Life Style

Christmas is about a week away! We’ve finally made it to that final push to get through the holidays. If you have a tight budget, you might be wondering if having a celebration is worth the cost. Maybe you’ve always thrown a great Christmas party, but money is tighter this year. No need to fret! You can still have a great party without spending a lot of cash.

The truth is, you can have a lot of fun and barely spend any money at all. You can do it without losing any of the festive Christmas fun! In order to do it, though, you must keep things simple and focus less on throwing a huge bash. You can still have a lot of fun with a few close friends and family members.

The idea is to have Christmas fun without the stress. If you’re going to be stressed the whole time and worry about your budget, there’s no point in having the party. If you virtually have no budget, then perhaps consider sitting out this year and attending rather than hosting. But, if you’re still deadest on having a great Christmas party, here are a few ways you can do it.

1) Create Your Christmas Budget

Having a tight budget over the Christmas holiday is difficult. You have gifts to pay for, dinner, travel, and more. To throw a decent holiday party on top of it can really stretch a budget thin. The great way to figure it out is to budget all your needs beforehand. If you haven’t done it yet, sit down and determine how much you can spend.

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You don’t have to go crazy for your Christmas party. You can spend $50 and still have a decent gathering of people. But the first step is understanding how much you’re going to allow yourself to spend. Whatever you do, don’t go overboard. Putting it all on credit because you weren’t prepared could bite you later.

2) Send E-vites

Rather than spending a lot of money on traditional invitations, there are other ways to invite guests. You can send them E-vites, which is an electronic invite that gets delivered by email. You can also start a group on Facebook and share with everyone you want to attend. They can promptly alert you whether they’ll be able to attend or not.

3) Make Your Own Decorations

Christmas decorations can get expensive. Most homes probably already have a set of decorations they box up and reuse every year. But, if you don’t, you won’t have to waste your budget decking all the halls. Thrift stores and dollar stores will have good decorations for cheap. Also, be sure to buy right after Christmas is over, as that’s when you’ll find the cheapest stuff.

4) Eating on a Budget

One of the great things about a party is, almost everyone is willing to bring something. If you can’t afford a ton of snacks and beverages, just simply ask! Turn your party into a potluck. Ask your friends to bring a bag of chips or a 2-liter. That ensures there are enough snacks to go around. Maybe supply a few bowls of candy and some hot cocoa.

5) Ask a Friend

If you simply don’t have the money to host, that doesn’t mean your Christmas party is sunk. Maybe you have a friend who is willing to have it at their place? Perhaps they have a lot of great decorations and wouldn’t mind hosting a gathering of friends. What matters most is celebrating the holiday season with loved ones.

Christmas is just around the corner. If you’re like most Americans, you’re stressed out. More than ever it would appear budgets are being stretched wider as most of us are in debt and struggling to keep up with the bills. That’s why when the holidays roll around, the choices we’re forced to make grow even more difficult.

How do we put together a family holiday, make memories, and do so with a reasonable budget? Well, the answers are out there if you’re willing to look. You’ll have to make the conscious decision to save money and cut corners. Don’t worry, you can still have a great Christmas without skimping on quality.

One of those areas involves the Christmas feast. If you’re hosting this year, you don’t have to break the bank. Here are 7 ways you can save money without compromising on quality:

1) Buy a Larger Bird

This might sound strange, but if you’re strategizing the best way to save money, why not buy the larger bird? Yes, larger birds are more expensive but don’t forget the leftover effect. Who doesn’t love having a bit of extra turkey to munch on for days after the holiday? Buying a larger bird is a few bucks more, but provides for multiple birds.

Of course, if this is not an expense you want to deal with, get the smaller bird. You can more than make up for the serving sizes of much cheaper and more filling carbs. Load up on the stuffing and potatoes, but ration the bird. Either way, look at pros and cons of each bird size outside of the cost.

