Putting Celebrity Finance in the Spotlight
Most people enjoy going out to eat from time-to-time. There’s no mess to clean in the kitchen, no hassle and, for the most part, it is usually a great experience. Going out to eat with the family can get pricey though, which is why many restaurants have begun to offer days where kids eat free. [Read more…]
There’s not much I love more than Christmastime. Though I’m far from being a minimalist, I certainly don’t enjoy ‘’stuff’’. I generally don’t like trinkets or things surrounding me. I like clean, open and tidy. The only exception is when it comes to Christmas. I love Christmas decorations. I count down the days every year that I can decorate the house, complete with little Christmas trinkets, lights, garlands, trees, you name it we have it. I have a lot of sentimental attachment to my Christmas decorations and probably have a good story, or memory, with just about every Christmas decoration I own.
Though my collection has accumulated since my childhood, I do go through everything every year and phase things out as I add new ones. Given that Christmas is already an expensive time of year, cheap, or even free, Christmas decorations are my favorite kind.
Thankfully now that I have a kid, my stash of free Christmas decorations is growing quickly. I remember being a kid and wondering why my mom had such an attachment to ornaments and decorations my sister and made for her when I saw them as being less than perfect. Now that I’m a mom, I totally get it. Free Christmas decorations made by your kids are the very best kind to add to your collection. If I’m being honest I don’t keep every single thing that my daughter makes, like every picture she colors, but those special ones, the tree ornaments she makes for us, no matter how ‘’cheap’’ they are, are my favorite. In my option, the best free Christmas decorations are ones that are homemade.
Obviously not everyone who is looking for free Christmas decorations, has kids. One easy way of getting free Christmas decorations is to look no further than your online classifieds. I know both our local (within the neighbourhood we live) and our city, has a ‘’free’’ section and this time of year there is often free Christmas decorations listed. I know if I was looking to get rid of a few things I would bundle them up in a box, take a picture ad post it for free, this isn’t the time of year I’m looking to profit from a sale, I’d just rather someone else enjoy my free Christmas decorations.
Though this isn’t totally free, an easy way to build your Christmas decoration collection for cheap is to organize, or attend, a Christmas ornament (or decoration) exchange. Usually you provide one decoration or ornament per person attending and everyone there also supplies one. So if 10 people were in attendance (including you) you would go home with nine new, free Christmas decorations. There is a small upfront cost (though there are millions of ways to DIY or potentially find free ones to exchange) but you stand a chance to gain quite a few nice new things for your collection.
If you’re looking to start, or grow your Christmas decoration collection, it doesn’t hurt to see what you can get for free. As mentioned, it’s an expensive time of year and arguably, Christmas decorations aren’t a necessity, but if you’re anything like me you enjoy having them around. Look to see what options you have for free Christmas decorations and go from there. Save your money for more important parts of the season and don’t waste it on stuff just to have it.
Have you every acquired or been given free Christmas decorations? What were the circumstances?
I had to go to the store a few days ago to get groceries and other necessities. As I navigated my cart down the isles I noticed the many Christmas displays scattered throughout the store.
While Christmas creeps ever closer many people get stressed about the holidays. There’s the tree to put up including lights, garlands, and ornaments. Holiday baking also has to be fit somewhere into busy schedules.
But there are also gifts to buy and wrap for the holidays. For some this is the biggest stressor of them all. This is especially true if you are in debt.
In fact, how much should you spend for Christmas if you are in debt?
The first thing to do if you are already in debt is to figure out how much you absolutely must spend. To do this, begin with a list of everything you must spend money on.
Include cards, gifts, food, and decorations. Don’t forget to include the things you don’t see, such as postage to mail the cards or shipping for gifts to far away friends and relatives.
Since you can’t do anything about the debt you already have, all you can do is try to avoid accumulating more. Try to limit holiday purchases to what is absolutely necessary. Buy simple gifts that are unique but not expensive.
