Merry Christmas Everyone!

Before the ball drops in Times Square, the Big Apple turns on its
holiday charm with the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.


The Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C., is decorated with 3,000
ornaments that are the handiwork of U.S. schoolchildren. Encircling
evergreens in the 'Pathway of Peace' represent the 50 U.S. states.

The world's largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes
of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy's Umbria region.
Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire,
the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city


A Christmas tree befitting Tokyo's nighttime neon display is
projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka.

Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague's Old Town Square,
and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous
Christmas market, is a grand tree cut in the Sumava mountains
in the southern Czech Republic.


Moscow celebrates Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox
calendar on Jan. 7. For weeks beforehand, the city is alive with
festivities in anticipation of Father Frost's arrival on his magical
troika with the Snow Maiden.

He and his helper deliver gifts under

the New Year tree, or yolka, which is traditionally a fir.

The largest Christmas tree in Europe (more than 230 feet tall)
can be found in the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal.
Thousands of lights adorn the tree, adding to the special
enchantment of the city during the holiday season.

'Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree': Even in its humblest attire,
aglow beside a tiny chapel in Germany's Karwendel mountains,
a Christmas tree is a wondrous sight.

Ooh la la Galeries Lafayette! In Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic.
With its monumental, baroque dome, plus 10 stories of lights and
high fashion, it's no surprise this show-stopping department store draws
more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower

In addition to the Vatican's heavenly evergreen, St. Peter's Square
in Rome hosts a larger-than- life nativity scene in front of the obelisk.

The Christmas tree that greets revelers at the Puerta del Sol
is dressed for a party. Madrid's two-week celebration makes
millionaires along with merrymakers. On Dec. 22, a lucky citizen
will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery.


A token of gratitude for Britain's aid during World War II,
the Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square has been
the annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947.

Drink a glass of gluhwein from the holiday market at the Romer
Frankfurt's city hall since 1405 and enjoy a taste of Christmas past.

Against a backdrop of tall, shadowy firs, a rainbow trio of
Christmas trees lights up the night (location unknown).

Meet the family who live on $44K a year — debt-free

The Economides clan of Arizona reveal how to recession-proof your finances

Original Article found at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28295159/from/ET/#storyContinued

By Mike Celizic

TODAYShow.com contributor

updated 7:26 a.m. PT, Thurs., Dec. 18, 2008

They’ve been called cheapskates, tightwads, misers, and just plain weird. But names that others would consider derogatory are embraced as badges of honor by Steve and Annette Economides.

The couple and their five children bill themselves as “The Cheapest Family in America” and “The Frugals.” On Thursday they showed TODAY viewers how they, too, can have everything they need and live debt-free in an expansive home in one of America’s tonier neighborhoods — on less than $45,000 a year.

“The economy is in a tailspin, and we’re just perfectly fine,” Annette Economides told TODAY’s Ann Curry in New York, adding, “I am the Warren Buffett of groceries.”

Rummaging the racks
Annette was joined in the studio by her husband, Steve, and three of their five children: Abbey, Joseph and Becky. Before talking with Curry, the five Economides watched a video of themselves doing their Christmas shopping in stores that specialize in bargains near their Scottsdale, Ariz., home.

Annette rummaged through racks of clothing marked down to the bare minimum for clearance. She inspected tchotchkes, remarking on the prices. Elsewhere in the store, Steve was looking through sporting goods, his face lighting up when he found a Nike volleyball for $2.50 — a perfect gift for Abbey.

At the checkout counter, Annette paid with cash. “Twelve items for $17.15,” she said proudly. The family’s total Christmas shopping bill this year was $90 for 27 gifts.

Their Christmas decorating budget was one dollar.

$8 jeans, $10 tux
Some kids, especially kids in their teens or 20s, might be embarrassed at such frugality, but Joseph, Becky and Abbey heartily approve of their parents’ respect for money and volunteered stories about their own bargain hunting.

Becky said she favors Lucky jeans, which average around $120 in retail stores. “I found a pair of Lucky jeans for eight dollars,” she said.

Not to be outdone, Abbey jumped into the conversation. “For me, eight bucks is expensive,” she said. “I have American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi Strauss.”

“I was going to tell you about my new custom tux,” Joseph piped up. “Ten bucks.”

“They realize what life is about,” Abbey said of her parents. “It’s not consumerism. It’s not ‘How much does that stuff cost?’ It’s ‘Do I want it? Do I need it?’ ”

Steve compared the family’s outlook to the way Americans approached life in the days of “Little House on the Prairie.” “You learn to appreciate life and people more than you appreciate stuff,” he said. “You’ve got to focus on changing the perspective. It’s not always new, it’s not always expensive that says love.”

Budgeting for fun and profit
Steve and Annette Economides weren’t born to be cheap. Both have said that they were typical American kids who never thought about budgeting. But before they married 26 years ago, they took a financial planning course and decided to give budgeting a try.

“It started out as a game, and then became fun to play,” said Annette.

Breaking down their budget to 19 categories, they paid off their first house in nine years on an average income of $33,000 a year. Their second home, which they estimate to be worth more than $700,000, was purchased for more than $200,000 and is almost paid off.

They plan every meal before going to the grocery store, building their menu around specials and coupons. The monthly bill to feed a family of seven is $350.

TODAY The Economides family have had an average income of $44,000 per year over the past 26 years.

They don’t buy on credit. They buy late-model used cars with cash. They also budget cash reserves for auto and home repairs so they never have to dip into reserves.

Today, the couple works from home, running their Web site, homeeconomiser.com, and traveling to spread the gospel of frugality to others. They also have a book, “America’s Cheapest Family,” that spent time on the New York Times best-seller list. Their average income over the past 26 years is $44,000.

Before they left, Becky told Curry about her latest purchase, a late-model Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.

“I’m saving five years for a truck,” she said. “I bought it for $11,500.”

She paid in cash.

For money-saving tips from the Economides family, visit homeeconomiser.com.