Managing Holiday Financial Stress

As the holiday season comes to finale, one of the areas where stress tries to seem to creep into our minds is in the area of finances.  With gift purchases adding up, tax considerations, and holiday travel expenses being incurred, many people are tempted to let negative vibrations into their lives because of increased spending.  As with any other stress related topic, though, you have to know how to shift this one as well.

Stop & Breathe!

The first, and most important, step to overcoming holiday stress in the area of finances is to stop and breathe.  Allow your energy to focus itself on a positive image, and just let the the negative feelings exit your thinking.  While this may sound simple it is POWERFUL and you can do this!  Remember that managing your energy is KEY in al;l things in life and business:)

Write It All Down!

Ok, now that you have reached a place of focus and serenity in your mind, let’s get to work on the rest.  Start by writing down the things that need to be done or bought, and the costs associated with those items.  Don’t over analyze this too much and have fun with it.  You can even add a few crazy things to your list, just to keep it exciting.  Now, add to this list things that will cost nothing or that you already have within your possession.  For example, a list may look like this:

1.       Gift for my parents $50

2.       Travel Money to see family $150

3.       Gift Exchange gift for work $20

4.       Gift for my child’s teacher $20

5.       Donation toy for charity $20

6.       Money for holiday activity with my child $50

7.       Books to read on Christmas Eve $0 (Library)

8.       Dessert to take to work holiday Party $0 (ingredients already in pantry)

If you notice, line items 1-6 have associated costs, and numbers 7-8 do not.  Now, from this point, try to list the items from highest priority to least priority.   Your list might now look like this:

1.       Travel Money to see family $150

2.       Books to read on Christmas Eve $0 (Library)

3.       Gift for my parents $50

4.       Donation toy for charity $20

5.       Money for holiday activity with my child $50

6.       Gift for my child’s teacher $20

7.       Dessert to take to work holiday Party $0 (ingredients already in pantry)

8.       Gift Exchange gift for work $20

Now that you have things listed from most important to least, brainstorm about any changes that you can make to limit the cost without sacrificing the importance.  Here are some ideas, based on the above list

1.       Lower gift amount for parents to $40 and have my child hand-make a card

2.       Instead of purchasing a new toy for charity, find a nice one that my child no longer plays with and donate that instead.

3.       Ask a friend if they would like to split the purchase of a new toy for a child for charity with our family.

4.       Search the internet for a free holiday activity to do with my child, instead of something costly.

5.       Decrease the gift amount for my child’s teacher to $10 and hand-make a card

6.       Not participate in the gift exchange for work

Now, rearrange your list to include the changes and see where you are now.

1.       Travel Money to see family $150

2.       Books to read on Christmas Eve $0 (Library)

3.       Gift for my parents $40 (make card homemade)

4.       Donation toy for charity $10 + a toy my child doesn’t use

5.       Money for holiday activity with my child $0

6.       Gift for my child’s teacher $10 (make card homemade)

7.       Dessert to take to work holiday Party $0 (ingredients already in pantry)

8.       Gift Exchange gift for work $0 (opt-out)

Now, take a few more minutes and write down all of the things that you have this holiday season that are positive and that contribute to high vibrations.  Include the love of family, time spent with friends, and the blessings that you have.  You may also want to include your positive outlook for the holiday season.  Things like “This will be the best holiday season yet” or “My New Year is looking very bright and promising!”  Remember to focus your mind as much as you can on the positive and not let negative vibrations, like holiday stresses seem to divide your energy!