There was a part of me that worried it was a little early to start talking about the holidays this week. But I knew people needed time to both prepare and save money for the fun, but often spendy holiday season. It was then that I realized we are only 3 short months away from Christmas. Where does the time go?
Of course, it was blistering hot in LA last week, which made it hard to reconcile 90+ degree weather with Santa Claus. Granted in Southern California, he is more likely to wear board shorts and surf than wear a big red suit, even in December. 🙂
On Monday, I shared How To Create Your Holiday Budget and Avoid Debt. The holidays come around every year at the same time and yet for so many of us, it’s a budget buster and we start the new year with new debt. A little bit of planning, saving and prioritizing can help you have the magical holidays you desire without breaking your piggy bank or giving your credit card a workout.
Tanya shared 7 DIY Holiday Gifts that Your Friends and Family Will Love on Wednesday. From bath salts to custom spice blends, homemade gifts can be a way to tailor presents without spending a fortune. It’s also a great opportunity to involve your entire family too. Your kids will be incredibly proud to give these gifts to their teachers, grandparents and more.
These are my favorite posts from the past week. Enjoy!
Travis from Enemy of Debt announced that Credit Cards Are Not For Me. Travis and his wife decided to test the waters and see if they could handle credit cards again after eliminating more than $100K in consumer debt. The verdict? No, they can’t. I applaud Travis and Vonnie for both attempting and recognizing that credit cards are a gateway to mindless spending and return to bad habits for them. Credit cards are not evil, but they are also not for everyone.
Kassadra at More Than Just Money had a great a-ha moment in Ground Stop Reminder. Circling in the air while waiting for her plane to have permission to continue to LGA, Kassandra realized how easy it is to get stuck in holding patterns financially and in general. We complain about our situation but do nothing. Kassandra is challenging herself (and by extension us) to implement positive action and get unstuck.
Holly over at Club Thrifty asked Could You Survive on SNAP Benefits? Holly was challenged by a friend to see if she could feed her family for two days on $22. While she did, she also noted that her access to transportation and stores with fresh produce and great prices aided in her ability to do so and is a luxury not everyone has. An interesting exercise and to me, a reminder about the importance of teaching our kids how to shop smart and cook. Holly already had those skills and sadly many kids do not.
Stefanie from The Broke and Beautiful Life shared some of learnings from FinCon in Pursuit of Millionaires: Secrets to Success. Inspired by keynote speaker, Jeff Goins, Stefanie shares a thought-provoking post on how real success is achieved.
Michelle from Making Sense of Cents shared How to Become Financially Stable and Keep the Job You Love. People may say luck got Michelle to where she is today but she shows the specific steps she took to create both the financial stability and job she loves.
Well, that’s a wrap for this week. What are your plans this weekend?
The Heavy Purse Store is now open! My new downloadable Money Club Workbooks are now on sale. Each workbook provides five targeted lessons to help you raise Financially Confident Kids. Please check them out in The Heavy Purse Store.
SHANNON RYAN, CFP®
Thanks for mentioning my article. I hope you have an awesome weekend.
Holly