My children are older so we have settled into a routine. I give each child a large gift usually purchased with my credit card points towards the end of the year, I pay my bills on my cards and pay off the cards in full each month. The points add up by the end of the year. I watch my inbox for coupons. During the year, small coupons as small as five dollars will buy a clearance item for my children. I recently purchased large Yankee candles at Staples for 2.00 a piece. Bath and Body Works has a great sale every fall and I buy the girls items for gift baskets for 3.00 a piece. I just did a deal for a personalized mug at Shutterfly and paid 5.00 with a 20.00 coupon. I will make a coffee basket for my daughters boyfriend. This is something that he really enjoys. I watch various blogs and buy deals from Groupon. Honestly most of my gifts are around 10.00 and are valued around 50.00. We cut out most friends and family members a while back. I do buy for a few small children. I try to make my gifts meaningful and try to make them something the recipient really likes. Christmas had lost it's meaning for me when people started naming what they wanted me to buy them. Now, it's small and personal and we love it.
I have a big family so we do secret santa and use a website that draws names for you. It works out well so we only have to buy one gift instead of individual gifts for everyone.
I have not even begun to think about the holidays! Thanksgiving may or may not be at my home this year so that is still TBD. As far as Christmas is concerned, it's so easy to get carried away with stuff and the number of presents under the tree. Especially when you have small children. So it's a lot easier for us now that our children are older to put the focus on fun activities we can do together instead of giving each other more stuff. If someone truly wants/needs something special I try to get it for them but I also set overall spending limits.
I never paid attention much to credit scores as we have lived pretty much debt free. But as I went to make a small loan and was turned down I have did some investigation. Not having credit history as far as loans was a negative? And I had a dental bill from several years ago that I contested and even after I settled it was on my credit history. It was 5 years old and only $215.00 but once I disputed it and it was instantly removed my credit score jumped 115 points in 4 months?? Now my wife and I both have scores over 800 and have had the same bank that turned us down call us to see if we are interested in taking out a Home Equity loan??? America...gotta love it...
the biggest threat to a secure retirement is to not start saving/investing with your first job and doing it with every paycheck. Taking advantage of a matching 401k plan should be a no brainer. The power of compounding is lost on many people. Also maxing out contributions when possible, eliminating debt, avoiding risks with your nest egg, planning for multiple streams of income once retired (social security, pensions, dividends, part time work, etc.) and making catch up contributions once you reach 50 should all be part of everyone's plan. And work at staying healthy to reduce illness, injuries and medical costs. I recently found the site Retirement And Good Living which provides information on all these issues as well as many other retirement topics and also has several retirement and health calculators.
That's a common scam where the check never clears and the bank charges it back to you so you are on the hook for the amount of the check and you lose the money you gave the scammer. Lots of people have fallen for this scam.
Retirement planning is still a hard and complex puzzle to solve for some. Majority of these people end up having less money after retirement. Avoiding this grim situation is possible as long as you keep on exploring your options and taking note of threats that could ruin your retirement.
Being poorly uninsured is one of the threats that people don’t pay much attention too, particularly when it comes to long-term care insurance. A lot of people dismiss the fact that they will need long term care later on or they are confident that their savings and retirement funds are enough to cover all their expenses during retirement.
Make sure you have enough coverage in order to avoid financial woes and to avoid becoming a burden to your family members.
Consider all these things and you will never have to worry about retirement again.
Why oh why can't people just get that your joy in receiving the gift is all that the giver wants, and leave it alone! (IMHO, gifts that come with strings are not gifts but bribes, so yes, avoid these at all costs. I'm not talking about that.) With regard to the people in debt giving an expensive gift, of course you care about your loved ones who are in debt, but that debt is none of your business. It's not like you knew they were in debt and called them and told them you needed money. Geez, people! Unless you are in control of their finances for some reason, stay out of their business! Not that it's any of your business, but unless it's cash, you don't know how they came by the gift they're giving you. In any case, it may be that they are making all their payments on time, and the ability to give a nice gift to you is one of the few bright spots for them, but you want to take that joy away because you don't think they have any business giving an extravagant gift. That's just mean.
I keep a composition book that has a list of whom we give to, what we gift and how much. It dates back from 2010, this allows me to purchase gifts throughout the year, taking advantage of sales and not forgetting, that can be a problem. I try to have 90% of all Christmas purchased by the first of December. This allows me to relax, entertain and focus on being with friends and family and not rushing from one store to the next.
I agree that not all debt is bad. You need debt to leverage and when used wisely, leverage can help you get ahead quicker. However, the key is to be wise!
On the topic of ignoring bills, I note that the #1 problem for people in serious amounts of debt in Australia is ignoring your debt. It's amazing how many people know they're in trouble but pretend it's not happening and carry on as normal.
You sound like a bit of a psychopath but I agree that these tactics won't necessarily work. I've been using many of them myself and, as far as I can tell, I am no closer to being laid off.
We buy through the year so there isn't a holiday rush or impulse buys. We've decided to give our kids four gifts: something to wear, something to read, something you want, and something you need. We have young kids so this helps simplify our list and manages their expectations (it's easier for our kids to decide what they REALLY want if they only get one want/toy)
My children are older so we have settled into a routine. I give each child a large gift usually purchased with my credit card points towards the end of the year, I pay my bills on my cards and pay off the cards in full each month. The points add up by the end of the year. I watch my inbox for coupons. During the year, small coupons as small as five dollars will buy a clearance item for my children. I recently purchased large Yankee candles at Staples for 2.00 a piece. Bath and Body Works has a great sale every fall and I buy the girls items for gift baskets for 3.00 a piece. I just did a deal for a personalized mug at Shutterfly and paid 5.00 with a 20.00 coupon. I will make a coffee basket for my daughters boyfriend. This is something that he really enjoys. I watch various blogs and buy deals from Groupon. Honestly most of my gifts are around 10.00 and are valued around 50.00. We cut out most friends and family members a while back. I do buy for a few small children. I try to make my gifts meaningful and try to make them something the recipient really likes. Christmas had lost it's meaning for me when people started naming what they wanted me to buy them. Now, it's small and personal and we love it.
