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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 Debt Management.

Are You Somebody Else's Asset?

Who owns your new shoes?

financial freedomHere is the reality: we all use debt at some time in our lives. It is normal. In fact sometimes it is downright smart to do so. Of course, sometimes it isn't used so smartly.

Regardless of whether we are being smart about using debt or not, many people forget a really fundamental principle:

Your debt is somebody else's asset.

If you ever wanted a reason to get rid of debt then that is it. Your debt is someone else's asset ..."they" own "it". "They" expect a return on that asset, and ideally they would like an income stream forever on their asset. The "someone" who owns the asset that you are paying off would probably prefer that you never paid it off. You are worth more to them while you stay in debt.

The thing that you used debt to purchase is only ever fully yours when there is no debt left. Whether that is a house, a business or a pair of shoes bought on a credit card: it is not yours until you have paid off the debt.

Reality check: you don't really own the new shoes bought on the credit card if you still owe money on the credit card. The bank owns the shoes.

I am not saying "don't use credit cards" or even "don't buy shoes". Both are pretty useful things to have.

What I am saying is understand the difference between you managing debt, or it managing you. If you aren't managing debt, then you are somebody else's asset.

Who wants to be someone else's asset?

Debt

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