You can also look for alternatives that will be less costly. For example, instead of mailing cards this year, cut these cost altogether by sending electronic versions instead.
Now things get a bit tougher. You must figure out how your budget can absorb the extra expenses of the holidays.
Make a list of expenses and bills you have to pay between now and Christmas. Include food, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and any other “musts”.
Weigh these expenditures against your income. The difference is how much you can spend for Christmas.
If your Christmas budget isn’t going to be enough to cover what you must buy, try slashing your spending between now and then.
Cut out all restaurant meals, or at least go places where your kids eat for free. Lower your grocery bill by cooking at home as an alternative. You can also help by eliminating unnecessary things like alcohol, soda, and many snacks.
Turn your thermostat down a notch or two and grab a sweater or blanket if you are cold and need to warm up while at home.
Anything you can do to slash your spending adds dollars to your Christmas spending budget.
If you have a partner or spouse, it may help you to share your concerns with them. After all, they are half of the equation, so why not let them help you?
Don’t throw in the towel and grab your credit cards to solve your money problems. Instead, put your heads together (two heads are better than one they say) and come up with creative solutions.
Why not call your creditors to see if you can lower any of your bills, such as your cell phone bill? Or, sell some of your unused stuff online to gain a little extra cash?
You might even be able to make a little extra money by driving for Uber or Lyft. Or, hire yourself out to others doing odd jobs, walking dogs, cleaning houses, or anything else you can think of.
Christmas is coming whether or not each of us will be ready. Rather than stress or agonize over it and your debt, do something about it.
Figure out how much you should spend for Christmas if you are in debt and stop the cycle of adding to it every holiday season.
How much do you spend for Christmas each year? Do you go into debt during the holidays?
Small business owners are at the risk of changing market conditions. At some point of the time or other, you may run into debts. Adding to your troubles, you need to shell out a high rate of interest for these liabilities. It becomes difficult to concentrate on the lines of progress in your business. Well, it is wise to get debt consolidation loans from established financiers at this stage. Small business owners can clear off all their liabilities at a time, and then concentrate on a single, low-interest loan. Read on to know five advantages that you can get from these loans.
Single payment
You may have several credit cards with individual balances on each of these. When you get a debt consolidation loan, all these accounts will be consolidated to a single source. The financiers provide their clients with a single large amount, which the latter uses to pay off several loans. When you pay the interest on one liability rather than several, amount of interest per month gets reduced.
Reduced stress
When you repay a debt consolidation loan, you need not worry about multiple deadlines. It reduces the stress to a substantial extent and you can concentrate on your business prospects. A tension-free mind enables the small business owners to stay on the right track and generate the money required to repay the loan.
Stay away from collection calls
You might have experienced situations, where collection calls keep on disturbing you throughout the day. When you are in debt, the borrowers transfer the responsibility of collecting the money to other agencies. They call the borrowers frequently and pressurize them to repay the money. The situation is annoying as well as embarrassing. When you take a debt consolation loan from a reputed company, the professionals will not harass you for payments. You simply need to pay a small amount every month.
Lower rates of interest
One of the best benefits of getting a debt consolidation loan is that you will have to pay a lower rate of interest. Small business owners having multiple credit cards have to pay high rates of interest. When you take a loan for debt consolidation from a reputed financier, you can benefit from the lower rate of interest. In fact, you save a lot of money which you can invest in productive areas.
Good credit score
A good credit score enhances your reputation as a borrower. When you take debt consolidation loans from the financer at a low rate of interest, it becomes easy for you to repay the amount in time. It improves your credit score, which ensures that you will be able to get loans easily in future. It builds up your credibility as a borrower, which is of immense value for small business owners.
Well, now you know the benefits of debt consolidation loans, you can reach out to a recognized financer around. Most of these private lenders are aware of the situations small business owners have to face. You will find it easy to manage your finances once you approve for the loan.
