"How do you 'CU' budgeting for the holidays?"
“You can’t take it with you when you die” was always my go-to response when my now-wife would marvel at how much I’d spent on a night out. I wasn’t trying to impress her or anything – it was just how I lived. “Well did you have fun?” I’d ask. “Then it was worth it.” I was the type who'd spend his last $20 on a round of drinks at the ballgame. If I’m going out, I’m going out. After all these years I learned a very important thing – the pains of growing up and being a responsible adult are very real. I’ve learned this lesson. Planning a wedding this year helped. I feel better suited to handle holiday spending this year because I know what goes into developing and maintaining an effective and realistic budget.
First things first, I made a budget for the holidays. I set limits. I looked at how much I was able to spend and regulated myself. I love giving a great gift, but if it’s not in the budget, I can’t afford it. It’s the thought that counts after all, right? Having a set spending limit has helped immensely. There are also promotions that the credit union offers that I took advantage of. The Skip-a-Pay promo allowed me to skip my auto loan payment for the month of December. This was a huge help. Also, if you have a credit card, a balance transfer to a credit union Platinum Visa is a great way to save.
Don’t let the holidays sink you. There are ways to get through this time of year without breaking the bank. Do you have any tips? How do you "CU"? Please share, I’d love to hear them.
