Spend within your budget, and if that means making some homemade presents and serving chicken instead of turkey, then so be it. The focus should be on enjoying time with family, not assembling a feast fit for a designer home-magazine photo shoot. If it has been a tough year for your family, consider some cost-cutting measures, such as only buying presents for the children in the family this year or having a Secret Santa, where each person buys for one other person whose name is chosen out of a hat. Merry meals Make sure everyone contributes. These days, no-one expects to turn up to someone else's home for a celebration and not bring a plate. But don't just say, "Yes, bring something. That would be nice." Put some thought into organising what others are bringing so you don't end up nothing but salads and strawberries. Care for the elders Do think of the old people. Sometimes they can get anxious if they don't often spend a lot of time away from home and sometimes Christmas Day can take on much more importance for them -- then they get tired and grumpy. Assign a child to each grandparent or elder and tell them it's their job to make sure they have their glasses filled, food brought to them and generally feel special all day. It's a good lesson for children, especially teenagers, to learn to look after elders in the family. Sober thought Be a responsible host and make sure there