- Increase your gift by including your family. Whether you're giving money or time, including your children can make your dollars and your energy go even further. Consider picking a family charity and having your children contribute some of their allowance each week. This could be a yearlong family project with the goal of making a contribution next holiday season.

You can also get your kids involved in a project with a local nonprofit organization. For instance, every year a friend of mine, along with his six children, from the smallest at age 7 to the oldest in his 20s, helps his church serve holiday meals to the homeless. It's a great way for this family to reach out, as well as an opportunity for them to appreciate their own good fortune. And each year the kids look forward to this almost as much as their own holiday gathering.

- Consider a charitable gift account. If you have the means to give even more, a charitable gift account is a simple and cost-effective way to maximize your giving while enjoying certain tax benefits. One benefit of particular note: If you transfer appreciated stock that you have held for more than one year to what is known as a "donor advised fund," you will get a deduction for the current market value of the security and you won't pay capital gains tax on the appreciation. Talk to your tax adviser about whether this is an option you might want to consider.

Once you've decided which charities you want to support and why, you'll be able to give with a real sense of purpose and feel more pleasure in contributing.

Often during the holidays we hear about the stresses of giving. People worry about overextending their budgets or feel bad that they can't afford certain types of gifts. The thought of donating to charities on top of all the other obligations can feel like a tremendous burden or an impossible dream.

But to me, the season of giving is really about sharing. By giving thoughtful gifts, you're sharing your understanding of someone and your personal feelings. By spreading your knowledge, you're sharing experience and opportunity. And by donating to charities, whether money or time, you're sharing your belief in a better tomorrow. It doesn't have to cost a lot; however, it can make us all feel incredibly richer.

Once again, happy holidays. Carrie Schwab Pomerantz is chief strategist, Consumer Education, Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. You can e-mail Carrie at askcarrie@schwab.com. Copley News Service Visit Copley News Service at www.copleynews.com.