Posts Tagged ‘Christmas spending’
Monday, January 30th, 2012
The party is over and now the bills are rolling in. A recent poll cites that Americans spent 548 billion dollars during the holidays (Answers.com). How do you recover and get 2012 off to a great start? Here are three tips to get you and your budget back on track:
- Add it up! – This is no time to wimp out or stick your head in the sand. Pull all of your statements together [more...]
- Get Strategic. – Figure out what you need to start paying off first. It is tempting to pay the lowest balance first. [more...]
- Work as a team! – If you are married, be sure to agree on your approach. Couples that agree on how to approach and tackle holiday debt together get their debt paid off [more...]
[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]
Scott & Bethany Palmer
Make it Happen!
The Money Couple
Tags: Christmas spending, dealing with debt, financial communication, financial relationship, flyer, holiday spending, love and money, money communication, money huddle, money relationship, risk taker, saver, security seeker, spender
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
Seriously? The Money Couple says, “Take a Financial Holiday”? That doesn’t mean throw all reason out the window but we know this time of year can be stressful… let’s face it , ALL of the 5 Money Personalities™ find stress around this time of year:
Savers stress because the savings are dwindling,
Spenders are going crazy with the gift giving,
Risk Takers are “going for it”,
Security Seekers are holding on to their lists; and
Flyers, well, the gift giving isn’t on the radar quite yet
So together take a financial holiday, kick your feet up and enjoy the reason for the season!! That’s right, the Money Couple just told you not to think about money. We recognize that it’s not easy to stop thinking about your finances during what is often the most expensive season of the year. But spending energy talking about money right now will only take away from what should be a peaceful, joyful time filled with family and friends. Here’s how to let go of the stress and enjoy your holidays:
[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]
Make it Happen!
The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer
Tags: Christmas spending, financial communication, financial relationship, flyer, gift spending, holiday spending, love and money, money communication, money fights, money huddle, money personalities, money relationship, risk taker, saver, security seeker, spender
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Monday, December 5th, 2011
The holiday season brings with it beloved traditions, joyous memories, and happy moments with friends and family. And plenty of good old-fashioned financial stress!
For so many couples, the holidays are a minefield of difficult money decisions. How do we stick to a budget and still give meaningful gifts? Do we really need to buy a gift for Great Aunt Martha? Where are we going to get the money to pay for all of this stuff? With so many money-based decisions coming in the midst of all the other stressors of the holiday season, it’s more important than ever that your money communication stays strong.
Start this holiday season with a Money Huddle to check in on expectations and create a spending plan that won’t leave you broke come January. Here’s what you need to cover:
- Money Personalities: The holidays bring out the strengths and challenges of every Money Personality. [more...]
- The Gift List: Work together to figure out who you need to buy for. If money is tight this year, consider [more...]
- Spending limits: Before you set foot in a store or do any online shopping, know what you can spend [more...]
- Timing: Last-minute shopping usually leads to overspending. If you haven’t already, start [more...]
- Check-ins: Plan on weekly Money Huddles to make sure you’re staying on track. [more...]
[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]
Make it Happen!
The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer
Tags: Christmas spending, financial communication, flyer, gift spending, holiday giving ideas, holiday spending, love and money, money communication, money huddle, money personalities, money relationship, overspending at holidays, risk taker, saver, security seeker, spender
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Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Credit cards are one of the major issues of tension and fighting in relationships. Couples that have a
Spender or a
Risk Taker Money Personality have to be especially careful. But never fear, couples and cards can mix, here’s how:
- Become strategic and intentional as a couple! – In your next Money Huddle talk about how you [more...]
- On-line shopping protection – Credit cards can give you a level of protection that you have to have! In case of [more...]
- Rental Car – Many cards protect the driver while renting a car. This is a great benefit and you should [more...]
- Organizes your expenses at the end of the year – Many cards will give you a consolidated report, itemizing your [more...]
- Airline miles! – If used properly, you can build miles for upcoming work trips and vacations. Using miles is [more...]
[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]
Make it Happen!
The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer
Tags: Christmas spending, Credit cards, Debit Cards, debt, financial communication, financial infidelity, flyer, gift spending, holiday giving ideas, love and money, money communication, money fights, money huddle, money personalities, risk taker, saver, security seeker, spender
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
As you look to the months ahead, consider these statistics:
- National Retail Federation reports that consumers are expected to spend $4.75 billion dollars on Halloween this year.
- According to mymoneyblog.com the average family spends $302 during Thanksgiving weekend.
- According to wikianswers.com the average family spends $1000 during the Christmas holiday season.
Remember, just about every holiday discussion has a money component. So how do you approach this “battlefield” and fall forward together? Here are some Money Huddle conversation starters. Use them – or your own ideas – to get the discussion going. And be ready to compromise with your spouse as you work together to find new ways to approach this season of traditions:
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas
[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]
Make it Happen!
The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer
Tags: Christmas spending, financial communication, financial relationship, flyer, gift spending, holiday giving ideas, love and money, money communication, money huddle, money personalities, overspending at holidays, risk taker, saver, security seeker, spender
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Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
The holiday season is meant to be a time of joy, peace, and celebration. But because money plays a role in a lot of the decisions and often times we don’t agree, all that joy and peace is often squelched. The average American spends more than $800 on Christmas each year – whether they can afford it or not. The Spender isn’t affected and the Saver is not so happy. Add in travel costs, extra groceries, and the price of holiday concerts and events and the season can go from merry to miserable in no time.
With a little communication, and a little planning, you can avoid letting shopping stress derail your relationship and your holiday.
Click to read the complete Money Couple Minute on Enjoying the Holidays without Financial Breakdown.
Tags: Christmas spending, financial communication, gift spending, holiday spending, overspending at holidays
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Thursday, December 17th, 2009
If you’re like the vast majority of families, your finances have gone through the ringer this year. Maybe you’ve changed jobs—or are still looking for one. Maybe you’ve lost your retirement funds and are trying to figure out how you’ll make it through the next year. Maybe you’re still doing okay but worry that the hard times are coming for you, too. Whatever your financial situation, we encourage you to spend the last two weeks of the year thinking about anything but your money. That’s right, the Money Couple just told you not to think about money. Take a look at this week’s Money Couple Minute, Taking a Financial Holiday, and find out some practical ways to just enjoy the holiday season with family and friends.
Tags: Christmas spending, financial communication, gift spending, holiday spending, money communication, taking a financial holiday
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Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Here was an idea we received from one of our readers that we couldn’t resist passing along…
“Just yesterday our kids took some money they had been saving for a few months and used it to each buy their own assortment of hats, gloves and socks. My husband and I bought our own pile too. We handed out over 40 pairs of gloves, 40 hats and 40 socks to the homeless people standing outside. The kids had their own bags and got to individually hand them out. The worst part was that there were still more people we didn’t get to bless because we ran out, so we are thinking of doing it again.”
Let us know if you have any other ideas to communicate good giving habits to your kids by emailing us at info@themoneycouple.com
Tags: Christmas spending, generous kids, holiday giving ideas, kids and giving
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Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Every parent wants to raise compassionate, generous children. Giving to others should and can be fun, it doesn’t have to be the financial equivalent of eating your vegetables. With the right approach, practicing generosity can build family unity, develop a deep sense of compassion in your kids, and teach them invaluable financial communication skills that will carry over into their everyday lives.
Take a look at this weeks Money Couple Minute on “Getting Your Kids Excited About Giving.” In it you’ll find some practical and fun ways to get your kids involved in a positive way this holiday season. While you’re there, be sure to check out the other Money Couple Minutes for the holidays.
Tags: Christmas spending, communicating with kids about money, financial budget, financial communication, kids and money, kids and spending
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
For many couples, the holidays are a minefield of difficult money decisions. How do we stick to a budget and still give meaningful gifts? Do we really need to buy a gift for Great Aunt Martha? Where are we going to get the money to pay for all of this stuff?
With so many money-based decisions coming in the midst of all the other stressful events of the holiday season, it’s more important than ever that your financial communication stays strong.
Start this holiday season with a Money Huddle to check in on expectations and create a spending plan that won’t leave you broke come January. The Money Huddle will help you get on track and prioritize your spending. It will also keep you from out of control spending because you will be able to determine goals and limits ahead of time.
Discover the strategies to create your gift list, set spending limits, plan your time to shop, learn how weekly check-ins help, and how your Money Personalities will affect how you and your spouse handle your holiday spending in this weeks Money Couple Minute: How to Handle Holiday Spending.
Tags: Add new tag, Christmas spending, financial budget, financial communication, financial infidelity, gift spending, holiday spending, money communication, money huddle, overspending, overspending at holidays, the money couple
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