Financially, unless you are Bill Gates, you will find there are times you feel less broke than others. Over the years there will be times of greater income and less bills for various reasons and times when it all catches up to you and you are strapped.
It is good to remember that the lean times may reappear when you have some extra cash. Spending habits you get in to when you are flush may be hard to maintain when you are broke. Getting those highlights every 8 weeks become less vital when you are counting your pennies.
This is true when it comes to Christmas too. When money is flowing it is easy to go crazy at Christmas and precedent gets set that may be hard to meet in the coming years. This is tricky where kids are involved, Santa doesn't often hit a financial speed bump, but amongst adults it can be nipped in the bud.
A friend and I sat down over breakfast last weekend and came up with a budget for Christmas gifts for one another. Now we have been friends for a loooooonnnngggg time and are more than comfortable having such a talk. It was honest, brief and to the point. You should enter such a conversation only if you are certain the other person understands and will not be hurt by your desire to dial back on Christmas.
Certainly friends and loved ones should love you for you and not the presents you buy, but we have so hyped up Christmas that it can be a touchy subject.
If you are having one of those financial up years also be cautious of adding people to your gift giving list. If you didn't buy someone a gift in the lean years starting now sets a precedent for future years. Instead consider going out for a nice dinner, spending time with a person can be a lot more fulfilling than a gift.
There is so much to be stressed out about at the holidays, addressing any budget concerns now can alleviate some of that stress early, leaving you plenty of time to fret over Aunt Polly's unwavering allegiance to Sarah Palin.
No comments:
Post a Comment