The holiday season is supposed to be joyous. For many of us, however, it’s also the most stressful time of the year. Planning parties, organizing events, scrambling at work and making sure Santa has all the help he needs can be overwhelming. Here are a few quick insights to help you handle all of those holiday financial stressors.
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One Decision at a Time
According to your friendly financial planner Orlando, when people are forced to make multiple difficult decisions in succession, they can lose their willpower and their clear head. Making every attempt to space out your larger financial decisions and even planning for them in advance will help you keep a clear and focused mind. This will result in smarter financial decisions, and not feeling as stressed or overwhelmed during this hectic time.
Track Your Spending
This is something everyone should be doing all year long, but it is even more important during a stressful holiday stretch. Even if you don’t have a specific plan– which is suggested– by tracking your holiday spending you’ll feel more confident and secure, and it is thought that by tracking your spending you will have less of a tendency to overspend. If you’re able to set a total budget at the beginning of the season, tracking your money moves will help keep you close to that target and therefore less scrambled and stressed.
Recognize Your Reaction
Recognize how you react to holiday stress. When tough economic times arise, people have a tendency to indulge in unhealthy activities or let it sour their demeanor. It’s crucial that you become aware of how you handle these stressful situations. With communication and recognition of your bad habits, you’ll be able to avoid making rash and unhealthy choices. It’s understandable to act stressed when you are stressed, but by acknowledging typical tendencies you’ll be more suited to avoid making those mistakes and thus arrive out of a stressful financial situation quicker and with less damage caused.
Remember What’s Important
It’s so easy to get caught up in the ubiquitous commercialism during the holiday season. So when you find your holiday expense list outweighs your monthly budget, slow down and scale back. Briefly step away to remind yourself it’s friends, family and relationships that are the most important things during this time. Material items and money spent do not equate to happiness for anyone. If you’re able to share in the joy of time spent together with loved ones, your holiday financial stresses will surely melt away.
