{"id":6321,"date":"2014-09-22T06:55:35","date_gmt":"2014-09-22T13:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/?p=6321"},"modified":"2014-09-20T08:56:03","modified_gmt":"2014-09-20T15:56:03","slug":"change-your-thinking-and-habits-to-avoid-irresponsible-holiday-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/change-your-thinking-and-habits-to-avoid-irresponsible-holiday-spending\/","title":{"rendered":"Change Your Thinking and Habits to Avoid Irresponsible Holiday Spending"},"content":{"rendered":"

It happens every year. You have the best of intentions to limit your holiday spending. But then you hit the stores and\u2026 BOOM! Out go your best laid plans when you remember another gift you really \u201cshould\u201d buy or you see something positively irresistible\u2026<\/p>\n

The holidays are good at bringing out our inner child; and children are not notoriously good at responsibly handling money. Let\u2019s approach the holidays in a mature fashion and discover a way to enjoy them without the binge – and the inevitable financial hangover.<\/p>\n

They say the definition of \u201ccrazy\u201d is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome. If you want to spend more responsibly, you\u2019re going to have to change the way you think<\/strong> and act<\/strong> when in comes to the holidays. It will take implementing a well-considered plan, but it doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t celebrate the holidays. The goal is to enjoy the holidays responsibly – not deprive yourself of holiday joy.<\/p>\n

Change Your Thinking<\/h3>\n

Start on these as early as possible. Refine and revise as necessary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Reflect on and make a list of what makes the holidays meaningful and happy for you.<\/strong> It could be a special meal with loved ones, particular foods, activities, outings, traditions that bring back pleasant\u00a0memories. Perhaps it\u2019s the opportunity to give generously. Maybe it\u2019s a once-a-year bash. Those things\u00a0that make the holidays special to you comprise this \u201choliday essentials\u201d list.<\/li>\n
  • Determine an all-inclusive budget.<\/strong> Decide how much you can realistically<\/strong>\u00a0afford to spend on the\u00a0holidays. Remember to include the things you\u2019ve put on your list. Food and drinks for a special celebration, tickets to a performance, a day at the salon to get glammed up for a party, airfare to visit loved ones\u2026 Holiday expenses aren\u2019t only the things that get wrapped.<\/li>\n
  • Think – really think – about who you want to buy gifts for.<\/strong> Notice I said \u201cwant to\u201d to buy gifts for – not \u201cshould\u201d or \u201chave to\u201d – but want to<\/em>. Holidays should\u00a0be a joy – not a job. As soon as giving a gift is an obligation, it\u2019s no longer a gift. Remain mindful that YOU are in control of your money and the quality of your holidays. Make your gift buying list accordingly.<\/li>\n
  • Give with the recipient in mind.<\/strong> Brainstorm on the interests of those who made your gift buying list. Starting early will give you a better chance of finding something that is really \u201chim\u201d or \u201cher\u201d rather than buying some generic gift out of clueless desperation. Check their social media pages – or\u00a0their\u00a0wishlist on a site like Amazon.com – for ideas\u00a0about their interests and wants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Change Your Habits<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • When you go holiday shopping, shop only for the holidays<\/strong>. You\u2019re on a mission. It\u2019s easier to stick to your budget if your regular expenses aren\u2019t co-mingled with your holiday expenses. It\u2019s surprisingly easy to justify or overlook a holiday expense when you \u201cpick up a scented candle\u201d while doing the grocery shopping.<\/li>\n
    • Shop sane.<\/strong> You\u2019ll make better choices when you shop at a time when the stores aren\u2019t mobbed and when you\u2019re not rushed or anxious.<\/li>\n
    • When your list is complete, you\u2019re done.<\/strong> Stop shopping. The stores won\u2019t tell you that you\u2019re done. In fact, they\u2019ll try to convince you that you have \u201clast minute\u201d shopping to do up until the holiday arrives.<\/li>\n
    • You don\u2019t need more… anything to make your holiday complete. <\/strong>Step away from the candy canes, decor, ornaments. Those little extra expenses add up big and are rarely budgeted for.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Your holidays can be beautiful, memorable and affordable if you change your thinking and habits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      It happens every year. You have the best of intentions to limit your holiday spending. But then you hit the stores and\u2026 BOOM! Out go your best laid plans when you remember another gift you really \u201cshould\u201d buy or you see something positively irresistible\u2026 The holidays are good at bringing out our inner child; and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[514],"tags":[44,510],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6321"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6321"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6329,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6321\/revisions\/6329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}