I pulled this right off of his newsletter. We were just talking about this in class. Here it is.
Top 10 Christmas Shopping Mistakes
We’ve all paid “stupid tax”—making costly decisions with zeros on the end. A lot of those decisions happen when we’re caught up in the emotion of the Christmas season and procrastinate a little too long.
Make this year different!
Here are the top 10 Christmas shopping mistakes and how you can act differently:
Not prioritizing.Instead of getting stressed out with all the parties, baking and shopping, in addition to your normal daily life, set some priorities before you’re bombarded with a million requests. Think about which things are “must do” and which are “would be nice to do.” It’s all right to say no to keep yourself sane. Shopping for gifts is more fun when you’re not completely stressed out.
Not using a budget.Before you make a gift list and head to the mall, set aside a reasonable amount of money for gifts. Make a commitment that you won’t add $20 to the fund every week just because you saw something cute that your niece would love. Get budgeting advice here.
Using credit cards.Once you have your budget finalized, stay away from credit cards! You will still spend 12-18% more if you use plastic, and you’ll be paying it off come 2009! Doesn’t paying with cash sound more freeing than having a credit card balance looming over your head? You bet.
Buying for everyone.Do you really need to buy gifts for every family member and friend you have? That can get overwhelming and expensive for everyone. Talk with them and work toward an agreement to draw names for gifts or donate money to a common cause.
Not listening.Listen to the hints your loved ones drop about what they need or want this year. Maybe your Aunt Sally mentioned that she would love someone to help her in the garden, or Cousin Bob keeps losing guitar picks. A thoughtful gift like this will mean a lot.
Not having a thought-out list on paper. If you think you can spend time in “Christmas retail world” without getting distracted by all the shiny toys, you’re in for a big surprise! You’ll be more likely to buy impulsively if you do it that way. Write down what each person you’re buying for would like and stick to the list. Stay focused!
Not shopping around.“Shopping around” doesn’t mean you have to spend 24 extra hours running from store to store to save 10 cents. Take a look at your gift list and do some comparative price-checking online before you head out into the retail and traffic madness. This will save you money, time and stress!
Waiting until the last minute.Procrastination is not the most appealing gift out there. Don’t find yourself stressed out on Christmas Eve just because you didn’t invest a little bit of time to plan.
Forgetting to plan for next year.Throughout the next year, look for outrageous sales on things your loved ones will need. If you time the sales just right and clip some coupons, you could land a major discount on something you were going to buy in a few months for a birthday or wedding gift. Remember to have a list and budget for this, too.
Forgetting why we celebrate.If this season becomes all about shopping and gifts, you’ve missed the whole point. People—not things—matter. The miraculous birth of a baby who changed the world is what matters.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Curb Holiday Spending
It is truly amazing how many articles, news stories and blogs you find now - all about budgeting, all about saving money. When we all first walked through the doors of our preview lesson many of us were interested in saving money, but we were weird. Now being weird is normal. Amen to that!
I don't know about you, but many of our debts stem from spending too much at Christmas and falling into the trap of "I am tired, I waited until the last minute to go shopping - I just need two more things and I am done." I was a teacher, I had virtually no time to plan Christmas and no time to pay attention to prices. I would wait until the last minute and spend one long, miserable day shopping. I am not exactly the shopping type, so I would choose a few stores and just attack my list. Only to find that I spent way too much and lost my holiday spirit, due to being stressed or worse yet, being around other grumpy, stressed shoppers.
This article basically outlines what we have already been taught from the class, but thought I would pass it along.
In addition:
1. www.woot.com An online one day, one item sale site - great deals, check it out every day for steals on anything from wine to electronics.
2. www.amazon.com Many of you use this anyway, but for us - I check out several websites and price around. This site offers free shipping at times and other holiday deals.
3. www.craigslist.com Okay, I used to stay away from this site due to the racy crowds, but you can find a good deal on slightly used items. (We post some of our stuff there and its free, unlike Ebay).
4. Keep your receipts and check periodically on prices - you can take the item and your receipt back and get the difference! I do that quite often! And make sure you do the work for rebates - these companies count on you to be lazy or wait until it is too late to turn in the paperwork! Don't forget!
Blessings!
I don't know about you, but many of our debts stem from spending too much at Christmas and falling into the trap of "I am tired, I waited until the last minute to go shopping - I just need two more things and I am done." I was a teacher, I had virtually no time to plan Christmas and no time to pay attention to prices. I would wait until the last minute and spend one long, miserable day shopping. I am not exactly the shopping type, so I would choose a few stores and just attack my list. Only to find that I spent way too much and lost my holiday spirit, due to being stressed or worse yet, being around other grumpy, stressed shoppers.
