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Christmas Present Tips for Guys

Christmas Shopping Tips for Guys

giftgreen1Most of us guys are useless at Christmas shopping. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years.

Ladies, you might want to share this with the men in your family to avoid getting an undesirable and badly wrapped present this Christmas.

  1. Buying your Christmas presents at a petrol station or dairy on Christmas morning really isn't the done thing - apparently not everyone wants a funnel, box of biscuits or a car care kit. Don't do it.
  2. Get started early, no not on Christmas Eve, yesterday was already too late.
  3. First thing in the morning is the best time to Christmas shop, and I mean first thing, teenagers are still in bed.
  4. It's not the thought that counts, it's how MUCH thought that counts.
  5. Cash is a GREAT present for teenagers - and me.
  6. If you must give gift vouchers make sure they are from a shop the recipient actually shops in and try and avoid those with an expiry date.
  7. Wrapping and cards are important, you and I know it's just paper but for some reason they are important.
  8. Before you start browsing in a shop check that it does gift wrapping and accept the service - wait if necessary. If the shop doesn't do gift wrapping move on to the next. Unless you are an expert present wrapper - Yeah Right!
  9. Even if every present you buy is gift wrapped, buy plenty of wrapping paper and sellotape. You are going to need it because dairy's and petrol stations don't gift wrap and being a bloke you'll probably ignore number 1.

Guys ignore the above at your peril and have a wonderful Christmas.

Posted in Saving Schemes.

Top Features of a Successful Budget

doing a budgetIn all the budget bloopers and blunders seen, the same few problems keep popping up. To avoid them, here are the top ten most important features of a successful budget.

  1. Work your budget categories to fit your personal situation and your spending habits, not somebody else's.
  2. Make accurate income projections, not what you just hope for, and don’t forget about tax.
  3. The first line category is for your savings so you treat your savings account just as you would any bill you owe.
  4. Enough sub categories to give you a meaningful view of where your money goes and where you might be able to cut costs, but not so many that tracking is a chore that you'll soon tire of.
  5. Include expenses that don't occur on a monthly basis, such as vehicle maintenance, insurance, property rates, service contracts, etc.
  6. Regularly review expenses and brainstorm about ways to trim costs in each category.
  7. Out of pocket cash expenditure tracking and recording. Cash spending is the biggest leak in most budgets. Cash disappears quickly and if you don't write it down you'll have a distorted view.
  8. Realistic written goals. Budgeting isn't about only tracking your costs it's about setting financial goals (saving for a house deposit, a new car, getting out of debt, saving for retirement, kids education, travelling, etc.) and finding ways to meet them. Without goals, your budget is just a pair of unwelcome handcuffs.
  9. Look for spending patterns you may not have been aware of when you weren't tracking your spending and decide on any actions needed.
  10. Most importantly with a balanced budget the reward is internal motivation and a positive attitude!
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