Don’t Wait Until January to Think About Budgeting

by Lynnae on November 2, 2009 · 15 comments

Holiday Budgeting

It’s November, and people are thinking about buying Christmas presents, shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, and all the other little expenses that go along with two months of holidays.

There’s a temptation to bury your head in the sand, pull out the credit card for expenses, and deal with the aftermath in January.  I know.  I’ve been there.  But do you really want to do that?  Are you really going to be better able to pay for Christmas come January than you are right now?  Probably not.  So don’t set yourself up for budgeting failure.

This month I’m going to be focusing on controlling spending during the holiday season.  To get you started, here are a few guidelines to live by.

Make a Holiday Wish List

Determine what you absolutely need to buy this holiday season.  This is going to vary from person to person, based on your lifestyle and priorities.  Things on your list might include:

  • Food for hosting dinners or holiday parties
  • Gifts (How many per person?  Know the answer to this before you shop)
  • Christmas Tree
  • Christmas Cards
  • Stamps
  • Christmas Outfits
  • Photos

The list could include all of these items, or just a few.  And the list could contain many more items.  The important thing is that you make a list of your expectations.

Compare Your Ideals to Reality

Next compare all the things on your list to the reality of the money you have available.  If you have plenty of money to cover your holiday expenses, without sacrificing life’s necessities or running up the credit card debt, you’re finished.

But if your holiday wish list exceeds your ability to pay for it, you’re going to have to adjust your thinking.

Cut Your Holiday Budget

You have some tough decisions to make, if you don’t want to rack up holiday debt.  Begin thinking of ways you can save money on the holidays.

  • Shop for bargains on gifts…or make your own
  • If you have an informal family, consider potlucking big holiday dinners.  My family does this every year, and it takes a lot of stress off the host.
  • Trim your Christmas card list.  Or do what I did one year and send Easter cards instead.  Moving the expense of sending cards to a different month gives you time to save for stamps.
  • Do you have a friend who could take a great family picture, instead of using a studio?  You can often find bargains on printing your photos online.
  • I don’t know about other areas of the country, but in Oregon you can get a permit to cut your own Christmas tree for $5.  Pack some soup in a thermos, head up to the snow, and make a family day of getting a cheap Christmas tree.

These are just a few ideas for cutting your holiday budget.  I’ll be focusing on more ideas as the month goes on.

Don’t Cut the Holiday Fun

Make a second list.  This list should contain fun things you can do that cost little (or no) extra money.  Your frugal holiday list might include:

  • Christmas caroling
  • Watching holiday specials on TV (make sure to pop some popcorn)
  • Baking cookies or making candy
  • Looking at Christmas lights
  • Writing in a Thanksgiving Journal
  • Attending free community or church events
  • Reading holiday books with your kids

Make sure you ask your kids for input, too.  My kids always have fun, creative suggestions for holiday activities.

Consider Giving Back

A great way to take the focus off your own lack of money is to focus on people who are even less fortunate.  And there are always people who are less well off.

This time of year there are many ways go give.

  • Salvation Army buckets
  • Operation Christmas Child
  • Holiday Trees (the ones in the store, where you pick a child’s name off the tree and buy gifts for that child)
  • Toys for Tots
  • Baking cookies for shut ins
  • Visiting nursing homes and taking the time to talk with residents who have no relatives nearby.

If you look for ways to give, the possibilities are endless.  And giving will not only bring joy to the receiver, but also to you, the giver.

Are you mindful of your holiday budget?  Or are you going to worry about it later?

Photo by mangpages.

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You Tell Me: The Future of the United States

by Lynnae on October 30, 2009 · 23 comments

United States Debt

Since Halloween is approaching, I thought I’d give myself a good scare.  I decided to take a look at the U.S. National Debt Clock.  As of the time of this writing (Thursday evening), the national debt of the United States is…hold on to your hats, folks…

$11,897,603,494,874.04

Yikes.  According to the Debt Clock website, that works out to about $38,730.25 per person.  In addition, the national debt continues to increase by an average of $3.79 billion (yes, that’s billion) per day.  Scary stuff for sure.

We can try to point fingers as to who is responsible, but the fact is that politicians on both sides of the aisle like to spend more than this country earns, which I think is highly unfortunate.

I’ll admit that I get a little depressed when thinking about the mess my children will have to mop up. And I start to question whether a country with so much debt can sustain itself for long.  Yes, we are a super-power.  But for how long?

Yesterday the big news was that the GDP (gross domestic product) grew 3.5% in the third quarter.  That’s good news today, but what about the bigger picture?  That national debt is growing much faster than the GDP.

If I, as an individual, were to continue to spend more than I earned, eventually I would reach a point where bankruptcy is inevitable. If I racked up the credit card debt and refused to change my spendthrift habits, there would be no recovery for me.

Is it the same with the national debt?  My concern is that politicians on both sides of the aisle are so wrapped up in the four year election cycle, that they don’t think beyond the next four years.

We’ve reached a point where everything is so political, so heated, that politicians will do anything, anything to gain the votes of the people.  There’s no hope for long term change, because politicians aren’t interested in long term change.  They’re interested in saving their jobs.

This is, of course, my opinion, and I’m sure that there are some great representatives in Washington who are truly concerned about the welfare of the people.  But for the most part, it doesn’t feel that way to me.

What are the answers?  I don’t know.  I’m not hopeful for our country’s future.  At the same time, I know that God is in control, and I don’t need to worry about tomorrow.  I’m concerned, but not panicked.  But the sociology major in me likes to ponder these things, so I’m pondering away.

I’m interested in what you think, too.  Is the debt troublesome?  Can we get out from under it?  Is there any hope for change, given the animosity between the parties in Washington?  What’s the solution?

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Cheap and Simple Home Decorating

by Lynnae on October 29, 2009 · 7 comments

Home decorating isn’t my forte.  I think it’s because I’m more logical than artistic.  Still, I’m always looking for ways to make my home more beautiful and homey.  And of course, anything I do has to involve little money.

So I went to flickr to look for inspiration.  Here’s what I found.

Bowl of Fruit

Fruit in a decorative bowl.  Simple, cheap, appetizing.  This would look wonderful on a table or counter.

Fresh Cut Flowers

Fresh cut flowers in a simple jar.  You don’t even have to buy a fancy vase, though vases aren’t hard to come by at Goodwill.  A small jar of flowers would look great on a bookshelf.

Kids Art

Frame your kids’ art and make a nice arrangement on the wall.  You don’t need expensive frames.  I love this idea, as it shows the kids that they’re appreciated.

Pillows

I love throw pillows!  They make a living room look so inviting and cozy.  A long time ago, a friend of mine gave me a very frugal throw pillow tip.  Buy cheap throw pillows at garage sales, even if you don’t like them.  You can cheaply re-cover them with fabric you find on clearance to make them look any way you like.

If you keep your eyes open, you can find lots of cheap ways to decorate your home.  And by using things you already have around the house or things you pick up at a bargain, your home decor will be unique and inviting.

Photos by lepiaf.geo, lizjones112, JamesKidsArts, and back_garage.

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