It’s the most wonderful, stressful, chaotic, and expensive time of the year. I am super excited about the end of the year festivities. Any time spent time with family and friends away from the stress of school is always a great time. The winter weather is finally here, too! Cooler weather means cuter clothes and boots to show off. Not to mention, it is the start of cuddling/cuffing season if you are interested in looking for or already have a significant other. To the ones searching, I wish you, beautiful people, the best of luck. If you are just chilling solo, this a perfect time to invest in some self-deserved splurging, but as college students that is a challenge. However, it is not impossible!
First things first, we have to be prepared. Writing down what needs to be done ahead of time is more helpful than you realize, as long as you write it in some place you see every day. For example, write it on a sticky note, then stick it on your mirror. Even better, set up reminders on your phone the night before. Although, it’s been proven that writing something down helps us remember stuff. Meaning, if you just do one of these options, choose the sticky note one.
After figuring out what has to be done for the holidays, we focus on how are we going to control our financial situations. I know we want all the newest accessories, phones, Bluetooth earbuds, shoes, and etc. This can only happen if you budget correctly. Start saving early, so you are ahead of the game. A financial tip that I learned from my best friend, Pinterest, is whenever you receive money, save the hundreds of dollars, and try to stretch out the rest of it. For instance, if you get paid $578, save the five hundred dollars, and try to make the seventy-eight dollars last until the next paycheck and continue the cycle.
Last and certainly not least, let’s not forget to collect memories with your friends and family. We tend to get caught up in the things we need to get, errands we need to run, and overall stressed about events that will happen in the future. I know it’s a cliche, but spending so much time worrying about the future will cause us to miss all the good things happening in the present. Take a break to breathe. Spending some quality time with your family and friends would do your heart some good. It’s something money CANNOT buy!
As the holidays are approaching, we must remember that is the time of giving rather than receiving. What you give doesn’t have to be expensive, as long as it’s meaningful. It’s also very important that we appreciate what we already have because there are people out there who don’t experience the luxuries we do on a daily basis. If it’s in your heart to give, don’t hesitate to give a little extra time and energy!