2) Make Sure to Plan Christmas Dinner Ahead of Time

To make Christmas dinner a success, you’ll have to plan and prepare. No, not a few days ahead of time, but perhaps weeks. Throughout the month of December, there are numerous sales and deals out there. Keep an eye on the circulars. Clip coupons. Get on social networks and find out the prices from friends and family.

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Whatever you do, don’t wait. The longer you wait and the closer you get to Christmas, the more expensive things will get. The law of supply and demand is always in effect. Deals will be in place when they have an abundance of staples. When most people have done their shopping and supplies dwindle, they get more expensive.

3) Make Your Own Stuff

It may seem tempting to buy pre-made stuff, like appetizers, gravy, and desserts. The reality is, it’s much cheaper to make your own. And it will most likely taste better too. Homemade desserts are the best and they make your home smell wonderful. That’s great for getting into the Christmas spirit!

4) Buy Fresh Fruits and Veggies

This sort of goes along with point #3. The rule of budget shopping involves you buying and cutting fresh foods yourself. If you buy a packaged fruit plate, already cut, it’s going to be more expensive. You’re also paying for the labor. Also, don’t buy pre-packaged frozen veggies. Flavor is a factor, but so is the price. The ‘convenience factor’ often makes them more expensive.

5) Potluck Anyone?

Usually, on Christmas, the host makes a dinner. It’s a similar tradition to Thanksgiving. Thankfully, people love to contribute. There’s no foul in asking others to bring a dish to pass. You know those who wouldn’t mind doing so. Asking for help isn’t a bad thing to do. Maybe even sharing the fiscal responsibility with a sibling or parent who can chip in.

6) BYOB

If you don’t feel comfortable asking others to bring a dish to pass, what about beverages? It’s one less expense you’re worried about if someone else can supply the beverages. In fact, multiple guests can bring something. Wine, soda, milk, beer, or whatever the family enjoys. This can be a large expense that’s taken care of by others.

7) Do Something Different

There are times when a host gets sick of always having ham or turkey for a holiday dinner. This Christmas, why not consider something a bit riskier? Like, how about taco night? BBQ? Perhaps there’s another protein undergoing a major price drop and you grab that instead? Don’t be afraid to color outside the lines if you need to.

With the housing market on the rebound, people are searching for new ways to increase the value of their home. Whether they plan to sell their home for an upgrade or desire to improve the look and feel of what they already have, homeowners will spend thousands on an upgrade they assume can only help the value. Without proper research, those assumptions can be ill-placed.

For example, who would’ve imagined that adding a pool would be a waste of money? In a lot of ways, a pool isn’t always a necessity, especially when you consider the added maintenance, cleaning, and upkeep. A family with small children may also consider it a risk hazard. In fact, a lot of home ‘improvements’ can be hit or miss.

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Here are three examples of great upgrades you can make:

1) Kitchens

Everyone loves a big, beautiful kitchen! It’s where the magic happens and families come together. According to experts like Home and Garden, you can expect a return somewhere between 60% and 120% from kitchen upgrades alone. While those are great numbers, a kitchen upgrade can turn into a massive failure if not done right.

Consider a rustic/historic home with tons of charm. Buyers who want that classic feel wouldn’t appreciate a $70,000 modern kitchen upgrade that doesn’t fit the rest of the house. So before making any kitchen upgrades, try not to overdo it. Always keep potential buyers in mind and whether or not it fits with the rest of the neighborhood. People won’t pay for a deluxe kitchen if it doesn’t fit.

2) Bathrooms

One of the great ways to add value to your home is by adding a bathroom, especially if you only have one. Home and Garden has found you can recoup between 80% and 130% of the value put into adding a bathroom. You can find space for such a project in several unlikely places, such as a closet or under a staircase. You only need 18 square feet for a half-bath (30 to add a shower).

Adding a second or third bathroom typically is a cheap addition to make that will leave a lasting impression on the value of your home. You can usually find doors, toilets, showers, and fixtures on sale at some of the big stores like Home Depot or Lowes.