This article basically outlines what we have already been taught from the class, but thought I would pass it along.
In addition:
1. www.woot.com An online one day, one item sale site - great deals, check it out every day for steals on anything from wine to electronics.
2. www.amazon.com Many of you use this anyway, but for us - I check out several websites and price around. This site offers free shipping at times and other holiday deals.
3. www.craigslist.com Okay, I used to stay away from this site due to the racy crowds, but you can find a good deal on slightly used items. (We post some of our stuff there and its free, unlike Ebay).
4. Keep your receipts and check periodically on prices - you can take the item and your receipt back and get the difference! I do that quite often! And make sure you do the work for rebates - these companies count on you to be lazy or wait until it is too late to turn in the paperwork! Don't forget!
Blessings!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Week 9 Totals
The numbers are in and they are awesome! I can't tell you how proud I am at how well you are all doing.
Money Saved $46,251
Debt Paid $80,629
Keep Chasing That Cheetah!
Money Saved $46,251
Debt Paid $80,629
Keep Chasing That Cheetah!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Money Saved and Debt Paid - 6 Week Totals
The numbers are in. Not 100% accurate, but in none the less.
Through 6 weeks the class has paid $18,276 in debt and saved $31,060
Not bad since we have yet to even complete our first full month of "living like no one else."
These numbers will grow dramatically as you grow dramatically. I told the class this last night but I think it is worth repeating.
If you are embarassed by the numbers you wrote down, or you left your card blank, (there were several of you), then I challenge you to do something about it. It's time to start living like no one else so you can start winning. Don't quit. Don't lose hope and become Practice the goat. If it bothers you that you are not saving and paying off like you want, then get mad and do something. Have a yard sale. Start eating beans and rice for dinner. Cancel your cable. Sell something. Feeling sorry for yourself won't get it done. If you need help or encouragement, then call me. Go Get Gazelle Intense!
Through 6 weeks the class has paid $18,276 in debt and saved $31,060
Not bad since we have yet to even complete our first full month of "living like no one else."
These numbers will grow dramatically as you grow dramatically. I told the class this last night but I think it is worth repeating.
If you are embarassed by the numbers you wrote down, or you left your card blank, (there were several of you), then I challenge you to do something about it. It's time to start living like no one else so you can start winning. Don't quit. Don't lose hope and become Practice the goat. If it bothers you that you are not saving and paying off like you want, then get mad and do something. Have a yard sale. Start eating beans and rice for dinner. Cancel your cable. Sell something. Feeling sorry for yourself won't get it done. If you need help or encouragement, then call me. Go Get Gazelle Intense!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Class Debt Totals are in...
$2,973,208.20
That number represents about 60 of the 65 people in our class, and the 37 households that responded. If you take the number above and divide it by the number of responses, we are left with an average debt (not including personal residence mortgages) of $80,356.98 per household!
This is where the rubber meets the road in this class. This is where you either become "practice the goat", and quit, or you are Gazelle Intense and you run for your life. It sucks to be in debt! No one knows that better that Stacie and I do. Our total debt (mortgage included) just about equals that giant number above. Giving up will not help. Filing for bankruptcy is not the answer.
You wandered into debt but you cannot wander out. Run! Run from the Cheetah! Do whatever it takes to get your life back. Isn't it worth it in the end? If it took you 5 years but you were debt free, how would that change the rest of your life? The time is now.
No one has quit yet, don't be the first. See you next week.
That number represents about 60 of the 65 people in our class, and the 37 households that responded. If you take the number above and divide it by the number of responses, we are left with an average debt (not including personal residence mortgages) of $80,356.98 per household!
This is where the rubber meets the road in this class. This is where you either become "practice the goat", and quit, or you are Gazelle Intense and you run for your life. It sucks to be in debt! No one knows that better that Stacie and I do. Our total debt (mortgage included) just about equals that giant number above. Giving up will not help. Filing for bankruptcy is not the answer.
You wandered into debt but you cannot wander out. Run! Run from the Cheetah! Do whatever it takes to get your life back. Isn't it worth it in the end? If it took you 5 years but you were debt free, how would that change the rest of your life? The time is now.
