Lose the January Bills Blues

Guess what? Christmas is in December this year. It comes at the same time every year. This is NOT an emergency do not touch the emergency fund and dont you dare get a credit card! Youre paying cash this Christmas.

If youre one of those planner types who saved a little out of every paycheck since January, youre in great shape. Congratulations! For the rest of us theres still a little time. Sit down and figure out how much you can squeeze out of your regular budget to save between now and Christmas. Theres no magic formula for deciding how much to save; it just depends on your income and how much you typically spend.

Now its time to plan. The people in the mall have a plan to get your money you have to have a plan so you can keep some of it.

When you know how much you have to spend on gifts, make a list of everyone you are buying for on the outside of an envelope and put a dollar amount by every name. The total amount you want to spend cannot exceed your budgeted amount. Put the amount of cash you are going to spend for the gifts in the envelope. Use the cash for every gift and when the cash is gone, STOP SPENDING. Remember if you overspend on Aunt Teresa, Uncle Joe wont get a gift. Stick to the budget!

When youre doing your normal written budget the one you do every month before the month begins remember there are added expenses during the holidays. If youre taking your famous green bean casserole to 15 Christmas potlucks, youll have a larger grocery bill add to the budget. If for the past 10 years you have fallen off the ladder hanging lights on your house, budget for the emergency room visit. Sit down and think for a minute about the expenses you normally have during the season and plan for every one of them.

If you looked at your monthly budget and there is nothing left over for Christmas gifts, you are not a bad person. This is a season to get together with family and celebrate the birth of the Savior. Dont spend money you dont have and go further in debt. Stick to your budget and keep working on your money makeover. Down the road, when you have control of your money, youll be able to buy the gifts you want to give.

Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to enjoy the Christmas season without worrying about the January bills. What would it be like if Christmas didnt follow you into 2007? Pay cash and stick to your budget, and you can avoid the January bills blues.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it Luke 14:28

Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert, an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover. Dave is changing the face of America by helping people get out of debt and build wealth. Ramsey exemplifies his life's work of teaching others how to be financially responsible, so they can acquire enough wealth to take care of loved ones, live prosperously into old age, and give generously to others. Find out more of what Dave has to say about Christmas and money.

Blues Clues Party Menu for the Kids!
Blues Clues is a popular TV show that is aimed at a somewhat younger audience is a rather versatile party theme to go with. Blues Clues is as the name suggests a has a very basic mystery theme as its back bone, so any detective styled ideas you may come up with would be a good match with this show. As well of course puppies and the color blue. It a...

The New Year Begins with Consumers examining their Personal Financial Goals
January begins with a blizzard of news articles all aimed at improving the finances of consumers. Just as spring is the season for cleaning house, apparently January, right after the holidays end is the season for getting ones financial house in order. A trip to the newsstand or grocery check out will save you thousands of dollars in professional ...

Cooking Supplies and Battling the Winter Blues
Today is January 15, 2007 and I just lived through another power outage. This is the third one in the midwest in the last six months.The first in July, lasted 8 days and the temperature outside was a balmy 98F Plus. No air conditioning, no refrigeration, no power for even a fan. The second, in late November, missed me for which I am extremely grate...

Hot Tip - Your Backup Is Only As Good As The Information Put Into It!
I wanted to provide you with a Hot Tip this week because a) its positively steamy in Toronto, and b) this tip is so important its Red Hot for: Absolutely Critical, Do Not Ignore, Think About It Right This Instant!But first, let me ask you a question: Since your backup was first set up (either by us orho humsomeone else), have you added any new appl...

Living Within Your Means–Bills
In the last article on this subject, I wrote about groceries and how to do them cheaper so you come under budget each time.In this article, I will be speaking about the balance of your bills versus what you spend on actual living.But please accept these basic truths.Credit is a tool and if it is not used correctly, it hurts.Paying all your bills on...

Christmas Is Not An Emergency!
For years I have waited to use those words. Let me say it again: Christmas is not an emergency! I used to work in the Loan Guaranty Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs. One of my responsibilities was to advise veteran-borrowers whose home loans were in defaults, meaning they were at least 3 payments behind. In the course of the year, w...

Why You Need an Emergency Fund
Many Americans today don't have a savings account or emergency fund. I heard on the news on recently that the Commerce Department reported that Americans spend all the money they have and personal savings rates reached the lowest level since the Great Depression.Your emergency fund is your safety net, in case you get sick or lose your job you can ...