How to control your Christmas spending.

There is a tendency to ignore common sense at Christmas. Life has probably been full of sensibility, and restrictions and when to put the heating on.

So the phrase " oh go on, it is Christmas after all" is the phrase we use and it means - it doesn't matter.

The reality is that YES, it does matter. The credit card will have to be paid off, the money in January will be sparse. Remember back to last January, every day in last January. Ask yourself - was all the " it doesn't matter" worth it? And unless you can answer that honestly - Christmas spending will always be in control of you, not you in control of Christmas money.

Now I am a smart arse. In the years when I had very little money I couldn't save up. I would recycle, carefully, the children's unopened birthday presents, or scout the car boots for the toys they wanted. It was second hand or not at all.

As more money came in, I would put some aside each month. Now I have a savings club and a credit card. The credit card is on 0% and I buy when I see something suitable, knowing that in December the savings club will pay out and I WILL pay the balance off IN FULL. Knowing how much will come to me in December means I have a ready made final figure.

The reality is - if you want to stay away from debt and the painful, dark worried nights that follow an overspend, three things need to be in place.

1) The ability to say NO to yourself and those you love. No we cannot afford a turkey but we can do lots of pigs in blankets.

2) The knowledge of how much you have to spend.

3) The wherewithal to know that Christmas is about love, and thought. Not what is in the wrapper. You and your decisions are good enough, without any of the trimmings.

#christmas #goodenough #getagrip # budget #debtfree #goodenough #budget #Christmas #goodlife #debt #christmasbudget #nomoredebt #merrychristmas #happychristmas #happyholidays #christmastraditions #xmas #happyxmas #happynewyear #debtfreejanuary #debtfree #presents #present #christmaspresent #christmaspresents

Superperson and the budget

How much money can you afford to spend over the Chrismas period? Answering that question is one of the most powerful tools you can have.

Knowing your limit makes you very powerful. It overcomes impulse spending, pressure to conform. It gives strength to your NO.

Knowing your limit reduces anxiety because the number of decisions is reduced, quatered even. “Should I, Shouldn’t I, Could I?, Couldn’t I?” becomes – Is it on the budget list?

Purchases are quicker, the bargains more enjoyable ( £2 on reduced pigs in blankets means more money available for chocolate), 3 for 2 gifts at big stores means more presents in the stockings.

Knowing your budget gives you super powers. Go and be a spending superperson – and spend, spend, spend knowing you have the power to stop, and the reassurance that you have done everything you planned.

#stress #superpowers #budget#budgeting #stressfreechristmas#christmascontrolled

That dirty 6 letter word beginning with B

Budgeting. All the people in the know, all the businesses that know their stuff. budget. They keep control of the finances.

But it rarely happens in family life.

We open the phone, wave the card, flash the cash and don't even think twice.

Which is why there are so many financial headaches in January - the longest month ( or it feels like that) in the year.

Therefore - say no to unplanned spending. Very unromantic and sprinkled with a sceptics " well that's not very nice" because we don't want to be seen as ungenerous. But seriously - if you don't take notice of what the cash is doing - then hey - don't moan when it has misbehaved and January means beans on toast 5 times a week because you overspent.

#budget #budgetisnotadirtyword #bakedbeans #christmas #control#finances#smashingit#goodlife#yougotthis #suerabycounsellor

How to budget? Tune in next time for the next episode of Budget is not Dirty Word