born on the sun.

I can remember so many Christmas Eves in church all dressed up and singing, lighting candles and laughing with good people. Didn't cost a dime. Which is great, because with the way this market is going, I'll be lucky if I can find a dime in the couch cushions.

All kidding aside, light a candle, hang a wreath, make hot chocolate... and watch Elf. Smiling is his favorite. Mine too.