4 Tips To Secure The Bag So You Don’t Go Broke This Holiday Season
Even though it feels like January was two days ago, it's now less than two months away; which means the holiday season has crept up on us once again. I can admit that I'm a sucker for Christmas carols, Black Friday shopping, and all things holiday spirit.
But somewhere in between is the temptation and pressure to splurge on new holiday clothes (especially for NYE, okay?!) while still making sure I buy the best of the best gifts for other people.
It's no secret the holiday season is when we really open our wallets and have the "take all my money" spirit more than any other part of the year. But when January 1st hits, our bank accounts are looking at us like we're crazy. Over these past few years of adulting, I've found a balance between being able to save my beloved coins and still spend plenty money like Plies.
1.Under The Christmas Influence.
Getty Images
One of the most recent lessons I've learned is to not give in to the pressure. I feel like I'm always bringing up the power of social media, but in all honesty, sometimes it adds pressure to go in on gifts for some type of acknowledgement in return. Getting married last year was even more pressure as me and my husband experienced so many firsts together, including our first Christmas. But we made it clear we weren't going to give in to the pressure of trying to show people how much we love each other with gifts. We knew that saving and making sure our home life was intact was what was really important, so we made a deal we wouldn't give each other, or anyone else, any gifts that cost more than $20 per person. Lemme say, $20 goes a long way boo.
Ultimately, if you can just set a budget and a limit to how much you want to spend, you could save so much money and not go overboard only to regret it all when the holiday cheer dies down (because we all know it will).
2.The Who’s Who Of The Christmas List.
Getty Images
Remember when we were younger (oh the good old days!) and we made a Christmas list of people we wanted to shop for? That list would go on for days! But now that we finally reached that grown level status that we couldn't wait to get to, that list can definitely get Kevin Hart short now. As much as we want to be able to ball out on all of our family and friends, I was one of those people who had to come to terms with just not having the capacity to do that right now. One day, I'll be able to fill their stocking with amazing stuffers that will leave them in awe. But for now, it's okay if your list of Christmas gifts is super short, or it doesn't exist at all.
To be completely transparent, thanks to a major life transition of moving halfway across the country without completely knowing the future, I don't know if anybody will make it on the list this year. And we have to be okay with factors like that. I don't want to go as far as saying, "That's not what Christmas is about anyway… Jesus is the reason for the season." because as true as that can be, it doesn't change the fact that simply being wise in financial decisions, especially around Christmas, even if that means making sacrifices, is what can help secure the bag before the New Year.
3.Get Some Gifts For The Free Free.
Getty Images
I'm not saying to not spend any money around Christmas. For some of us, that's just unrealistic. But what we can do is get creative for some of the gifts, so we don't have to spend as much money. Whether you want to channel your inner 10-year-old self and give a coupon book like you did for Mother's Day back in the day or making a recipe book for someone who loves to cook, there are actually some really cute free gift ideas out there. And if you put in enough effort, it can be better than a gift you would've paid for.
The holiday season is also the perfect time to cash in on shopper rewards from retailers, grocery stores and credit cards. It might cause for some serious life hacking, but you might be surprised the great things you can get without spending one single coin.
4.The Power Of The Re-Gift.
Getty Images
Before I go any further, thank you in advance for not judging. But also know I'll never steer you wrong. When it comes to giving gifts, you and I both know that there could be all kinds of gems in your home that someone once gave you that you have yet to use; some of it might even still have the tags on it. Don't be ashamed to give this to someone else who might actually use it. As long as it doesn't look all raggedy, and they can't look at it and tell that you're trying to pull the 're-gift okie doke', this could be another major win for you to save money during the holiday season.
There have been times when I've re-gifted small things, from a mug I never used to a bag that I really didn't want to part ways with and was saving for a special occasion. But ultimately, it's sacrifices like this that really make the holiday season complete. So secure the bag and get creative to make sure you don't go broke this holiday season.
Related Stories:
6 Holiday Nail Art Ideas That Make A Standout Statement – Read More
What To Wear To Any Holiday Party This Season – Read More
Deck Your Halls With One Of These 18 DIY Christmas Tree Ideas – Read More
The Best Articles On Money For People In Their Twenties – Read More
Featured image by Getty Images
- You Don't Have to Go Broke Attending Holiday Parties - NerdWallet ›
- How to Get Through the Holidays in Debt | Dailyworth ›
- 3 Effortless Ways to Not Go Broke This Holiday Season ›
- Millennials, you can win the holidays without going broke ›
- Don't Go Broke This Holiday Season: 4 Tips - MoneyWise ›
- 7 Ways to Go Broke This Season ›
- Minimalist Holidays: Planning a Simple Holiday Season - the ... ›
- How to save money for Christmas (don't go broke this holiday ... ›
Charmaine Patterson is a journalist, lifestyle blogger, and a lover of all things pop culture. While she has much experience in covering top entertainment news stories, she aims to share her everyday life experiences, old and new, with other women who can relate, laugh, and love along with her. Follow Char on Twitter @charjpatterson, Instagram @charpatterson, and keep up with her journey at CharJPatterson.com .
