Do you know what the best part of Christmas is to me? Home Alone 1 (and 2) and great times with cool people. Since the holidays are so close to us and most of you reading this are stressing about Christmas gifts, I wanted to write about the idea of the perfect gift.
What’s this whole Santa Claus guy got to offer? Sure, he breaks in to yours house when you’re sleeping, drinks your milk, and leaves you exactly what you asked for. But where is he the rest of the year? We can’t always wait for the jolly ol’ fat man to get us what we want.
There are other strategies…
How can you get what you want for yourself always?
I believe that you can have anything that you want. You just can’t have everything that you want. With some time and planning, you can have anything that your heart desires.
Did you know that you could go on a trip next year if you only save a few bucks per day?
Did you know that negotiating your salary or picking up freelance work could give you that money that you need to become debt free?
If you’re patient or focused enough, you can accomplish all of your financial goals. You don’t have to be rich nor do you need to become an accountant to start traveling the world or to buy a brand new laptop.
What’s the simple formula for always having enough money for what you want?
- Increase your income.
- Pay yourself first.
- Cover your bills.
- Open up a new sub-account for your goal.
- Start putting away towards your goal.
- Wait until you have enough money saved up to make this purchase.
This whole process is that simple. The best part about all of this financial stuff is that it’s easier than ever to manage your money due to technology.
This leads to an important question about Christmas time…
Should you try to outshine Santa?
This will usually depend on your finances. There’s no sense in getting into debt to buy the best Christmas gifts. However, if you’ve been a good little boy or girl that read Studenomics throughout the year, you hopefully have some money saved up since you’ve been paying yourself first. With these savings, you can treat your friends and family that have put up with you throughout the entire year.
I do my best to get everyone what they want for Christmas. I don’t always succeed. My goal is to see that smile when they open their presents. The best reaction thus far is when I surprised my parents with a trip to the Bahamas a few years ago. It’s going to be difficult to top that one.
Have you been keeping an eye out for what your friends or family want for Christmas?
Is Christmas all about money?
Not to get overly sentimental here, but it’s important to remember that Christmas isn’t all about saving money or making money. It’s fun to catch up with those that you haven’t been able to see in a long time or to just eat lots of delicious food.
The key message here is simple: you can buy yourself anything that you want, have fun during Christmas, and try to surprise your family with cool gifts!
What are you going to get yourself?