No one has quit yet, don't be the first. See you next week.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Cutting Coupons
Act of Kindness relating to Coupons:
Okay, so what do I do with all those coupons I don't end up using? If you are like me, I don't use all those coupons that I get in my paper and I end up throwing them away, not to mention I end up not using some of the ones I have already clipped. Want to do something great? I found this website that linked me to something great - a way to give. Our service families that are stationed overseas need our help. We can send our coupons that we don't use, that are expired up to 2 months and it will help them save money. We adopt a base and follow a few simple rules, and send the coupons overseas. The families get to use them up to 6 months expired and it helps a ton.
I have already started saving my coupons. I wanted to do this through our church, but do to recent changes, we will post-pone adopting a base for now. So, I am still choosing to adopt a base and send what I have already collected. Want to help me? If you do, send me an email and I will explain it. I think a side benefit we can all gain besides helping someone else, is we can even trade / swap coupons together and what we don't use, we can send off to them.
If you want some help at the grocery store and a way to get more coupons:
http://www.couponmom.com/ - this was mentioned on the Oprah show today, it looks like a ton of resources for you!
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.smartspendingresources.com/resources.html ( a ton of resources on ways to save money - coupons, family freebies, etc. I would recommend going to the articles tab as well, for other things to ponder)
If you want to start your own Act of Kindness and adopt your own base withing your church:
http://www.ocpnet.org/
If you want to help the cause and pool our resources, I would love it! Let me know.
Melanie
Okay, so what do I do with all those coupons I don't end up using? If you are like me, I don't use all those coupons that I get in my paper and I end up throwing them away, not to mention I end up not using some of the ones I have already clipped. Want to do something great? I found this website that linked me to something great - a way to give. Our service families that are stationed overseas need our help. We can send our coupons that we don't use, that are expired up to 2 months and it will help them save money. We adopt a base and follow a few simple rules, and send the coupons overseas. The families get to use them up to 6 months expired and it helps a ton.
I have already started saving my coupons. I wanted to do this through our church, but do to recent changes, we will post-pone adopting a base for now. So, I am still choosing to adopt a base and send what I have already collected. Want to help me? If you do, send me an email and I will explain it. I think a side benefit we can all gain besides helping someone else, is we can even trade / swap coupons together and what we don't use, we can send off to them.
If you want some help at the grocery store and a way to get more coupons:
http://www.couponmom.com/ - this was mentioned on the Oprah show today, it looks like a ton of resources for you!
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.smartspendingresources.com/resources.html ( a ton of resources on ways to save money - coupons, family freebies, etc. I would recommend going to the articles tab as well, for other things to ponder)
If you want to start your own Act of Kindness and adopt your own base withing your church:
http://www.ocpnet.org/
If you want to help the cause and pool our resources, I would love it! Let me know.
Melanie
Money Saving Tips on the Oprah Show Today 10/8
Okay, the chatter on the news and on the Internet is all money-minded. Over and over again, we are hearing that America has been living beyond its means and the credit market is stretched too thin. Wow, I am so thankful I am taking FPU at this time! I feel ahead of the cheetah (even just a 1/2 step is enough at this point). I tuned in on the Oprah show today because it had something I was interested in - the Thriftiest Family in America. What are they doing to save a buck, I wondered?
I wanted to pass on the link from the show to help my fellow Gazelles. What can you do to live within your means? If you go to the above link there is help on cutting costs at the Grocery Store, as well as other ways to save. The gist of the show today was making a mind-shift and being aware of where you are spending your money. I think many of us are worried that our quality of life may change, however as they kept pointing out its quality time you spend with family and friends, not the things. The Thriftiest Family also stated to do a lot of research in taking advantage of local resources to have fun, i.e. renting a DVD or Video from your Local Library for free, eating at restaurants where children eat for free, or using coupons. I think we can all learn a bit here, but its the follow through - its the mind shift we need to make to be and do better.
Hope this helps a bit.
I wanted to pass on the link from the show to help my fellow Gazelles. What can you do to live within your means? If you go to the above link there is help on cutting costs at the Grocery Store, as well as other ways to save. The gist of the show today was making a mind-shift and being aware of where you are spending your money. I think many of us are worried that our quality of life may change, however as they kept pointing out its quality time you spend with family and friends, not the things. The Thriftiest Family also stated to do a lot of research in taking advantage of local resources to have fun, i.e. renting a DVD or Video from your Local Library for free, eating at restaurants where children eat for free, or using coupons. I think we can all learn a bit here, but its the follow through - its the mind shift we need to make to be and do better.
Hope this helps a bit.
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