Below are a few links to read this week from USA Today. These are a few reminders (always good to keep reading the basics) and the last link is a good plan to follow.
One thought that has been rattling about the ole brain is that now is the time to plan for Christmas/end of the year/any other holiday you celebrate :-) I know it is 12 months away but now is the time set a budget and make sure that you are tucking money away with each paycheck. On my end Christmas is usually low key so not too much to plan but I do spend a good amount of money on "thank you" gift cards for various people. In addition to figuring out how much that is going to cost, this year will likely involve a bigger end of year/holiday splash so I need to really focus on setting aside money (a lot more than usual).
I don't track my yearly savings categories on this blog but it is money related so a mention is worth it. I cannot say how wonderful it is to put the money aside throughout the year and then *poof* suddenly December arrives and you can shop (if you so choose) and enjoy yourself without worrying about debt that cannot be paid.
If you do one thing this year, starting to set aside small amounts of money every single time you get paid will make your life so much better. Whether it's for summer camp for the kids, a nice family vacation, Christmas, back-to-school shopping, these are all things that come up every year and have their greedy little hands out trying to grab money from you. Plan ahead when you can and stash the cash!
I'm also thinking about a nice trip this year. Not sure when or where or any of the details but it would be nice to get away. I don't have a lot of extra money to put towards it. All this means is the thinking cap got put on tight and I decided to save money on lunches, coffee, teas etc. For every work day that I bring my lunch, I am putting that money towards a fabulous trip. OK it's not a ton of cash daily which means this trip is probably not happening before June. But it will happen. (If I save between $5-$10/work day, I will save anywhere from $1,000-$2,000 for a nice trip involving a plane ride.)
Think about where money needs to go this year (needs plus a want or two) and then stash what cash you can.
Now on to the links!
3 months resolutions worth getting right
How to start taming your budget busting bills
12 months of smart money moves to end 2018 richer
Happy reading!
Pru
