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So, the holidays and all the cheerful “requirements” that come with it, from gift-giving for dozens of people to taking time off work, can just add another layer of stress in a season meant for joy and relaxation. Exhausted Americans are saying enough to the holiday extras. It’s time to have the talk and not feel bad about it.
With the economy making everyone extra cautious about spending , I really wanted to give myself the gift of not worrying about money this holiday season. How can anyone on a budget relax about money during the holidays? So, how can we enjoy the holidays without stressing about the inevitable dent they’ll leave in our savings?
In the early years of our marriage, the holidays used to throw a wrench in our financial plans. Once the holiday-themed marketing campaigns started, we would be bombarded with messages that we needed more stuff and the fact that we already had one didn’t matter. And then November would roll around. Start with a Percentage.
Some people refer to this as an emergency fund , but it is essentially three to six months’ worth of living expenses you can use to pay for essentials if you lose your income or get hit with unexpected bills, such as a car repair or medical emergency. You may not get your expenses to match the 50/30/20 percentages. Budget play money.
Pay off major debts Expected time: 5+ years Account types: Creditcard debt, mortgage, student loans, car loans Getting out of debt is essential to the success of your other long-term financial goals. Opening a college savings fund for your child when they’re young can help you save for their future college expenses.
Set aside the rewards you get from your cash back or points creditcards and use them to fund a special treat now and then. Cashback points don’t come close to the interest charges you will pay when you carry a creditcard balance. Maximize your cash back. Be flexible.
When people are tired or temptations are especially aggressive (hello, holiday season!), How many bath bombs have been purchased on creditcards in the name of self-care? Put your favorite one or two on an index card or sticky note and put it someplace visible like your bathroom mirror or your wallet. Don’t list too many.
If it’s too small, the app suggests how much money you might want to add to your savings to prepare for unexpected expenses. Expense Tracking And Categorization With Empower, expense tracking is quick and effortless. Empower also helps you see whether your emergency fund is the right size.
Gone are the days when new employees received a list of the company holidays during onboarding and a packet with information about how to sign up for health care and retirement benefits. Employers are now providing a broader suite of benefits and are increasingly recognizing the importance of financial wellness programs for employees.
Instead, it can be: Customizable to fit your unique financial situation A finance planner focused on achieving your financial goals, not just tracking expenses Empowering, helping you turn financial challenges into opportunities The best thing about You Need a Budget is it uses the zero-based budgeting (ZBB) system.
You are not on holiday. Take lots of cash and a creditcard. If you travel frequently with your boss you should really have a company creditcard for your expenses. Remember you are still going to have to look after your manager so make sure your trip is hassle free. Just in case.
You are offering quite an expensive program so decide to make things easier on your clients by offering a payment plan. Part way through the payment plan one of your client’s creditcards gets declined. How you handle declined creditcard transactions (and you will get them when you start offering payment plans).
Don’t think for one second you are holiday. Do take lots of cash and a creditcard. If you travel frequently with your boss you should really have a company creditcard for your expenses. If you are invited to take part in activities you don’t particularly enjoy just get on with it. Just in case.
Or in other words, tacking on some holiday time to your business trip. I think most of our Executives have done this at some point and usually we will be asked to also manage the holiday side of the trip. Bleisure travel is apparently (hey, I’m only just a Millennial!) the mixture of business and leisure travel.
If you need to write/send your holidaycards then look at your calendar and schedule it in. Get More Peace By Using A Planner Using a planner - whether it is an expensive store-bought planner or a spiral-bound notebook frees our mind which reduces stress. Don't do anything for that hour other than tackle your email.
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