Earn Extra Holiday Cash With ExpoTV
If you have a video camera, you can earn some extra money this holiday season, and it has nothing to do with YouTube’s recent announcement. I was looking for some video product reviews while Christmas shopping online last night and ran across a site named ExpoTV. They will pay you to review a product on tape and submit the review via their website.
The amount that ExpoTV pays for the review depends on the product that you’re talking about. It seems they pay either $2, $5, or $10 based on which type of product you review. Their website has a list of all the categories, associated products, and how much they pay for each. To make it worth your while you’d probably want to focus on the highest paying items. I browsed through the products and picked out all the $10 reviews.
- car seats and strollers
- cars
- desktop & laptop computers
- camcorders
- cameras
- TV
- home gyms
- treadmills
- exercise bikes
- elliptical trainers
- large appliances
- musical instruments
- copiers & fax machines
I own most of the things on this list, I imagine in one Saturday I could film a short review of each one and pull in around $120 for the day. ExpoTV does cap each user at 75 videos so the maximum you could earn would be $750. That’s a lot of videos to make, even if they are only 2–3 minutes each.
If you’re funny or creative with your review and it becomes really popular, it could pay off over time. ExpoTV has a pay per play feature where you earn 1 cent every time someone watches your video. I don’t imagine you’d bring in much from this route; it takes 100 views just to make a buck.
It seems that ExpoTV realizes many people aren’t familiar or comfortable with recording and publishing their own videos so they provide a summary how to section where they cover topics such as video gear, planning a shot, getting the right lights and sound, editing the video, and sharing it on their site.
Although video reviews won’t pay all your Christmas gift bills they could at least make a dent and it sounds like kind of a fun way to make some extra money.
Earn Extra Cash – Other Methods
- Get paid for your opinion with Paid Surveys and Survey Scout
- Earn money by reading emails and trying products
- Sell on eBay
Personal Finance Books for Winter Reading
Not sure what you’re going to do this winter as you’re hibernating the cold weather away? Five Cent Nickel put together a great list of the top personal finance books according to 12 different financial bloggers.
My recommendation was The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, here is what I had to say about it:
I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand fundamental analysis of a business and its stock. I love the distinction that Graham draws between an investor and a speculator; it runs through my head every time I make an investing decision. I’d go with the revised edition of The Intelligent Investor with commentary by Jason Zweig; it really helps apply Graham’s principles to today’s financial markets.
The list includes books on how to get out of debt (No Credit Needed), how to be a millionaire (Generation X Finance), and how to be a passionate entrepreneur (Wise Bread).
Reading a personal finance book won’t do any good unless you take action after soaking in the message or tips but if you can apply what you learn the time you spend reading a good book can be a valuable investment in itself.
I’d also recommend not trying to charge through a bunch of books at once. Pick one, take the time to go through it and really understand the concepts it’s trying to get across. That being said, there are ten other great book recommendations that Nickel covers so you have plenty of reading to tide you over for months to come. Enjoy!
Carnival of Personal Finance – Edition 130
Welcome to the Carnvial of Personal Finance!
Make sure you check out the intro video below for some highlights of the carnival:
As you might be able to tell, this was my first web recording so it could use some work. Fortunately, I’ve been blogging longer than I’ve been webcasting so the written content on this site is much more polished, don’t believe me, subscribe here and I’ll prove it to you! Enjoy the carnival!
Financial Reflection & Planning
My Dollar Plan gives us an End of Year Tax Planning and Finance Checklist. As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to think about any last minute tax strategies. At the same time, I have a checklist of things to prepare for the upcoming year. It’s more efficient to do them at the same time as many of the strategies impact calculations for next year.
Chief Family Officer from Chief Family Officer presents My best financial move this year: The Infrequent Bills Account.
Harrison from Journey To Financial Freedom presents 5 Financial Goals That You can Set for Your Life, and says, “Besides shopping and holiday planning, there is actually a process that we cannot miss out. It is Goal Setting for the coming up 2008. You can set any goals for 2008 but I would like to remind you to set a financial goal for yourself so that you can take some serious actions for your personal finance.”
Frugal Living
Peter from Plan Your Escape presents My Money Saving Tip: Computers Games, and says, “Some frugal advice from a full-time-frugal part-time-gamer.”
The Frugal Way of Living gives us 11 steps on How to Create a Frugal Budget.
Dan from Money Myths presents Frugality as a Retirement Plan, and says, “Spending for retirement has replaced saving for retirement on my list of priorities. Here’s why you should consider frugality your best tool in preparing for retirement.”
Life Edit talks about stores like Costco in Buy Better in Bulk.
Saving Money
GTE from Getting To Enough presents 2 Ways to Save that Shouldn’t Work, and says, “This post describes two ways that seem like they shouldn’t help us to save more…but they do.”
Broke Grad Student from Broke Grad Student presents 6 Outrageous Fees (and How to Avoid Them).
Lynnae from beingfrugal.net presents How Google Calendar Saves Me Money, and says, “Entering expiration dates for major coupons on Google calendar ensures that you won’t forget to use the coupon on a needed purchase.”
Kacie from Sense to Save presents How much does that recipe cost?, and says, “It’s important to know what your meals are costing. I show how you can easily calculate a recipe’s cost, so that you know where your grocery budget is going.”
Making Money
Hustler from Hustlermoneyblog presents Side income: Learn to ebay hot items.
Pat shows how to earn money by publishing and selling your ebook on Amazon with Publish an Ebook in Amazon’s Kindle Book Store.
Shaun Connell shares Five Lifestyle Tips I Wish I Knew When I Started.
Debt
Maggie compares getting rid of debt and getting rid of fat as she talkes about Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace in Financial and Physical Peace.
A story of how finally getting free of credit card debt, Family – Can’t Live With ‘Em…Unless It Helps Debt.
Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents Debt Reduction Calculators, Planners and Resources, and says, “Large selection of useful online debt-reduction tools and resources aimed at helping you tackle your debt successfully.”
Credit Cards
Heidi from BankerGirl presents Confessions of a Credit Card Junkie, and says, “Working on eliminating unsecured debt from my life. This article is about a step in my journey. “
jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity presents Consolidating Citi Credit Card Accounts.
Travel Finance
Trave Europe asks Will 50 Dollars a Day Get You To Stay the Night?
LocoMono takes a SMART approach to My $500 Travel Budget Challenge.
Paul has a series about saving on travel, Travel Troubles.
plonkee from plonkee money presents 7 tips to manage your cash when traveling, and says, “How to manage your cash when traveling.”
College
mbhunter from Mighty Bargain Hunter says, “There’s no reason to strap yourself paying for your children’s college experience. Just let them pay for it themselves!” Worried about paying for college? Then don’t!,
Real Estate
Dan Melson from Searchlight Crusade presents Buying Without An Agent – My Own Experience.
BEIT from Building Equity in Toronto presents On housing prices in the Greater Toronto Area.
Single Ma from Single Ma’s Fabulous Financials presents Renting in the City Doesn’t Have to be Expensive.
The Baglady presents Who really wins in a mortgage rate freeze?.
Gather Little by Little presents How to make paying your year end property taxes painless.
fathersez presents Agricultural Investment – is it for you?, and says, “Our looking to start a farm business, got us into an agricultural investment. This is our first experience and forecasted returns appear low. However, it looks like more can be done to make the investment more attractive.”
Personal Financier covers the Important Hidden Psychological Aspects of Rent vs. Buy Comparisons.
J from Not One Cent presents SEC NRSRO Causes Asset Mispricing?.
Two Wise Acres put together a collection of online real estate investor resources for home valuation, property management, and productivity,
65+ Online Tools and Resources for Real Estate Investors.
Insurance
Henry Stern from InsureBlog presents How to get insurance in Sweden, and says, “So you’re an American entrepreneur who lives in Sweden, and you find yourself pregnant. Here is a story of the challenges you face looking for insurance if you want to give birth back home.”
Career
Silicon Valley Blogger from The Digerati Life presents How Do You Plan To Get Ahead? Ways To Increase Your Income.
Economy
Currency Trading offer some hope for the US dollar with How to Save the Dollar: Thoughts From 10 Experts.
Money Mistakes
David from My Two Dollars presents Money Mistake Monday – The Grass Is Always Greener Syndrome.
Tezza shares The Smartest And Dumbest Decisions I’ve Made With Money. Since I’m in my late twenties I’ve hardly scratched the surface of smart and dumb financial decisions. My only hope is that as age creeps on my smarter financial decisions out weigh the dumb ones. But alas with youthful enthusiasm I’ve taken a few pot shots at trying to run my life into the financial ditch and I’ve managed to collect myself together to string along some good financial decisions in my later life. Hopefully, you have the time to learn from my mistakes and make wiser choices.
The Financial blogger from The Financial Blogger presents My Favourite Money Mistake, and says, “The funniest part about taking your time and energy managing your personal finance is that you become more inclined to make money mistakes. The idea behind all this is fairly simple; the more you know about finance, the more you want to make things by yourself. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I thought it could be interesting to write about how I dilapidated ten thousand dollars a few years ago.
Money Management
Kevin shares Teach Your Children The Four Basics of Smart Money Management. When we teach our children how to be smart with money it helps protect their future. They are more likely to have a stable lifestyle, a stronger marriage, financial independence, and a comfortable retirement.
Single Guy Money talks about Big Changes in a Short Time.
Paula from Queercents presents Finances Troubling You? Admit the Truth, and says, “So much of the agony we can experience in our financial world has to do with telling ourselves stories”.
Big Cajun Man gives The Quarterly Status Report Wrap Up and says “The best way to make sure that your financial plan is being followed is by putting out a quarterly personal finance status report”.
Adfecto Abundantia presents Help! My Spouse Hates Personal Finance, and says, “This is how we deal with the topic of our marital balance sheet since my wife hates numbers, math, and budgets.”
Laura from Green Panda Treehouse presents Time & Money Managment: One Size Does Not Fit All , and says, “Sometimes advice doesn’t apply to your situation. You have to make the analysis yourself and see it fits your circumstances.”
Prosper
FMF from Free Money Finance presents Is Prosper.com a Good Way to Earn Money? and says, “Is Prosper.com a good investment?”
Dan at Everyday Finance from Everyday Finance presents Prosper.com: A Model of Financial Innovation, and says, “A robust and engaging assessment of one of the most significant financial innovations of this decade.”
Investing
Opportunities A Plenty presents 401k Rules – What You Need to Know About Withdrawal, Distribution, and Rollover
Pinyo from Moolanomy presents What Difference Does A Decade Make?, and says, “Shows that starting investing early make a huge difference”
The Dividend Guy asks How Many Dividends Stocks Should You Have in Your Portfolio?. There is a constant debate about how many individual stocks an investor should hold. There are two camps as I see it – the 15 to 20 stocks and the whole market theory.
The Skilled Investor talks about the authority score, The Fund Authority Score – A Better Mutual Fund and ETF Rating System. With the Fund Authority Score system, individual investors can make concise and objective mutual fund and ETF comparisons. Fund Authority Scores are based on cost, performance, and other measures, which are correlated with better long term buy-and-hold investment results.
Mariam from Money Relations presents The hypocrisy of Warren Buffett?, and says, “Is Warren Buffett a hypocrite for not practicing what he preaches?”
Dividends4Life presents Dividend Investing With ETFs.
My Wealth Builder presents Protecting Our Savings Against A Recession
Kay from Don’t Mess With Taxes presents Aspirational investing, and says, “Are you counting on your investments making you rich one day? With the Living Large Index, folks who already are in the top tax bracket can help you get there, too.”
Ciaran McKeever from Chance Favors presents Managed Futures can be an integral part of your investment allocation.
Blain Reinkensmeyer from Stock Trading To Go presents Top 5 Gauranteed Ways to Lose Your Money Investing.
Other
JS from Smart Money Daily presents Six True Stories of people Who Found Cash and Turned it In. Would You Do the Same?, and says, Being smart with your money isn’t only about investing and budgeting. It’s also about getting to know your attitudes, beliefs and values around money. Not to judge them as right or wrong, so much as just to become familiar with where our choices are coming from. Most of us have considered the question “If you found a big bag of cash on the road, and no one was around to see, what would you do?””
Money Blue Books discusses how Personal Finance Blogging Is A Time Consuming But Rewarding Part Time Job.
LivingAlmostLarge from LivingAlmostLarge presents Wedding Registries – Cash Only?, and says, “Why are people only registering for cash? Is it wrong or tacky? Or completely appropriate you say? I find it rather tacky to blatantly ask for cash and a minimum amount.”
Jim from Getting Ahead in Life presents The way you act today can affect the way you are tomorrow, and says, “One way to think about money, the now versus the later.”
Randall from Credit Withdrawal presents Marijuana and Mortgages, and says, “The article is a true-story about a neighbor that turned to farming marijuana to maintain his lifestyle. “
Erin from Working For Financial Freedom presents Kick Impulse Spending to the Curb – 10 Questions to Ask Yourself, and says, “tips on how to change your spending habits.”
paidtwice presents Measures of Financial Health: Then and Now.
junger from Online Savings Blog presents Online Banking and Shopping As Predicted in the 1960s.
Matthew Paulson from American Consumer News presents How to Call the Pope (And Other International Numbers) For Free.
Penny Nickel from Money and Values presents Are You a Socially Responsible Consumer? and says “Almost 90% of Americans see themselves as socially responsible/conscious consumers”.
Quest For Four Pillars presents The Tipping Point, and says, “Four Pillars doesn’t like tipping (but does it anyways) and explains a better compensation system for service staff.”
PT from Prime Time Money presents Workout with Podfitness for FREE (30-Day Trial)
Financial Hack gives a valuable lesson on thinking outside the box with Lessons of the Square Watermelon.
Summary
Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance on your site, you can apply here to hold it on your blog sometime in the next three months. Be sure to check out next weeks edition at Get Rich Slowly.
Selling on eBay Without Doing Any Work
How can you possibly make money on eBay without doing any work? Well, you can’t really but it sure feels like I am.
I mentioned earlier how I had found a partner to help me sell on eBay. I had a bunch of inventory I wanted to sell but didn’t have time and he wanted to increase his sales volume on eBay. We got things rolling about two weeks ago and it’s been great. He’s doing all the work and I’m still making money : )
Inventory Transfer
Every morning I’d load my car up with merchandise before I left for work. We’d meet in the parking lot of my work building over his lunch hour and transfer it all over to his car. I have to laugh when I imagine what’s going through my co-workers heads as they see us out there every day moving stuff from trunk to trunk. They must think we’re moving “hot” items, maybe that’s why they haven’t asked what I’m up to.
Tracking with Google Docs
Managing the financial details of the partnership has been pretty easy with a spreadsheet in Google Docs. As he creates listings and uploads them to eBay he adds the item information into the spreadsheet. When a sale is made he puts the sale price, eBay charges, shipping amount, original product cost, and final profit for each of us in the spreadsheet. Google Docs makes it easy to share since there is common file we can both edit anytime from anywhere, pretty neat.
Payment
My role in the partnership is mainly the money man. I took the risk to spend the money and buy the products. My partner’s role is to actually sell and ship the items. We split the profit of each sale 50/50. We’ve established a minimum payment he receives per item so in the unlikely event something sells for little or no profit, he’s still paid for his time to list and sell it. Since all the sales go through his PayPal account, he will cut me a check at the end of the month for my accumulated profits. We’re not using PayPal to avoid getting hit with another payment charge.
Win/Win Partnership
The main reason our venture is working so well is that it functions just like a partnership should, both parties are benefiting from it. We talked just yesterday and I checked to make sure he felt he was making enough for the time he put in. He’s happy, I’m happy, and my wife is happy that the storage shelves full of products in our house are steadily being emptied.
Christmas Credit is a Critical Mistake
Today, as I went through my mail, I was expecting bills. Instead, I got more than one offer for Christmas money. I should be excited, right? Wrong!
Credit card companies and financial institutions are not being generous lenders. Running a business, they count on you and me jumping at the chance to write checks on our credit cards, or applying for cash to go shopping. After all, how many people pull out the plastic to purchase a gift? LOTS!
In excitement and the desire to buy the perfect presents, Christmas creditors are counting on you to believe the advance is critical, and not a critical mistake. They hope you will see it as free money today, and not think about the bill that will be in the same mailbox next month.
Christmas credit is a critical mistake because it is anything but free money. In fact, the same-as-cash credit checks usually have an additional cash advance fee, on top of the high interest rates. By the time you can afford to pay the bill, you can conceivably pay two or three times more than the actual cost of your Christmas gifts.
If you do not watch out for your financial stability, who will? Bankers do not have your financial well-being at heart. They are making money at your expense-literally! They want you to rack up a credit bill that will take a year to pay off. Depending on the credit advance, you will be paying between 12-22% interest, and any applicable service fees.
So, do not be tempted to accept the plethora of credit offers that come to your mailbox this holiday season. File the paperwork right where it belongs- the trash! You may still wish you had a little extra money this December, but in January you will be very proud of yourself for staying within your holiday budget. Personally, I am already glad my trash can is a little fuller tonight.
Have do you resist the temptation to spend money on credit, especially during the holidays?
Tina
Christmas, the Season of Giving, and Giving, and Giving . . .
Christmas is the season of giving. However, it is not supposed to hurt! Giving until it hurts is not a prerequisite for celebrating the holiday. Giving should be a pleasure, not a pain.
Enjoy the spirit of giving, and stay within your means. For example, my father-in-law worked 2-3 jobs for the majority of his life. He owns rental properties, and his financial circumstances are fairly secure. He only has two grandchildren, and he is extremely generous. Can I afford to reciprocate his gifts to my children? Of course not, and I shouldn’t even try!
Knowing our financial circumstances, Grandpa does not expect extravagant gifts. He simply wants to be remembered. As a matter of fact, a framed picture of the kids is of more value than anything I could have purchased at the mall.
Likewise, you need to give within your limitations. Loved ones already know if times are tough, and shouldn’t expect you to break your piggy bank. A homemade card and some Christmas cookies can say I love you just as well as diamond earrings, depending on your attitude and the spirit in which a gift is given.
Do not give until it hurts. What is painful now can be financially fatal later. Learn how to stay within your holiday budget, and have a merrier Christmas.
What are some ways you give within financial limitations?
Tina
Personal Finance Review – Think and Grow Rich Edition
Why pay for something that you can get for free? I’ve been wanting to finish Napoleon Hill’s classic Think and Grow Rich after reading the first few chapters about a year ago. Finally I decided I’d get ahold of the audio version and listen to it on my commute.
I put my name on the waiting list for a copy of the 12 CD set at our local library and forgot about it until this weekend when it finally came in. It wasn’t totally free, I had to pay 50 cents for a new library card, still not bad for a cd set that normally costs $50. I’m in the process of transferring the audio to my mp3 player so I can listen to it as I drive back and forth to work. Some of my best learning happens on my commute : )
Here are some of the personal finance articles I enjoyed this week:
–Is Software Development Slowly Killing Me? @ Lazy Man & Money
–Lessons From My Job Hunting Expedition @ Money, Matter, & More
–2007 Consumer Reports Ultimate Money Guide (III) – Investing & Goals @ Suns Financial Diary
–A Collection of Money Tips For The Holidays @ The Digerati Life
–A Visual History of the Stock Market From 1996 – 2007 @ Generation X Finance
–The Lies That (Some) Financial Advisers Tell @ Five Cent Nickel
–Making A Break With The Past – Changing Habits And Thinking Long Term About Personal Finances @ No Credit Needed
–How Much Does it Take to be Rich? @ Free Money Finance
–Emergency Fund Account: Money Market or High Yield Savings?@ Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
–Invest in yourself by learning things of value @ Mighty Bargain Hunter
–Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance on the Back of Five Business Cards @ The Simple Dollar
How Much Are You Really Saving With Holiday Deals?
Although retailers are facing their worst holiday season in five years they aren’t necessarily resorting to lower prices across the board to increase sales. An article in Smart Money shows how stores are being smart about giving discounts that will not only increase sales but also benefit them in the long run.
Smart Sales Strategies
Retailers are offering sales announcements, special deals, and exclusive coupons to people that sign up for their email newsletter, rewards program, or store credit cards. When a customer signs up for any of these, the retailer increases their chances the person will spend more money, more frequently since the retailer now has the opportunity to market directly to their postal or email inbox. Although the store may not make as much on the initial discounted purchase they hope to continue to sell to those people over time.
Online Shopping
One thing many of the retailer newsletters will do is direct customers to deals online where they can save money with coupon codes or reduced/free shipping. Even if the customer never sets foot in the store again, they can still make the retailer money by shopping online. Instead of making a person come into the store and wait in line to make a sale they can offer them the ease and convenience of clicking a Buy button on their home computer.
Gift Card Promotions
Another tactic that stores are using to prop up sales without cutting as deep into their bottom line is the use of gift card promotions. The Smart Money article gives the example of DSW Shoe Warehouse that offers a $10 bonus gift card for use Jan. 14 through Feb. 3, when a person purchases a $50 gift card.
Since a percentage of gift cards go unused or under-used, retailers can increase sales without actually selling merchandise in some cases. In another example, Best Buy is giving $10 cards to those who buy the “Spider-Man 3” DVD and videogame. People pay full price for the item but still feel as though they saved $10 on their purchase. The retailers come out ahead when that customer never uses the card or maybe even uses it towards buying a $20 – $30 item they wouldn’t have purchased without the gift card.
Smart Shopping
As a consumer, you can still take advantage of the sales, discounts, and promotions offered over the holidays, just make sure you use them to save money, and don’t fall into the trap of spending more because of them.
Three Easy Ways to Reduce College Debt
With college expenses on the rise, along with the interest rates on student loans, many individuals are looking for ways to reduce college debt. From personal experience, I have come up with three easy ways to reduce college debt:
1. Pay Quarterly Interest
The availability of scholarships is declining; so many people are depending on student loans to get them through college. The student loans are a lifesaver, but eventually comes payback time. In anticipation of that dreaded day repayment begins, reduce your college debt by paying the quarterly interest on unsubsidized student loans.
Unlike subsidized student loans, the minute you cash the check, your loan starts accruing interest. While it may seem like no big deal at the time, it can really add up, especially if you are going to college for 4 or more years. If you pay the quarterly interest, you will only have to pay the interest on the original amount of the loan, saving you a substantial chunk or change.
2. Purchase and Sell Used Textbooks
You can also save a bunch of money if you purchase and sell used textbooks. Once you have to pay $200 for one book, this money saving idea is a no-brainer. For example, I have an English degree. However, I had to study a lot more than English to graduate. Even though I saved all of my English textbooks for future reference, what do I want with my math, science, and health books?
So, I am quite pleased to find used textbooks at the college book store or online. Many familiar online bookstores have a used textbook site. Still other sites are totally dedicated to selling used textbooks. Since you do not plan on keeping the book anyway, this practice can save you hundreds of precious educational dollars. Likewise, you can sell you books to the next student who wants to save wherever possible. Go used and save.
3. Attend College Locally
Finally, attend a local, or state, college or university and save thousands. If you are like my daughter, you already have an idea of where you want to get your post-secondary education. You have a specific goal in mind, and the local college does not have the resources you need. So you are looking at a college or university farther from home.
My advice, wait a couple of years. What! Yes, wait a couple of years to go to the college of your choice. All education programs require essentially the same core classes. You can save a lot by paying in-state tuition for the first couple of years. Also, local colleges often offer scholarships to entice students to keep their educational dollars within the community. Then, when it comes time to take your career related courses, you can follow the best opportunities.
Reducing college debt is as simple as one, two, and three:
1. Pay quarterly interest on student loans
2. Buy and sell used textbooks
3. Take your core classes at the state or local level. In-state tuition is much cheaper.
Do you have a great idea on how to reduce college debt? I would appreciate your input! 🙂
Tina
What are You Teaching Your Children this Christmas?
Being a self-employed single mom of two, I have no guarantee of a certain monthly income, especially during the holidays. After all, my clients are also feeling the budget crunch of Christmas, so they are less likely to require my services.
Unfortunately for my children, it also means that Mama’s Christmas list has to be more economical, and there probably won’t be as many presents under the tree this year. Nevertheless, this could prove to be the best Christmas ever!
Why? Maybe my kids and I will take the time to remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Is it only because of all the presents under the tree? I sure hope not! Is it the opportunity to get together with family and friends? Is it a celebration of the foundation of our religious beliefs? Is it a day set aside for letting people know how much they are loved and appreciated?
Why do you celebrate Christmas? If you do not blow your finances to smithereens and charge your soul, will your family grumble, complain, and really think you love them any less? What are you teaching your children this Christmas?
Obviously, you are concerned about your financial well-being. You want to understand how to improve your finances. You want to get out of debt, learn how to save, learn how to spend wisely, learn how to budget, or a plethora of other issues related to money, or you wouldn’t be participating in this blog-right?
Since you believe in being wise with your money, there is no time like the present to begin instilling good financial sense in your children. Teach them that the depth of your love is not measure by the size of your wallet. Show them ways you can enjoy the holidays and give, without spending a cent.
For example, giving of your time to help the needy at the local soup kitchen is an excellent way to foster a giving heart, and help your children realize their blessings, even if Santa is not wealthy this year. Volunteer to ring the bell for charity this season. Make a Christmas basket for the elderly lady next door, and take the time to sit down and share the contents.
No, you may not be able to buy your children the gifts you had hoped to afford this Christmas; nor, should you go into financial debt. Instead, you can give them the priceless gift of giving.
Can you think of other economical ways to enjoy Christmas or give of yourself to those less fortunate or lonely?
Tina
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I'm Ben Edwards and I've been addicted to personal finance since I was 12 years old.
That passion for money has paid off for my family - so in 2006 I founded Money Smart Life to help you afford the life that you want. Read My Story...
