Christmas Saving

I have been thinking about saving money this Christmas. Sometimes I lose the spirit of Christmas because of all the money it takes just to get your family something, then the neighbors, and your friends at work or church, then the parties and the food. Oh my expensive! Then I think about how important all those things are. Wouldn't I rather get a hand written note from a friend instead of a gift. Wouldn't I rather an experience with my family than any gift they could give me. How can I teach my children to love and serve and give of themselves? I guess I just feel like less is more and the older I get the more I feel that way. I see why after my parents divorced, my mom gave us a brown lunch bag of Halloween candy and 25 dollars cash for our Christmas. If my kids weren't still so little I think I would change Christmas for us in a big way. I read a book where a family would use the money they normally used for Christmas to fly to Africa and do a family service project. I see Christ in that. It just makes sense to me. What do you think about all this?