The holiday season is in full swing! Some of us, my family included, have already celebrated Chanukah, while others will be celebrating in the weeks ahead. For most of us, the holidays are a time of increased spending on food, travel and gifts.

When it comes to buying gifts for our kids, how can we get them to thoughtfully consider what’s on their wish list for the holidays (or their birthday, graduation or other celebrations)?

Try getting your kids to calculate their Does It Make Sense?®, or DIMS, score. You can find this free calculator on Gifting Sense, a not-for-profit founded by Karen Holland, an economist and fellow financial literacy champion for children, devoted to teaching kids to think before they buy (or ask you to buy!) Calculating the DIMS score teaches our kids to quickly research the true value of a possible purchase – how much they will really use and appreciate something before they ask for it.

Of course, books always make a great gift, and there are no supply chain issues for The Wisest Investment! If you’re looking for a gift that will pay for itself in the long run, consider a signed copy of The Wisest Investment (you can’t get that on Amazon!). And until December 17, we’re offering free shipping within Canada. Please email orders to [email protected].

In the spirit of gifting and getting, if you purchase a copy of The Wisest Investment directly from us through December 17, we will match it by donating up to 50 copies to a charity in Toronto supporting youth financial literacy. (As an accountant by training, I feel compelled to tell you that it’s not tax deductible, it’s just a nice way to help others).

Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season, and a prosperous, money-smart new year!