Preparing for next Christmas

[CraftyMom]

It can definitely be hard to save, I hear ya!

For us the trouble isn't so much the actual saving, it's that every time we have a good amount saved something happens and we need to spend the money! Washing machine, car trouble, etc

[permanentvacation]

Josiegirl,

Finding $5.00 is a nice surprise!

I found a little over $3.00 in change in my spare coat pocket today. I couldn't find my coat yesterday and kept wondering where in the world it would be. It was underneath some folded clothes that I hadn't put away yet. So I added that change to my little change container that I started yesterday. Now I have close to $6.00! Woohoo! !

[permanentvacation]

CraftyMom,

Yeah, that's what always happens to me! I started saving money last year to put toward moving. But my car blew up - again to the point that it didn't make sense to try to repair it. I walked and took the public bus everywhere for a while. It took a crazy amount of time to get anywhere and once it got too cold, I decided that I had to spend the money on a new (well... used) truck. I started saving money to move again and then the winter got so bad that I refused to keep going to the laundry mat and gave in and bought a clothes washer. It's been a few months and I haven't been able to start saving to move again.

If I hadn't spent my money on those things that kept coming up, I probably could have afforded to move twice by now!

[lovemykidstoo]

I do a couple of things to save money. First of all, I get paid from dc parents every other week. I take 2 weeks unpaid per year, so I figure this out for 23 weeks. I put away $48.00 and it gets me over $1,000 for Christmas shopping for everyone. Then, we have a few jars around the house for coin. My husband and I never spend our coin and instead put in these containers. The end of June I take them to the bank and turn them in and it pays for our cabin for vacation for the week and our portion of the pontoon that we rent with my hubbys family. No fear of spending the coin money because I don't turn it in until right before we leave. Not spending coin does not affect me at all during the year and it comes up to about $800 for the cabin/boat.

[Crazy8]

I am a big fan of the envelope system - for EVERYTHING!!! But, you said you have taken the money for bills before, what would keep you from taking the cash from the envelopes? One thing I do for my kids is buy gift cards all year long for birthdays/xmas. If I bring my grocery money to the grocery store and can get by spending $20-25 less I will pick up a gift card - movies, itunes, mall stores, etc. that I know my teens like. That's a great way to not feel the money spent and by xmas I have 3-4 gift cards for each kid.

I highly recommend looking into The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Budgeting is the key to everything, you may only have $5-10 a week to save for xmas but in a year that could be $300-500.

And things like swagbucks can really help - I did the videos every day for about 2-3 months and got about $50 in amazon gift cards!

[permanentvacation]

Crazy8,

I'm not guaranteeing that I won't take the money from the envelops. However, I am really bothered about not being able to buy decent presents. I'm hoping that feeling will give me the will power to not take the money back from the envelops. I went today and bought Christmas gift money cards at 1/2 price to use next year. I want to give my kids money to get their hair cut, (both my girls seem to get their hair cut just after Christmas each year) nails and pedicures done, and go out to eat. As I get the money for each item, I am going to put it in the envelop, write what that money is for on the card, seal it, and put my daughters' names on the envelop. I hope by addressing it and stating what it's for, I will feel guilty about taking the money from them.

For the items that I want to buy, if I didn't think my daughter would find them, I'd buy the items when I get the money for each item. But I know she'll she them. So I think it would be better to keep the money in labeled envelops. And hope I have enough will power from the guilt of taking the money from my kids and not having been able to give them Christmas presents for the past couple of years.

I just have to be determined to be able to buy Christmas presents this year.

[permanentvacation]

I took the Financial Peace class at my church. I didn't have the money to buy it, but I read through the Total Makeover book quickly in the store and it seemed a bit like Financial Peace. Is it much different? Someone on the forum told me to read Financial Peace Revisited. I downloaded it and have been reading it.

But I can't follow any of their steps or suggestions yet. I'm still getting cut off notices for my regular bills. I have to get things like my gas and electric bill, phone and internet bill, and cell phone bill caught up and get to where I'm paying them on time before I can follow Dave Ramsey's steps. That's why I have been working on reducing my expenses. I've been asking on this forum for suggestions as to how to lower my expenses. I have lowered them by about $600/month since August. So I've done really good at lowering my bills. But I am still playing catch up with the ones that I've been behind in paying.

I just started saving my change for next Christmas. But typically, I would be putting that change in the bank towards my bills. I literally have paid bills with change that I dug up in my house and I've paid for gasoline with change. But I thought if, for right now, I save just the change for Christmas, and work in other ways to pay my bills, I will be working on both at the same time. For example, I couldn't pay my entire phone and internet bill last week, so I made an arrangement to pay 1/2 last week and 1/2 next week when I get paid again. That way, they won't cut me off and won't charge me a late fee, but I bought myself another week to finish paying them.

Once I get my bills caught up and raise my income, I will be able to start really focusing on my budget, getting an emergency account set up, paying off debt, saving some for Christmas, and some for moving. I have been looking for a weekend job, but everyone has their Christmas help now and aren't hiring for newcomers yet. But I keep looking! I have been very diligent about lowering my expenses and not spending money.

I'm working on my taxes now. I'm usually in my accountant's office the first week of January. I typically get a good bit back in taxes. Whatever money I get back this year, I'm going to use towards my financial goals - not going out to eat and buying clothes!

My biggest problem with budgeting is that my income fluctuates so much. One week, I could be making $800 and the next be making $100. So when I make a budget expecting the higher income and then lose a couple of kids, I have to scramble and re-do the budget. Often, I am negative from unexpectedly losing kids. Their parents decide they can't afford daycare, so mom decides to stay at home, I've had a couple of families that moved out of the area, a family member or friend offers to watch the child for free or very cheap, etc. I had surgery a little while ago and had to basically shut down. I did keep the one baby, but had to pay my helper my whole income to work every day for me. That's the baby that just left because the parents switched their work hours so they don't need daycare anymore.

My other problem is that when I do make the higher income, I just spend it on stupid things. Last year, when I tried to save money to move, but wound up having to buy a truck and clothes washer with the money, is the first time in my life that I actually set a goal to save money toward something! So, I'm very new to actually saving money toward a long-term goal such as Christmas next year or moving in 17 months. Which is why I am so nervous and asking you guys for advice so much. And why I am on here announcing every little thing I do towards fixing my financial situation.

I did, one time after getting divorced, pay off all of my debt and was completely debt free for a couple of years! I wasn't 'saving' money though, every little penny I got went towards paying my bills. I kept a record of every balance and payment on every bill I had. I was consumed by the 'game' I had invented for myself of seeing if I could really be debt free. And I did it! So I know if I really put my mind to it, I can do this!

I became in debt again after I moved back near my ex-husband and he started demanding I let my kids do activities that I knew I couldn't afford. I knowingly let him run me into financial ruins because I couldn't handle the verbal abuse he'd put me through when he found out the girls couldn't do the things their friends were doing.

Now, he's actually paying for things for my younger daughter (the older one moved out on her own years ago), so I can handle my money how I want without him attacking me. I know it's stupid of me to have let him control me like that especially after we were divorced. But I had been beat down too much and just didn't have it in me to stand up to him and fight for myself anymore. I told myself that I'd do what it took to make him leave me alone and I'd figure my finances out after he stopped demanding how I spend my money. Which is now.

[Unregistered]

Focus. Focus. Focus on your goals. Focus so that you do not spend unnecessary money. Focus on the things you want to do.

Take pride in your savings going up bit by bit. DO NOT TOUCH IT. Start a separate savings for emergencies. Don't make an excuse. Set a time instead. You get money back from taxes? (won't even address why that's not really a good idea because it might actually be a good idea for you until you get your life under control. you don't want to owe taxes too.)
Take the tax return money and SAVE it. Decide what you need to have set aside for the next emergency - there will always be one. That is called l.i.f.e. Then save twice that much, because you know another emergency will come along.
Keep saving your "found money" for Christmas. Save your change for gas or whatever other small things cause you to raid your Christmas money.

Christmas money is only for Christmas.
Emergency money is only for emergencies.
Permanent savings is permanent.

Everything adds up unless you spend it. Don't spend it. Take joy in the dollars going up instead of down and you can change your life. You can take control of your finances.

[permanentvacation]

Guest,

Yep! That's what I need to do... FOCUS! Assign my money to specific categories and leave the money in it's assigned category.

[Laurel]

This is gonna sound a little crazy but I know someone who did it. Do you happen to have an Aldi's supermarket near you? If so, Aldi's carts have a slot where you put a quarter in and then when you bring it back in from the parking lot a chain thing hooks it up to the cart in front of it and your quarter comes back out.

I know someone who used to wait around the lot for someone who just left their cart in the lot because they didn't care about getting their quarter back. He never asked anyone if they wanted him to take his cart back because he didn't want to bother people BUT if they just left it there he'd get a quarter for every cart he took back. Sounds silly but he was a teen and made a couple of dollars each day that way. Sometimes someone would strike up a conversation with him and he would say he was trying to make money and they would give him a dollar or two. Good way to get exercise too, .

Laurel

[Blackcat31]

PV~ You've mentioned in several posts in this thread "giving your kids a 'good' Christmas" or being able to afford "more expensive" gifts....(Not those exact words but close)....

Anyways, why does a "good Christmas" have to include expensive gifts?

I don't understand why people equate the holiday (whether you are religious or not) with LOTS of money.

Christmas gifts (or ANY gift) should come from the heart. The MORE thought involved (not dollars spent) define the quality of the gift.

My DH and I spend VERY little on Christmas gifts for our children, family and each other but we go ALL out on quality time and acts of kindness for and to each other.

