During the 12th month of the year there are many cultural and religious holidays that are celebrated such as: Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and Boxing Day to name a few. While approaching these holidays we often think to ourselves….its not the most wonderful time of the year, it’s the most busiest and stressful time of the year! Can anyone relate? There is saying “What you think about is what you bring about” so if you approach the holidays with mindset, that is exactly what will manifest. Flip the script and make a commitment to go from stressful to stress-free during the holidays. During the month of December, I will share 7 tips to help you achieve that. Listed below is #1:
Watch your Wallet
Despite our best intentions, it is incredibly easy to overspend during this time of the year because oftentimes you are swept up in the magic of the season — the lights, the gifts, the delicious seasonal beverages. It’s wonderful…until January hits and you come face to face with your credit card bill and ask yourself what the heck happened. Just because Amazon is having Prime Days or there is Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving or Cyber Monday you don’t have to participate. A budget is creating boundaries for your wallet (or bank account). And budgeting helps reduce stress because it gives you a plan for your money. Just because stores are having sales or buy one get half off, doesn’t mean you have to participate. Here’s an example: Drawing names for Christmas gifts helps groups avoid the expense and hassle of getting individual gifts for each person. A commonality among Christmas gift name drawings is the setting of a price limit. This is usually a dollar range, such as $15-$30, that everyone should aim to spend on the person they drew. This helps keep things fair. During the holiday season, make a budget and stick with it.