Easter celebration, how to keep your finances in check
posted on Apr 17, 2019 | 204 likes
Easter is this Sunday. Are you ready?
Easter is this Sunday. Are you ready?
Before you answer, being ready doesn’t only apply to whether you have bought all the things you need, it also means whether you have setup all the shock-absorbers you need to celebrate and still smile after the festive season.
As we approach the festive season, TV adverts, newspaper inserts, adverts on social media, are all over the place, encouraging us to embark on the usual practice of “shopping ‘til we quench” – or these days, shopping until our hands get tired of punching in credit card details.
But we also start to brace ourselves for the subsequent financial shock, when the credit card bills land on our doormats and in our email inboxes, and our account balances can’t even pay PHCN bill.
It’s time for the kids to resume school, or your landlord just texted to remind you that he is coming in next week for the rent.
You begin to sweat on a cold day, your brain begins to feel light, trust me, it can happen to anyone, but it doesn’t have to happen at all.
There are a range of things you can do to help turn festive seasons into a financial success rather than financial excess.
Here are our top 5 tips:
1. Cap your total possible spend
Using your current savings or earnings as a yardstick, and bearing in mind the bills that will be paid shortly after the festive season, peg a limit on how much you are allowed to spend for the season.
Keep a close check on your spending – maybe by compiling the running total on your mobile phone or tablet.
The bills will come in after the festive season as surely as night follows day, but you’ll be better placed to manage them, if you know what the bottom line of you spend amounts to on your card.
2. Set a budget for your Easter spending
Draw up a budget for your Easter spending – not just presents, but the additional spending on food, drink and socializing.
Add this Easter element of your budget within the rest of the household budget, so that you can manage the overall effect Easter spending has on your finances over a number of months.
3. Avoid being pressured
Family and peer groups are a good tool for pressuring people into making bad financial spending decisions.
Try not to allow yourself to be pressurized – even by your children or close family – into spending more than you can really afford.
After the spending, when the rain comes, it will be YOUR responsibility to fix things, not theirs.
4. Shop around and look for deals
When it comes to shopping, we all enjoy that extra knock-off on items.
Don’t be in a hurry to pay, shop around and look for deals – many retailers are discounting their prices even as the festive season gets underway and there are good deals to be had.
If you search diligently, you will certainly find a good deal that will save you some bucks.
5. Make friends with a financial partner
Sometimes, we do it all, but we still fall short. It’s not that we are weak or short sighted, it’s a sign that we aspire high.
So, what do you do when things get a bit overboard?
You turn to a gallant financial partner like Page Financials.
For back to school loans, quick loans to pay rents, loans for cars, loans for vacations, Page financials is here for you.
To discuss your money needs or exigencies, speak with someone at Page now, call 016317243 or send an email to customer@pagefinancials.com