Staying Sane this Holiday Season

Stay sane, don’t go Super Saiyan this holiday season.  Or do go Super Saiyan Lvl 3, if that’s your thing.

The holidays are a very busy time of year, it seems like there is a lot of activity leading up to Thanksgiving, and just when you thought the fun was over, the weekend immediately thereafter involves Christmas decorating, shopping, postcards, and all the like.  Layered on top is the fact that work also gets very busy, with end-of-year demands and everyone trying to get things done before the holiday break, whether so they can take time off towards the end of the month, or to meet a fiscal year-end goal.   And then stacked on to that (we’re at a three-layer cake now), bills tend to increase as the winter approaches – Heating and electric seem to go up, a couple unexpected bills always seem to pop up (annual subscriptions, healthcare, etc…), not to mention the extra financial burden of holiday shopping.  Oh and who could forget, when the temperature gets freezing outside, everyone seems to catch a cold and feel miserable for about a week.

So what do we do about all this holiday madness?!!  I thought I’d share just a few tips and tricks, which will hopefully alleviate the stress, and keep everyone’s holidays merry and bright (the way they should be!).

• Make a list (once) and get all your shopping done in one swoop.  Key is once, try to think of everyone you want to shop for, write their names down, and then go on an Amazon binge for an hour.  Within two days you should have all your shopping done!
• Talk to your friends and family about simplifying gifts, or eliminating them altogether.  The holidays are about being together, not getting ‘stuff’.
• For the unexpected bills, tap into your $1,000 Emergency Fund.  That’s what it’s there for!  If you don’t have a $1,000 Emergency Fund, put Dave Ramsey’s book (Total Money Makeover) on your Christmas wish list and then start saving up for next year.  Having that type of buffer will really help you out in a pinch, and will get you in a mindset that protects you from overspending.
• Take care of yourself!  Even though it feels like you have no time, get some pushups or a brisk walk in every day.  More workouts = less stress.
• Schedule some time off from work, enjoy it, don’t worry about work or checking your e-mails, it will be there when you get back.

Most importantly, remember what the holidays are all about (whatever they mean to you personally!), remember and help others in need, and enjoy celebrating with friends and family.  I wish you all a happy, healthy, and peaceful Holiday season and New Year!

<Gaming>

What is this about the Xbox One X you ask?  Your kids may be asking Santa for this or maybe you’re looking into it for yourself.  First, what it is not, it is not a new generation of console.  But rather it is a somewhat significant upgrade over the Xbox One and Xbox One S.  In a nutshell, the X offers a graphics and processor upgrade – Content is rendered in 4k instead of being upscaled, and the processor claimed to be 4.5x faster.  Also plays ultra-HD blu-rays.  Pretty cool stuff, but fairly useless if you don’t have a 4K tv… and coming in at $100 more than the original Xbox One, may or may not be worth it to you.  My recommendation, if you don’t already own an Xbox and are shopping for one, go for the X.  If you or your kids do already own one, play it for as many countless hours as you can, no need to upgrade at this time.

Cheers,

zero gravity.