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Incentive happens: A vision and money

The holidays are now officially behind us. Okay, well actually, tonight marks the end of the holiday season for me as I had one more party to attend this evening. I declined at the last minute as I felt compelled to write about some questions asked of me while travelling around during the past few weeks.

One thing I'm frequently asked after the madness of the holidays comes to a screeching halt, is how to have more money. One person recently expressed concern about her inability to save money, another asked about how to have more money to get out of debt. A mother asked me how to teach her sixteen year-old about money as she recently took on her first part-time job. Other questions have come up, too, but here are a few thoughts I had in response to these questions:

I don't have the perfect answser for anyone. But one thing I live by for myself is this: I have a vision for what I want to do with my life and my money. I have things I want to accomplish:

"Save 10%": A real savings or no?

As I checked out after a long day of shopping at SouthPark mall here in Charlotte, I was reminded of something I like to address every holiday season. Once the sales clerk totalled up what I spent, she asked me, "Would you like to open a Belk card and save 10% today?" "No," I said, "I'm not so good with those credit cards. I tend to get in trouble with them as a matter of fact." She asked more questions and continued to encourage me to open this credit card.

She was very nice and was just doing her job. But I remember wondering to myself exactly how many people this holiday season would be asked this very question and of those, how many would respond by opening an account.

This holiday season, think before you think you'll save. An upfront 10% discount is nice but let's look at how negligible that discount is if you don't repay your balance right away.

Article: Simple Steps to Happier Holidays

I love and look forward to the holiday season as much as the
next person, but I'll be first to admit that as much as this is
true, I simultaneously feel a great sense of anxiety when the
festive season approaches. I look forward to quality time with
family and friends but money is stressful every other month of
the year and it's intensified during the holidays.

Christmas parties, gifts and great times lend well to holiday
excitement and sadly, great expense. I want so badly to be wholly
excited, yet I find myself dreading the obsessive calculations
from the frenzied activity in my checkbook, more activity than
my checkbook sees all year.

Fortunately for those of us who experience a nagging anxiety
tugging at our heart and purse strings, there are ways to relieve
these feelings to make the holidays feel almost as joyous as you
remember before you had the burden of paying for them.