I think the envelope method of saving is fantastic but I'd save to provide yourself and your children a better home/neighborhood environment verses saving for a "good Christmas".

Maybe a lot of the financial issues people (general people) have could be solved by a re-adjustment of their values and value systems and not necessarily by the amount of money they have available to spend on gifts or at specific times of the year.

I'm sorry PV that you felt you weren't able to give your kids a "good Christmas" but I am betting they are glad they got to spend it with you, regardless of the amount of presents or lack of presents under your tree.

[permanentvacation]

! Looks like my new hang out spot will be Aldi's! I actually went around for a while to the fast food restaurants and would scrounge up the change on the ground at the drive through windows! I also constantly scan the ground for money when I'm walking anywhere. I just picked a penny up beside my car when I parked a couple of days. I've found a $10 bill and a couple of $20's that way. My daughter actually found a $100 bill a few years back! Last year, the wind blew a $20 blew into my yard!

[permanentvacation]

Blackcat,

I do plan on putting the majority of my money on saving to move to a better area and paying my debt off. But I do want to save some money so I can buy my kids decent gifts for the first time in years. I didn't even get my daughter anything for her 16th birthday. Nothing! That's just wrong. But I always take off work for our birthdays, so I spent time with her for her birthday and she was happy with that. But as a parent not to get your child anything at all for their 16th birthday. It just makes me feel bad. Especially knowing that throughout the year, I had, on a whim, gone out to eat and bought little unnecessary things. I need to spend my money with a true purpose, rather than mindlessly.

I know and my kids know that spending time together is what truly matters. Trust me, my kids are far from spoiled and definitely know that life is about being with the ones you love and care about, NOT getting things.

I don't think you have to give lavishing gifts to enjoy any holiday. The past couple of years, I haven't been able to give much of any presents. My kids understood. I understood, but felt bad at the same time. I've gone a couple of years without being able to give my kids a Christmas. And that makes me feel bad. I really want to be able to give them presents next year. If I just plan my finances properly throughout the year, I could afford to give my kids some presents.

But, last year, I literally didn't buy my kids anything for Christmas or their birthdays. My younger daughter turned 16 and I didn't give her any presents at all. Both my kids bought me a couple of presents and I didn't give them anything. This year, both my kids bought me a couple of presents again and I only gave them one little token gift. As a mother, to receive gifts from your children and not be able to reciprocate at all. It's just backwards and makes me feel horrible. I am the oldest - I'm the parent, I should budget and plan throughout the year to prepare for a holiday or birthday that I know is coming up. I just don't. I am a 'spur of the moment' person. If, on some random Monday, I feel like roaming around the mall, I go. If I happen to see something I'd like, I buy it. If I get hungry, I buy dinner. I don't plan for anything. Yet, I often get cut off notices for my bills and find myself completely broke with no presents bought for holidays and birthdays. It's just simple lack of planning.

The type of gifts I'm thinking about are not lavishing or extremely expensive. They cost about what I'd spend going out to eat throughout the year. Things like money for a hair cut; $20 which is about what I'd spend going out to eat. $20 to get nails done and $20 to get a pedicure. A sweater for $20. So, if I don't go out to eat 4 times that I normally would, I could offer one of my daughters 4 gifts at Christmas time. See. It's just more of trying to think of others in the future rather than spur of the moment for my wants. It would make me feel better if I can give them gifts at the same time they are giving me gifts instead of just me receiving from my kids.

Last night, while working on my taxes, I calculated my expenses for 7 months. In 7 months, I went out to eat for a total cost of $528.15. If I divide that by $20, it's 26 times. Divide 26 by my 2 kids, I could have gotten each of my kids 13 items at $20 each for presents. Not that I feel the need to buy 13 items per kid, but I hope you understand what I'm saying. If I simply acknowledge that Christmas and their birthdays are going to come this year, and that I'd like to be able to give my kids presents, I could adjust my spending habits so I can save money to be able to afford presents.

[Laurel]

! Looks like my new hang out spot will be Aldi's! I actually went around for a while to the fast food restaurants and would scrounge up the change on the ground at the drive through windows! I also constantly scan the ground for money when I'm walking anywhere. I just picked a penny up beside my car when I parked a couple of days. I've found a $10 bill and a couple of $20's that way. My daughter actually found a $100 bill a few years back! Last year, the wind blew a $20 blew into my yard!

That's funny because posting about Aldi's made me Google 'found money' after I posted. I also just watched a movie where the dad was homeless with a son and he gave blood and that sort of thing. I just read an article about picking up money at the fast food window and other places. Laundromats and arcades (especially under the machines) were mentioned and other places.

Laurel

[permanentvacation]

Yep, see, I'm not the only one scraping money off the ground! I also look in between the soda and snack machines wherever I see them.

The more I talk about it, the more pathetic I realize I am now! I used to make $1,200/week and lived very comfortably. Now I'm literally hunting for pennies on the ground. I really need to get my finances back in order.