Tips To Avoid The “After-Holiday” Headache

Christmas is behind us, and 2014 is coming to a close! As hard as it is to believe that the next Mason Jar Monday will be in 2015, the holidays are tapering off.  We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their family and friends that left you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated and ready to start the New Year!  If, however, you (and your wallet) have been left with an “after-holiday” headache, here are a few tips to get back on track in time for the New Year!

• Assess The Situation – If the holidays put a bit larger of a dent in your wallet, savings, or credit card balance than you anticipated, the first step is to make a new plan.  Instead of stressing over your after holiday situation or living in denial of how much you spent, accept it and breakdown your current situation so that you can make a plan to get back to your pre-holiday situation.
• Set Goals – So you’ve assessed the situation, and you know the areas that need improvement.  Now it’s time to set some goals.  What area of your finances took the biggest hit this holiday season?  Your savings, your credit card, ect.?  Set a savings goal or a debt payoff goal that includes an end date so you make a new monthly budget given your new goals.
• Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help – If assessing your situation and setting goals has you with a bigger headache than you started out with, swing on in to your local credit union for some help.  We are here to put you in the best financial position possible, and have tools that can get your new year started off right.  If your credit card took the biggest hit this holiday season, Honor’s Visa balance transfer could help you consolidate your debt into a more manageable monthly payment to help you achieve your goals faster.  If building up savings is what you are after, an account specialist can help you set the savings goals you need with a plan to get you there!  

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @honorcu and let us know what you want to hear about for next week’s Mason Jar Monday using #askhonorcu!  

You can listen to the last Mason Jar Monday of 2014 below! 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill and Honor's Scott talk about their tips to avoid the "after-holiday" headache!