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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 Preparing for the Unexpected.

Tough Discussions: Talking to Aging Parents

walk on beachIt is the proverbial “elephant in the room” of financial planning: addressing estate planning and inheritances with our parents.

It is an uncomfortable area in so many respects: considering mortality, duty, emotions, finances – all of which are significant stressors. It is natural therefore to put off having the uncomfortable conversation. In fact, it is so uncomfortable for so many people that one study from the UK estimates that 59% of people are uncomfortable talking about long-term care with their family.

To avoid it all together, however, could be costly for everyone involved. Think about approaching the topic from the perspective of what your parents want, rather than creating any sense that it is about what you want.

The best way to discuss these delicate issues is to begin by concentrating on your parents’ long term care wishes and needs. Think about:

  • Clarify intentions. Having a conversation that begins with an expression of concern for the future. You want your parents to know you have their best interests in mind and only want to help make sure you know what they want.
  • Hurry but don’t rush. The idea is that you should know your parents’ wishes and financial resources long before you face any tough decisions on their behalf. That is the “hurry” part of the equation. The “don’t rush” part refers to the fact that you should approach the subject as a series of discussions to be sure you understand all of their thinking, not just having a one-off conversation.
  • Listen respectfully without jumping to solutions. Ask your parents open-ended questions and listen respectfully to their responses. Whenever possible, pose questions that offer multiple solutions, then weigh each of the alternatives.
  • Make suggestions, not demands. While you may think you know what is best, avoid telling your parents what to do. Let them exercise control over their future to avoid the impression that their independence is at risk. That will prevent misunderstandings or perceptions of unfair influence.
  • Be thorough, but not overly complicated. You want to instill a sense of confidence that you’ve done the research when necessary, but spare details that may distract their attention, or which matter more to the people left behind than it does to them perhaps.
  • Don’t stop without the docs. Know the location of all important paperwork such as insurance policies, wills, trust documents, investment and banking records, tax returns, living wills and powers of attorney.
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