Posts Tagged ‘holiday spending’

Destroy Your Holiday Debt

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:

  1. Add it up! – This is no time to wimp out or stick your head in the sand. Pull all of your statements together [more...]
  2. Get Strategic. – Figure out what you need to start paying off first. It is tempting to pay the lowest balance first. [more...]
  3. 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

Take A Financial Holiday

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

How to Bring Your Love and Money Together for the Holidays

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:

  1. Money Personalities: The holidays bring out the strengths and challenges of every Money Personality. [more...]
  2. The Gift List: Work together to figure out who you need to buy for.  If money is tight this year, consider [more...]
  3. Spending limits: Before you set foot in a store or do any online shopping, know what you can spend [more...]
  4. Timing: Last-minute shopping usually leads to overspending.  If you haven’t already, start [more...]
  5. 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

Enjoying the Holidays Without Financial Breakdown

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.

Taking a Financial Holiday

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.

No Holiday Headaches!!!

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

We find that regardless of a couples’ income, holiday spending can quickly become a battlefield. One of you spends too much, one of you spends too little. Someone splurges when they should have skimped, someone saves when they should have shopped.

The key to making it through the holidays with your sanity-and your budget-intact is…  Click to Read Complete Money Couple Minute Here.

How to Handle Holiday Spending?

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.