Avoid that Christmas Financial Hangover
Avoid that Christmas Financial Hangover
1. Make a list (check it twice if you want to). Decide who you are going to buy for and how much you are going to spend. Add it up and see if it’s an amount you can realistically afford. If not, review it. Make allowances for having to buy the guilt gifts…you know when someone (not on the list) buys you something…
2. Do a blitz shop. Set aside a day to do as much of the shopping as possible and then aim to get 80% of the shopping done. Try not to let yourself get distracted by stuff you’d love to get for yourself. Set aside another time for that.
3. Family Kris Kringle. For the last few years, we have decided to buy one other family member a gift and set a budget. We’ve also asked people for some ideas as to what they would like…3-5 if possible so that we are not frantically running around trying to think of something. See if you can do something like that in your family. Instant stress reduction
4. Use the Internet. Just think, you could sit at your PC and organize the direct delivery of a good load of your presents (and probably cheaper than the shops). Go for reliable websites like Amazon or EBay if you still feel a bit mistrustful.
5. Time instead of money. Why not offer to babysit for some of your overworked parent friends? An offer to babysit for half a day is priceless to working parents. Or offer to help someone with a task of their choice. (You could of course indicate that terms and conditions apply for that one!).
6. Check out craft fairs. There is a craft fair to be found in practically every town in Ireland and you can get interesting reasonably priced gifts that won’t be found in practically every stocking.
7. Check your motivation. Quite often we find ourselves purchasing beyond our means because we feel guilty or we assume that people will think us mean rather than realistically assessing what we can afford and trusting that the people who truly care for us will respect that. And if you actually have the courage to say that you have a budget and wish to stick to it, it may very well give others the motivation to do the same thing. If money is something that causes you to have rows with your loved ones, surely a little financial discipline is a small price to pay.
Anne Walsh is a life coach based in Co. Galway. You can sign up for her free ezine Bring your best self to light at www.annewalshcoach.com/subscribe.htm. When you do you will receive the first installment of a TOTALLY FREE 10 part e-course called Personal Freedom. Module 9 addresses the issue of money: Handle your money. Completely. Period. And it’s free. Totally.
Avoid that Christmas Financial Hangover - To learn more about this author, visit Anne Walsh's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Yes, folks it’s that time of year again in which we will be expected to spend 20 million euros an hour on Christmas Eve in Ireland along Yep, that’s right, AN HOUR. Of course a substantial chunk of that will be on credit and many of us will be dreading our January credit card bills: I spent HOW MUCH. Ouch. So how can we enjoy Christmas without giving ourselves the January hangover? Here are some tips to ensure that January is not the cruelest credit card month for you.
1. Make a list (check it twice if you want to). Decide who you are going to buy for and how much you are going to spend. Add it up and see if it’s an amount you can realistically afford. If not, review it. Make allowances for having to buy the guilt gifts…you know when someone (not on the list) buys you something…
2. Do a blitz shop. Set aside a day to do as much of the shopping as possible and then aim to get 80% of the shopping done. Try not to let yourself get distracted by stuff you’d love to get for yourself. Set aside another time for that.
3. Family Kris Kringle. For the last few years, we have decided to buy one other family member a gift and set a budget. We’ve also asked people for some ideas as to what they would like…3-5 if possible so that we are not frantically running around trying to think of something. See if you can do something like that in your family. Instant stress reduction
4. Use the Internet. Just think, you could sit at your PC and organize the direct delivery of a good load of your presents (and probably cheaper than the shops). Go for reliable websites like Amazon or EBay if you still feel a bit mistrustful.
5. Time instead of money. Why not offer to babysit for some of your overworked parent friends? An offer to babysit for half a day is priceless to working parents. Or offer to help someone with a task of their choice. (You could of course indicate that terms and conditions apply for that one!).
6. Check out craft fairs. There is a craft fair to be found in practically every town in Ireland and you can get interesting reasonably priced gifts that won’t be found in practically every stocking.
7. Check your motivation. Quite often we find ourselves purchasing beyond our means because we feel guilty or we assume that people will think us mean rather than realistically assessing what we can afford and trusting that the people who truly care for us will respect that. And if you actually have the courage to say that you have a budget and wish to stick to it, it may very well give others the motivation to do the same thing. If money is something that causes you to have rows with your loved ones, surely a little financial discipline is a small price to pay.
Anne Walsh is a life coach based in Co. Galway. You can sign up for her free ezine Bring your best self to light at www.annewalshcoach.com/subscribe.htm. When you do you will receive the first installment of a TOTALLY FREE 10 part e-course called Personal Freedom. Module 9 addresses the issue of money: Handle your money. Completely. Period. And it’s free. Totally.
Avoid that Christmas Financial Hangover - To learn more about this author, visit Anne Walsh's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| |||
| No article feedback found. | |||
| Leave Your Feedback | |||
|
|||
|
| |||
| Christmas is fast approaching so in preparation, Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking has put together her 12 tips of Christmas.
|
|||
|
| |||
| If you’re anything like me, December in the business is a bit of a mad time. You’re trying to clear out everything you’ve got to do so you enjoy at least a couple of days off and you’ve also got to write Christmas c... |
|||
|
| |||
| Yes, folks it’s that time of year again in which we will be expected to spend 20 million euros an hour on Christmas Eve in Ireland along Yep, that’s right, AN HOUR. Of course a substantial chunk of that will be on c... |
|||
|
| |||
| Thou shall not BLEND IN WITH THE MASSES.
Listen lady.
I know you love your customers. However, giving them something at Christmas when they are swamped with a bunch of Christmas goodies - DOES NOT MAKE YOU STAN... |
|||
|
| |||
| Some simple but powerful tips to make this Christmas your best ever |
|||
| |||
Bernard ReberBack in late 1992, MS Access hit the streets. About that time the company I managed needed new software to handle their growing client base and I decided to try this new product. I had little difficulty writing and adapting a database to suit us and discovered a hidden talent for programming. A business was born. With business studies and 25 years of management experience in three different countries under my belt, I could offer a unique combination of skills and my customers agreed. From these humble beginnings my software 'invoiceit' emerged in 1999 and has since been taken to 49 states (hello Wyoming, won't you join us?), all across Canada and more than 70 other countries. From the very beginning the program included cashbook accounting, the simplest form of keeping financial business records. The Dictionary.com defines 'cashbook' as "A 'book' in which to record money received and paid out". For 'book' substitute 'simple software' and that's what I'm about. Now I have published Simple Accounting, an inexpensive spreadsheet solution which even you can master. For just $14.95 it costs less than a takeout meal! More at http://www.scrambled-card.com/simple_accounting_main.htm - Visit Bernard Reber's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
![]() | |
![]() Anne Walsh (Visit Anne's Website)
| |
![]() |
|
|
![]() |
|
|
|
![]() |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
![]() |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
![]() | ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
![]() |
|
|
![]() | ||
|
Top 50 SEO Posts - 2008
Top SEO Posts of the Year | ||
|
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder | ||
![]() | ||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||

