3) Update a Space

Do you have an unfinished basement or plenty of attic space? Rather than building an addition onto your home, which can become incredibly expensive, consider updating a space you already have. You can even consider building an apartment above the garage. There’s no limit to the number of cool things you can do to extra space to make it better.

Potential buyers appreciate versatility. A finished basement means the difference between a place to store stuff or an extra room, office, game room, or place to live for an aging relative. Attics can turn into great playrooms, especially if they have high ceilings. The greater the opportunities, the better chance you have at improving the value of your home.

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You have to be careful when it comes to updating your room’s appearance. Maybe you have always desired to knock down that wall to open things up a bit or to make room for that huge closet. What’s good for you may not be for potential buyers down the road. They’d rather have the extra room instead of the larger office or closet space.

If you plan to sell your home, don’t make any unnecessary improvements, as they may not be updates potential buyers want, especially if they take extra money and time to upkeep. Always consider your surroundings and don’t overdo it.

You can tell the economy is doing well based upon how much money people spend during Black Friday. Thanks to the roaring economy, we seem to have more money in our pockets than we have in years. As a result of advances in technology, the way we shop is also changing. It’s strange to think that an online retail store is competing this well with Walmart.

A decade ago, no one would’ve predicted that a website was going to take down the monster that is Walmart. But, indeed, that’s what nearly happened. While Walmart is still the largest brick-and-mortar store, online sales are taking larger shares of the pie. Walmart freaked out so badly that they immediately went to work to improve their website app. So far, it seems to have positioned Walmart in a better spot. Digital sales are up across the board.

This year was no different. The annual Black Friday holiday shopping rush started on Thanksgiving and ended with Cyber Monday. According to Adobe Digital Insights director Taylor Schreiner, it was another record year. Not just for the shopping days as a whole, but for all e-commerce sales on each day.

That means even on Thanksgiving Day, more people decided to stay home and order gifts online rather than fighting the Black Friday madness in person. In fact, all three major shopping days saw a dramatic increase in digital sales

“Black Friday will come very close to eclipsing last year’s Cyber Monday in terms of online sales,” he said in a press release. “…While some Americans might have been waiting in lines at stores today, the data suggests that at least some of them joined their peers in shopping on their phones — and buying more than they did in years past.”

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Brick-and-Mortar Still King, but Losing Ground on Black Friday

While online and digital Black Friday sales only make up about 19% of all holiday sales, these numbers are significant. They’re growing quicker than anyone anticipated. Digital sales are up these last two months of the year so far by 15%! And the year isn’t over yet. These totals to around $124 billion in sales so far. About $720 billion in sales is expected in total over the holiday season.

While it may seem like brick-and-mortar stores are doing a bit of hurting, the real sales winners were places like Walmart. They have great sales both in-person and online. You can line up for Black Friday or stay home and follow the app. The expectation is that in-store holiday shopping will also be up this year.

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Other sales that were higher included the ‘buy online, pick up in store’ options. There was a 50% increase this year alone. It is the stores who can blend both online and offline sales that are pulling in the most cash right now. This is why Walmart prioritized updating their app, and it’s working.

The Real E-Commerce Losers

Modern technology is spoiling the average American consumer. The ability to shop for what you want online and pick it up whenever you want is a luxury. Having free two-day shipping is another. The losing stores in the Christmas showdown are those who have refused to adapt. Consumers will continue to take the convenient route to buy gifts on Black Friday.

The stores who remain committed to outdated, physical-first models are losing right now. There’s just more of a change happening within the market. For any brand to stay relevant, they must change with the times.

Right now, the U.S. economy is booming. Jobs are plenty. The stock market is at record levels. And millennials, thanks to student loan debt, aren’t happy. There’s been a major shift over the past several years. Younger generations are taking to socialism. A big reason has to do with the Great Recession that ravaged almost a whole decade, from 2008 until recently.

Most Americans today wouldn’t get a passing grade if we were to examine their financial habits, and not all of it is their fault. Student loan debt has crippled younger generations.

