A Different Kind of Holiday Gift Guide
Holiday gift guides abound this time of year, letting you know the best gifts under $x amount that you can give. Well, sometimes the best gift you can give to your family and yourself can’t be found in a store. (And no, I’m not talking about homemade cookies, although those are good too.)
I’m talking about the gift of financial security.
Getting your finances in order will change your life.
Give yourself the gift of financial security, and things that used to be major setbacks will become little hiccups — or blips that you don’t even notice. Best of all, you’ll able to help others when they need it, or give cool gifts to others just because.
You’ll also be able to plan for specific goals like paying for your children’s college, going on vacation, and replacing a car — and then reach them. They won’t be “someday” dreams, or worse, things that you believe you could never afford to do.
They’ll be reality.
What it takes
If your financial life isn’t the way you’d like it to be right now, commit to making a change. That’s where it starts. From there, you’ve got to cover the basics:
- Budgeting (aka deciding what you’re doing with your money)
- Managing your cash flow
- Building up an emergency fund
- Making sure you have the insurance coverage you need
- Getting out of debt
- Saving for retirement
- And taking care of estate planning
The best thing
The best thing about giving yourself and your family the gift of financial security is that it reduces stress and makes life more enjoyable. And you can start today.
That’s a great concept! And I have to agree. While working on financial security may feel more like punishment for a while if you have to tighten up, it’s always worth it in the long run.
Very worth it :)
Great points, and a timely message! I have some extra vacation time, so it would be great to get more of this stuff in order this holiday season.
Sounds like a great plan :)
Very nicely put! Financial security is a gift that not many can give, yet it is such a powerful one.
Hm, I think it’s something that most people could give, if they’re willing to put in the time and effort. (And that time & effort is actually a lot easier than dealing with all the issues that come along when you’re not financially secure.)
I think being in control of your finances is a great place to be when it comes to the Holidays, less stress, more giving, more happiness. Great post!
Exactly. More of what you do want, less of what you don’t :)
You’re right and there is enough other kinds of stress out there, we have to deal with in an ordinary day. Financial security provides choices.
That’s one of the best things about it.
Wrap up that financial security and put it under the tree!
You’re right – even if previously people could learn how to manage their finances in a book (perhaps purchased at a store), nowadays there are so many good web sites which offer the basics for free.
There are certainly plenty of great resources out there :)
Hi Jackie,
I have been lucky enough to have people around me who are “savers” and “penny pinchers” and this attitude has rubbed off on me.
But, Although I am naturally frugal I still need more discipline in the savings area. There is no better feeling than having 10 or 20 K available if you need it.
Yes that is an excellent feeling :)