Holiday

Keep Your Eyes on Your Wallet

Holiday

Sheri Here!

Keep your eyes on your wallet and your hands on your purse – hummed to the old tune Keep Your Eyes on the Road and Your Hands on the Wheel.

Black Friday

Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have all come and gone. If you are like many you’ve been shopping for deals and making the retailers’ heart sing.

Black Friday was originally the day after Thanksgiving. It earned its title because traditionally, the retailers profits post-Thanksgiving turned from red to black. Retailers make about 40% of their annual sales in the last quarter of their year – typically November, December and January.

But whether that’s true this year, in these crazy times – who knows. It seems like everything is on “sale”, but is it really a good deal? Only if you feel it is and your budget agrees (oh that b word, darn)!

Holiday Budget

Speaking of budget, did you create one for the December holidays? It’s not too late! You can still do it. The budget will help you to avoid overspending. Your budget could include a list of people to buy for and an approximate amount to spend to keep you focused.

The harder thing to manage is the expectations of those around you. It’s never too late to start or continue the conversation that “Santa” may not bring everything this year. You can ask for a wish list, with the items in priority order and caution the writer, that the wish list doesn’t guarantee, it’s going to happen!! After all, it is a WISH LIST.

Living with a Budget

I know it’s hard to not give the family everything they want, or you want to give. This maybe the year that the kids start to learn about a budget, and they can help you live within it.

In some instances, it might be time for a new approach. Maybe with the extended family rather than everyone buying for all, consider drawing names. Each person is only buying one present and you set a spending limit. You get the idea – a way of reducing the amount of money that you are spending on gifts or gift cards.

A large family can be amazing for great relationships (or not) but tough on the pocketbook and the spending budget during the holidays.

Christmas Fund and Other Money Saving Ideas

Maybe next year you can start early and set up a Christmas Fund early in the year. I remember doing that years ago – putting aside a certain amount of cash from each paycheck in a special savings account. There are ways to set aside real money during the year, to avoid spending credit for the holiday expenses. This is where you can get creative and ease the hit to the wallet next year.

What other ideas do you have for stretching your holiday budget? I’d love to hear. You can leave a comment and fill me in. To help you out, you might like my “101 Ways to Save Money”. Just click here and I’ll send it to you.

I’m always looking for great ways to save money or to add to the “101 Ways to Save Money”! Try it – you just might find some great ideas to help the wallet. Click here!

Around Town

I’m speaking on December 6 at 1:00pm PT on the BadA$$ Women Summit. You can sign-up here. I would love it if you would come out and support me. I’ll be talking about From Bankrupt to $1Million for the Dynamic Professional!

You can buy my book Everything I Learned About Life I Learned on Vacation here.

Ciao,

Sheri

The Week Before Thanksgiving

Holiday

The New Normal at Thanksgiving

Is this the first Thanksgiving holiday after the pandemic, that you’ve had people over or that you’re going places? Or are you old hat at being amongst groups of friends and family.

Last year, was a more hybrid type holiday season. Many people were restrained about decisions to travel or be in a crowd. Lots of families were still visiting virtually.

If you are like some of my friends, and me, you did travel somewhere during the past year. You found yourself amongst a group of people, came home and got sick with Covid. This Thanksgiving, it may still be a risk, but we’ve become a little more adventurous. We’re more willing to be out and about – with or without a mask. Whatever you do, have a fun, safe holiday.

One of the special things about Thanksgiving is the celebration of gratitude for all the many blessings in our lives. Grateful that we have the freedom to choose how we wish to celebrate and who we wish to spend it with.

To Travel or Not to Travel?

Traveling during the holidays can be filled with lots of opportunities to practice patience. Lots of people and potential weather impacts translate into potential travel challenges. Consider taking with you extra snacks of the low-sugar variety, just-in-case your long-distance travel plans hit a snag. Those snacks can help the “grumpy” factor and possibly postpone a meltdown!

If you decide you aren’t ready to go visiting and are going to just stay home or you’re going out to a restaurant – enjoy.

Another choice, skip the celebration entirely, treat it as just another day. If that’s what you want to do, go for it, and don’t let anyone shame you about your decision.

We’re having company this year for the first time in three years. Our granddaughters, four of them between 6 and 14, are coming over along with their wonderful parents. This will be a classic food fest with a turkey and all the fixings. Oh yes, one can’t forget the traditional football on the Thanksgiving day. This weekend is the final house preparation and then Wednesday turns to the food. After all Thanksgiving is all about the food, family, and friends – and the football!

A Season of Gratitude and Contentment

There is a sense of contentment and joy (see the blog: Joy – ‘Tis the Season Or Is it?) in the process. I’m excited to see the family and receive their hugs – big blessings in my life.

What about you? Are you receiving guests, staying home, going to a restaurant, traveling, or feeding the homeless? I’d really love to know! Leave a comment and share your plans.

Whatever you do on this day of gratitude, please know that you are part of the blessings in my life. To have you along on this journey called life is special. Thank you.

Around town

The next 3 Keys to Radically Transform Your Life and Finances Workshop is on November 29, 2022, at 2pm PT. This is your chance to learn my 5-step process that will change your financial reality no matter what beliefs or stories have held you back up until now. I’d love to see your there. You can register here.

You can buy my book Everything I Learned About Life I Learned on Vacation here.

Happy Thanksgiving and Ciao,
Sheri

The End

Holiday

Sheri here,

Here we are at the unofficial end of summer – Labor Day Weekend.

Labor Day as a Holiday

As an official holiday, it was first celebrated Nationally in 1894 and was earmarked as a day to honor the achievements of the laboring class.  Over time, the achievements won by this group included the now traditional eight-hour work day, five-days a week with a minimum wage.  Other accomplishments included expanded benefits for the working class.

We get to enjoy Labor Day as another three-day holiday weekend.

Other Significant Meanings to Labor Day 

I remember I usually started school the day after Labor Day.  So, parts of this special holiday weekend were spent grieving the end of summer and the wonderful break from school.  Now most schools start in late August.

Labor Day weekend is seen as another occasion for retailers to host big sales focused on back-to-school or the Fall weather and attitude change.

Long ago, there was a fashion dictum that white was not worn after Labor Day.  Today, we have the freedom to wear what we choose.  Some choices I wonder about, but who am I to judge?  I’m certain some folks have looked at my choices with askance and wonder: “what was she thinking?”

Around Town 

On the book front, “Everything I Learned About Life I Learned on Vacation”, is now moving into the publishing cycle.  Soon I’ll have my pre-sale page up and with it a special bonus surprise – stay tuned.  You’ll be able to order it for delivery once it’s published (date TBD).  In the meantime, sign up for the wait list to be amongst the first to hear.

May you have a wonderful and safe weekend whatever you do – celebrate with friends, shop, or wear interesting clothes. 

Until the next time, may you have a blessed week.

Ciao,

Sheri

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