There are a decent number of people who snap out of their nightmare and realize, with a few changes, they can find that seemingly elusive financial freedom. Debt is a choice and even a lifestyle for many chasing the golden dragon.

Student Loan Debt Continues Rising

Student loan debt continues to climb to all-time highs each respective year. It seems as if personal and other types of debt follow along with it. The warning signs are not enough to keep people from continuously adding to their debt or refusing to make better financial choices. They want the good life without knowing how to pay for it.

To learn more about student loan debt and how to conquer it, call Financial Helpers today! We’d love to hear from you! You can reach us at:

Call Now 844-332-2079It’s starting to take a toll on them and their well-being. Let’s look at five financial facts that should have you extremely worried:

1) People Aren’t Taking Care of Themselves

It was recently found in a study by the Pega group that most people are likely to take care of their health when they’re financially stable. They make it a priority when they have the money to pay for things like insurance. It also says that these people put off caring for their health when their budgets are tighter or they have a lot of debt.

It begs to wonder how many Americans can take care of themselves at all. Half of all Americans are maxing out their credit cards. Student loan debt is crippling millions. Many are missing payments, and overall debt is rising into the trillions. How many of us really can’t afford basic necessities?

Considering the insane amount of instability in the market and the economy, it shows very little Americans have their health care covered. The reality is, this only makes it tougher on people to get by. Sickness and injuries will require a lot of time off or even require expensive treatment. What is one to do? Student loan debt only makes it worse.

2) Our Well-Being is Also Going Down

There’s a report released every year by a company called Temkin Group. They surveyed 10,000 people and ask them questions regarding their happiness and financial security.

Less than half of the people surveyed said they were financially secure, which has been a downward trend. The other points, such as “I am typically happy” and “I am healthy” have taken a tumble as well. Those with student loan debt were found to mistrust any positive economic indicators.

We know that correlation isn’t always necessarily causation. But, the truth is, it should be easy to speculate here that the drop in satisfaction in one’s life. It has to do with the stresses that come with their financial situation. Having student loan debt, being unable to afford insurance, and more. Basic necessities are now becoming a premium commodity only a few can afford.

3) We’re Sacrificing Our Future

Here’s another astonishing statistic. 54% of American don’t believe they’ll make enough money to cover their future financial goals. This includes retirement. It gets worse as each generation passes. People graduate college with so much student loan debt that are unable to do things like get a car or buy a house. They owe too much.

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We’ve covered several stories about licensed workers losing their license to work in states because they owed money to creditors. Chasing the American dream has led a lot of people to remain disillusioned and frustrated. They’re unable to achieve their goals and live paycheck-to-paycheck.

4) We Don’t Do Basic Research Before Major Purchases

Doing research before buying a house or a car is a MUST! The problem is, a large majority of consumers just go with the financial institution they bank with. It’s ‘simpler’, but it often costs them thousands in the long run. Not all loans are the same, so we shouldn’t treat them like they are.

Adding debt to debt does not put anyone in a good situation. You may have a desire for a brand-new car or to start a family. It’s one most of us have. But are you really looking at the numbers? If you have student loan debt, can you afford the extra debt? It only sets you back further. The best course of action is to wait until you pay back debt before accumulating more.

5) Life Insurance Takes a Backseat

People don’t like talking about death, so they ignore that conversation. Inheritances and wills are often shunned because it’s not really something we enjoy discussing. But most Americans don’t even know the basic parameters of life insurance and all it can help cover. They aren’t prepared for the eventual.

Life insurance can cover a variety of needs and should be an investment and it’s important. This includes covering our own funerals. We can leave our loved ones with a burden of more debt if we don’t. These expenses are passed down to family members.

These issues aren’t just a blip in the radar of American life. These are massive problems that have been escalating for a decade or longer. Student loan debt makes life much more difficult for all involved.

If you have massive student loan debt, things will not better for you until you take care of it. There are ways to better deal with this burden and become financially free. We can get over this hurdle together, but we must realize we’re headed in the wrong direction. Make the active decision to get your financial life straight.