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Wellness And Spiritual Coach Koya Webb On Taking Up Space As A Black Woman In Yoga
There are some misconceptions about yoga and people who practice it, such as it's only for people who are flexible, thin, and/ or considered elite. However, none of those things are true, and Koya Webb is the perfect example. Koya is an international holistic health and wellness coach and yoga instructor who represents much of what yoga can do for others by allowing it to manifest in herself. The former track athlete began practicing yoga after a sports injury that affected her not only physically but mentally. As she was trying to push through the pain with yoga, she was facing another obstacle: isolation. There weren't many others who looked like her in her classes, so she felt alone.
She reflects on that tough moment in an exclusive interview with xoNecole. "When I started, it wasn't that many of us in there, and it was painful, to be honest. I couldn't touch my toes. No one looked like me. I was mentally hurt. I felt like I was gonna get my scholarship taken away. I felt hopeless," she tells us. I felt like I didn't belong there. This is not for me, and I could barely breathe, and I just wanted to cry."
However, her yoga instructor was very encouraging and helped her through her practice. "And the teacher came to me and she was just like, just breathe with me. And she just took this deep inhale, exhale, and I felt the Holy Spirit like in my body— that I identify as spirit which is full body chills. And that's how I knew I was in the right place."
"And the teacher came to me and she was just like, just breathe with me. And she just took this deep inhale, exhale, and I felt the Holy Spirit like in my body— that I identify as spirit which is full body chills. And that's how I knew I was in the right place."
She continues, "So, even throughout the pain and throughout the stiffness in my body, and even though I felt like I didn't fit in, I didn't belong. I just did it anyway, and I cried through the pain. I breathed through the pain, and after a year, I completely healed my body, strengthen my mind, and I came back to win the conference championship in the heptathlon and was ranked 13th in the nation."
But like many of us have done, Koya fell back into old habits, such as not taking care of herself and stopping yoga altogether, which resulted in another injury. This time, however, when she returned to yoga, she stuck with it and got certified as a yoga teacher. From there, she created her own online certification to encourage more Black people to teach holistic health and yoga. As a Black woman in the wellness space, Koya was in the minority and had to do some soul-searching to effectively make a change.
"It was really hard because I experienced a lot of microaggressions that I had just normalized. And I had to normalize it just to be safe, and I didn't realize I was doing it at that time. I really realized a lot during the pandemic. When I started reading like Caste, and I started going deeper into my own journey of, like, life and what does it mean to be a Black woman? You know, and what does it mean to be a leader? You know, because I would just say yes to people who would reached out to me," she says.
"I got very far in my career and then I realized it's time for me to reach out to people that are afraid to reach out. Until I start focusing on other Black women and reaching out and saying, 'Hey, let's do this.' You know, and I think that was a really pivotal point because I feel like a lot of times because we've experienced so much trauma, we're just afraid. We've been hurt so much. We're just afraid and not just the the people that don't look like us but even each other."
It was really hard because I experienced a lot of microaggressions that I had just normalized. And I had to normalize it just to be safe, and I didn't realize I was doing it at that time. I really realized a lot during the pandemic. When I started reading like Caste, and I started going deeper into my own journey of like, life and what does it mean to be a Black woman? You know, and what does it mean to be a leader?
Through her many efforts, Koya has become well known throughout the wellness community with her yoga classes, coaching, podcast, The Lifestyle Design podcast, and events like the Mind, Body + Sol Retreat. She also has a new book coming out focusing on lifestyle design, which she describes as intentionally incorporating wellness in every aspect of your life. Koya also uses her social media to motivate others to live a life of joy, love, and wellness. While she promotes positivity through her work, she also wants others to know that they, too, can start on their holistic journey by adding these simple yoga principles.
"I feel like just waking up and breathing, just mindful breath. You know, of course we're breathing all the time, but like, deep inhale, deep exhale like 10 deep inhalations and exhalations when they wake up and then just some gentle stretches in bed," she says.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy