Do You Use the 'Rule of 4' for Christmas With Your Kids?

It's as if the Christmas season just blurs any kind of conscious spending for most people. I suffer from lack of control primarily when shopping for my kids. It's so easy to just keep buying for them, knowing that they will love what I have picked out, even if I can't remember what I've already bought. It's seasonal amnesia brought on by sugar and holiday music, right?

But, what if my kids would actually be happier with fewer gifts, with more purposeful buying? There is a guide that lots of people use called the "Rule of 4". Basically you stick to only buying 4 gifts that include one of each of the following: want, need, wear, read. It makes sense. Imagine if you only bought your kid one "want"? I buy a lot of "wants" and very few "needs". Something to think about. Now, where's my eggnog?

Rule of Four: