Managing Festival Expenses—Celebrate without Feeling the Pinch on the Wallet
Festive seasons come every year, and these are seasons in which
retail traders make a killing. TV and radio stations make a lot of money on
advertisements in such festive seasons. The online sites are flooded with
advertisements that are very glittery and catchy to the eye. Everybody is
caught up in the festive mood of the season, and the cash in their pockets
starts to itch. When this happens, people start buying whatever they set their
eyes on and they spend even without thinking; after all, tomorrow has its own
shares of trouble, doesn’t it? So why deprive yourself of today’s pleasures for
a tomorrow whose materialization is not even guaranteed?
Well, festive seasons will always come as long as there is a year
and a calendar. Therefore, do not get too fussy with them. Be very practical
and sensible as you spend during a festive season. Do not buy what is somewhat
unnecessary; why invest $200 on a decoration that will be used for a few hours
only to be disposed off the next day? Be very innovative and creative so that
you will not have to buy everything. Consider going for a one-day lesson on
making nice ice cream, yoghurt, ketchup and hot sauce. This way, you will never
have to worry about such things when you are hosting your guests during a
festive season.
It is an all time practice to exchange gifts, say during festive
seasons of Easter and Christmas. However, it is not necessary to do so. Okay,
before you kill me, let me explain why and show you how. You have a family of
say seven (dad, mum and kids). You have short term and long term goals as a
family, say moving into your own home or getting a new car or starting a
business. If this is so, what is so hard in having a family discussion and
deciding that you will not do the religious exchanging of gifts for the sake of
your family long term goals?
It is not easy to resist spending on the glittery and expensive
wares for the festive season, especially when you know that you can use your
credit card to make purchases. However, resist over spending as much as you
can. This way, you will be able to enjoy the whole year without paying debts
you never budgeted for in the first place. Delayed gratification is the secret.
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