I have a big family so we do secret santa and use a website that draws names for you. It works out well so we only have to buy one gift instead of individual gifts for everyone.
I have not even begun to think about the holidays! Thanksgiving may or may not be at my home this year so that is still TBD. As far as Christmas is concerned, it's so easy to get carried away with stuff and the number of presents under the tree. Especially when you have small children. So it's a lot easier for us now that our children are older to put the focus on fun activities we can do together instead of giving each other more stuff. If someone truly wants/needs something special I try to get it for them but I also set overall spending limits.
I never paid attention much to credit scores as we have lived pretty much debt free. But as I went to make a small loan and was turned down I have did some investigation. Not having credit history as far as loans was a negative? And I had a dental bill from several years ago that I contested and even after I settled it was on my credit history. It was 5 years old and only $215.00 but once I disputed it and it was instantly removed my credit score jumped 115 points in 4 months?? Now my wife and I both have scores over 800 and have had the same bank that turned us down call us to see if we are interested in taking out a Home Equity loan??? America...gotta love it...
the biggest threat to a secure retirement is to not start saving/investing with your first job and doing it with every paycheck. Taking advantage of a matching 401k plan should be a no brainer. The power of compounding is lost on many people. Also maxing out contributions when possible, eliminating debt, avoiding risks with your nest egg, planning for multiple streams of income once retired (social security, pensions, dividends, part time work, etc.) and making catch up contributions once you reach 50 should all be part of everyone's plan. And work at staying healthy to reduce illness, injuries and medical costs. I recently found the site Retirement And Good Living which provides information on all these issues as well as many other retirement topics and also has several retirement and health calculators.
That's a common scam where the check never clears and the bank charges it back to you so you are on the hook for the amount of the check and you lose the money you gave the scammer. Lots of people have fallen for this scam.
I go shopping for gifts throughout the year when there is a sale. I use coupons and also buy at yard sales so I canals a stockpile of gifts.
I can't believe my best friends I've been hanging out are completely JERKS! They are everything of the 11 signs!! And they never saw how I feel! UGH!!
Btw 12. If they make fun of you..
Retirement planning is still a hard and complex puzzle to solve for some. Majority of these people end up having less money after retirement. Avoiding this grim situation is possible as long as you keep on exploring your options and taking note of threats that could ruin your retirement.
Being poorly uninsured is one of the threats that people don’t pay much attention too, particularly when it comes to long-term care insurance. A lot of people dismiss the fact that they will need long term care later on or they are confident that their savings and retirement funds are enough to cover all their expenses during retirement.
Make sure you have enough coverage in order to avoid financial woes and to avoid becoming a burden to your family members.
Consider all these things and you will never have to worry about retirement again.
Wrong! I'm going on the forth alternator in 3 weeks. Fourth will be new.
Why oh why can't people just get that your joy in receiving the gift is all that the giver wants, and leave it alone! (IMHO, gifts that come with strings are not gifts but bribes, so yes, avoid these at all costs. I'm not talking about that.) With regard to the people in debt giving an expensive gift, of course you care about your loved ones who are in debt, but that debt is none of your business. It's not like you knew they were in debt and called them and told them you needed money. Geez, people! Unless you are in control of their finances for some reason, stay out of their business! Not that it's any of your business, but unless it's cash, you don't know how they came by the gift they're giving you. In any case, it may be that they are making all their payments on time, and the ability to give a nice gift to you is one of the few bright spots for them, but you want to take that joy away because you don't think they have any business giving an extravagant gift. That's just mean.
I keep a composition book that has a list of whom we give to, what we gift and how much. It dates back from 2010, this allows me to purchase gifts throughout the year, taking advantage of sales and not forgetting, that can be a problem. I try to have 90% of all Christmas purchased by the first of December. This allows me to relax, entertain and focus on being with friends and family and not rushing from one store to the next.
I have my house that needs to be fixed up.
i stay frugal by planning out my shopping list and trips
I shop on Amazon and leverage my Prime membership to save lots of money.
Skip the lunch out and coffee shop break.
I agree that not all debt is bad. You need debt to leverage and when used wisely, leverage can help you get ahead quicker. However, the key is to be wise!
On the topic of ignoring bills, I note that the #1 problem for people in serious amounts of debt in Australia is ignoring your debt. It's amazing how many people know they're in trouble but pretend it's not happening and carry on as normal.
You sound like a bit of a psychopath but I agree that these tactics won't necessarily work. I've been using many of them myself and, as far as I can tell, I am no closer to being laid off.
Set a budget for gifts and stick to it.
You guys are awesome!!! Please keep up the good work! Thanks for posting.
I always make a budget and stick to it. I do start early and get a little each month so that it does not all hit at once.
Love this, thanks!
We don't get crazy with gift giving and I also do a Christmas Club at the bank so I have the cash I need to go shopping.
We buy through the year so there isn't a holiday rush or impulse buys. We've decided to give our kids four gifts: something to wear, something to read, something you want, and something you need. We have young kids so this helps simplify our list and manages their expectations (it's easier for our kids to decide what they REALLY want if they only get one want/toy)
Pay off the interest: the interest capitalizes at the end of your grace period too.