Shopping is marketing if you do it the way you see it on TV.
We are a consumer-based society. You should use your power in the Christmas holiday season. Make your list in advance. Start with a budget for EVERYTHING. For instance, for all my Christmas shopping I am going to spend XXX. Then, split that amount up among all those you are “gifting” to this holiday season.
Make your list down to the product, but be willing to shop around.
Look on the internet for coupon codes for the purchases you want to make.
Stick to your budget. Don’t be embarrassed to walk away. 70% of our economy is produced by results of CONSUMERS. Make your voice heard.
Remember these rules:
Negotiate everywhere.
Be prepared to walk. You don’t have to buy from a specific retailer – you can purchase from the merchant that gives you the best price.
If you really want to make the Christmas shopping season fun, take that amount saved on any purchase (and every purchase) and actually DO SAVE IT in money market savings (as if you had spent it).
Above all, make your holidays about quality – not how many gifts. Gifts with a lot of thought simply mean more.
Tis the season to exploit your power as a consumer. Do it!
You CAN do it.
HELPING YOUR KIDS GET AHEAD
If you think I was born saving money, you are wrong. My own family didn’t believe in saving. They don’t believe in having a 401k. Our people have had “emergencies” all our lives. These emergencies always get in the way of saving money regularly, and our family is not different than millions of other good American families. I was not brought up to save and invest regularly and I have made every mistake you can think about when it comes to money. My parents thought they were shielding me from the realities of bills and worry. In fact, they were isolating me. I have had to learn from my own mistakes over time. I have had to learn the absolute hard way how to get savings on track and make it a part of your life without killing your lifestyle or allowing “it” to overwhelm you. It is my mission to share what I have learned about regularly saving with my own children and also share it with you. That’s why we have a lot of “free” (blogs like http://www.boostmywealth.wordpress.com and http://www.stickyasset.com/blog and groups on Facebook like “Coupons & Coupon Codes”) associated with our mission!
It is our goal to encourage everyone to teach our children about money, managing money, and saving regularly (and automatically. Children should receive lessons about compound interest and steady investing for a long-term future before they face the hard choices of adult life while being subjected to the consequences of the high-speed marketing culture we live in. As a parent, we are always concerned that they get a good education and go to a good college so they can make a lot of money or have a valued career path. The truth is that we could do our children the biggest favor by simply sharing with them sound saving and investing principles.
You can join our free Facebook group (or have your children do it, too) by searching in the Facebook bar on your “wall” for “Live The Lifestyle Your Family Deserves.” Click on “become a fan.” It’s free and it ties our free blogs into that group. You can get our free e-saver newsletter by signing up at http://www.StickyAsset.com/blog.
If you want to give your children the same information we are giving ours, you can purchase the only thing we sell on any of our blogs or groups. It’s called “How To Survive Any Financial Crisis” and you can get it for only $4.95 at http://www.middleclassmoney.com.
Good luck to you and your children.
Thank you for reading our blog and good luck!
Loyd Ford
http://www.stickyasset.com/blog
http://www.middleclassmoney.com
http://www.boostmywealth.wordpress.com
http://www.squidoo.com/boostmywealth
http://www.stickyasset.com
Connect with us on Facebook with these free groups:
“Coupons & Coupon Codes”
“Live The Lifestyle Your Family Deserves”
All on Facebook – join. It’s free.
The Middle Class Money Path 