Unclaimed Money

The leaves are turned, and quickly falling. The air is crisp, yet the temperatures are still enjoyable. The day of ghosts and goblins has passed, and it will soon be time for turkey. These first few weeks of November are a nice time to reflect, plan, and prepare before the rush of the holidays begins.

While life is relatively quiet these weeks, take some time to reflect on the things we do have; the things we are thankful for. Take this time to list the things that are most important in your life. Prioritize them and  keep them in mind. You may even want to write them down and keep them somewhere you will see them daily like on the bathroom mirror or the refrigerator. Focusing on these things will help put the craziness of the holidays in perspective.

Use this time to plan for the upcoming busyness. Make a list of the things that have to be done between now and the first of the year. Make a list of things you’d like to do, but aren’t musts. Keep your lists realistic. Prioritize these lists and make a plan of action. Write it on your calendar, “Make pies for Thanksgiving,” and “Get Christmas cards in the mail,” and “Take the kids to see Christmas lights.”  There can be flexibility in those dates, but writing them down helps to keep the plan in mind and to track the progress

During these weeks you are less likely to have social commitments and other things vying for your time. Now, its the time to get a jump start on the holiday preparations. If you do a lot of baking and cooking for the holidays, start buying your ingredients now. The sales on basic ingredients like flour and sugar have begun. Don’t forget about fantastic deals on turkey and ham now too; worth buying extra to stock the freezer. Many items like rolls, cookies, pies, and other holiday favorites can be made now and kept in the freezer for the big day. If you are hand making any of your Christmas gifts, it is also good to work on these now, before the pressure of a looming deadline sets in.

Reflecting, planning and preparing now is not only good for your mental state, it is good for your finances. The stress and pressure of busy schedules, long to do lists, and fast approaching deadlines greatly increase the odds of impulse buying and excess spending.  Entering the holidays with a focus on what is important, a plan to get things done, and a jump start on those tasks  will allow you to be truly thankful this Thanksgiving and enjoy a less stressful holiday season.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 3rd, 2007 at 7:25 am and is filed under money, organization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.