Blogging for Change

'Tis the season to plan ahead

by Jessica Horton on
9/28/2011
in Budgeting and Building Savings

It may be 90 degrees outside now, but in a few short weeks I know that I’m going to be subconsciously wishing for a “White Christmas” as my ears are assaulted by crooners of classic holiday songs everywhere I go.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays. I just don’t love the stress that accompanies the holidays. So this year I decided to take a new approach. I decided to make a plan.

It may seem obvious that planning and budgeting are necessary for remaining sane in the midst of holiday chaos, but it’s something that many people fail to take into account – myself included.

So my first step included participating in the MMI webinar Planning for the Holidays. And boy am I glad I did! While I knew I needed to make a plan and prepare a budget, those are much easier said than done – and I wasn’t even sure where to start.

Thankfully, our wonderful leader led us through the process, beginning with what I found to be an interesting approach.

We were asked to share (or think about) our favorite memories of previous holidays. And interestingly enough, not a single person mentioned a gift. The best memories were all experiences. And I’m willing to bet if you take a moment to reflect on your favorite memories you may come to the same conclusion.

With this in mind, it’s much easier to approach the holidays. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the quest to find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. So when you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with things like presents, re-focus your thoughts.

Remember what matters most, and spend your time and energy doing things like baking, decorating, laughing, singing, and volunteering together – in other words, make memories.

After all, memories are priceless.

If you would like to attend the Planning for the Holidays webinar as well, you’re in luck! There will be another one coming up soon. Visit our webinar section to sign up, and to check out the other webinars offered.

 

Jessica Horton is a former copywriter and community manager at MMI.

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