OK everyone – Black Friday is here and the advertisers are ramping up the stress to spend, spend, SPEND!
Real financial danger lurks in every November and December. Make your vow NOW not to overspend (or overeat) in 2016.
Remember all those great gifts you gave last year, including the big one for yourself? The holiday gift that truly “kept on giving” – monthly credit card payments you are still paying off.
Take control of your personal budget in 2016 and beyond! One good reason: Money Magazine (December 2016) stated, “Those who worried about their financial wellbeing looked about two years older than people who did not.” Yikes!
Capital Budget Strategies, LLC, Austin’s Best Budget Coach, is ready to teach you and your family, your company, your organization, your church or temple, your students or your favorite newlyweds how to set up and follow a budget for every month of the year.
Give the gift of financial knowledge and freedom! Capital Budget Strategies, LLC offers three ways to improve your financial status – from group lectures to one-on-one sessions in your home. Since we do not work for commission or sell any products our prices are easy on the budget. Check out your options at CapitalBudgetStrategies.com
Capital Budget Strategies, LLC has scoured the Internet to find useful money saving tips for the holidays. The following ten ideas are based on stories in Good Housekeeping, Real Simple and ListenMoneyMatters.com.
Think how great it would be to wake up on December 26 knowing that you do not owe a penny to Visa, Master Card, American Express or any local retailer? Sweet dreams, indeed!
1. MAKE A GIFT LIST
Write down everyone’s name along with the maximum amount you will spend. Don’t forget the people who will receive holiday tips, such as your hairdresser, babysitter, mail carrier, etc. Total everything up and see if that is within your allotted budget. If not, make adjustments before hitting the mall or computer.
2. UNSUBSCRIBE TO E-MAIL ALERTS
Studies show that consumers who receive e-mail marketing are reported to spend a whopping 83% more when shopping. Your best defense: Unsubscribe from those tempting e-mails and never sign up for one again.
3. FORGET YOURSELF
When in the shopping mood, it seems natural to pick up a little something, or two, just for you. In fact, 59% of shoppers report buying “me” gifts during their holiday shopping in 2015 — the highest number ever reported.
Worse, self-gifters spent $140 on average. Since the average person spends $750 for the holidays, that’s almost 20% spent on someone who isn’t even on the list!
4. STOP THE MOMENTUM
You know how you sometimes buy, say, a sweater for your sister-in-law only to then snap up a scarf and (what the heck!) new earrings, too? Researchers dubs this the “shopping momentum effect.” Stop the whirlwind of impulse buys by taking a breather after every purchase, even if you’re shopping online, to interrupt that rush of spending!
5. HOMEMADE FOR LESS
It’s a holiday hazard: thinking only a present that costs a bundle can express your sentiments. So challenge yourself to be more creative. Surprise a coworker by framing her favorite Instagram photo. Borrow a neighbor’s car for an “errand,” then return it car-wash clean. Or give your friend a personal coupon or two for a night of babysitting or your famous veggie lasagna.
There’s an abundance of homemade pickles, hand-knit hats, and handcrafted stationary these days, thanks to a growing obsession with all things crafty, artisanal, and homespun.
6. THE FAMILY GIFT
Rather than buying multiple gifts for each member of a nuclear family, buy one gift for the whole family. A Netflix subscription, a membership to a local museum or zoo, or a calendar with family photos.
7. THE CHARITABLE GIFT
While you may not always know or agree with a friend’s charitable tastes, everyone wants to protect kids and animals. (If not, why are they are your list?) So how about a donation in your friend’s name to a child warfare agency or their local animal shelter?
8. GIFTS FOR CHILDREN ONLY
Honestly, once you’re too old for toys, holiday gifts are never really the same. Let the little ones have the fun and enjoy the time you would have been shopping with them.
9. FAMILY VACATION
You don’t have to spend Christmas with your whole extended family. You can take your own little family and go somewhere great. The kids will love getting on-line to plan each day.
10. NO GIFT RULE
The nuclear option! My family decided on the “No Gift Rule” about five years ago. We finally realized there was nothing in the world my siblings and their spouses needed from me and vice versa. (Especially my brother in Manhattan!) What a true relief the “No Give Rule” has been – no holiday shopping stress! Zero!
But, of course, there is the battle to send the funniest holiday card possible, which can mean a stress trip to CVS! Sorry, you can fight over the parking space at Barton Square Mall or the Domain – I’ll be waiting for you at Billy’s on Burnet!
Please do yourself a favor this holiday. Watch your budget and don’t overdo it. Your friends and family would hate to think you are going into debt to buy them a gift (especially one in that THAT color)!
Enjoy the holidays the right way – with peace!
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