How to Have a Stress-Free Holiday Season
How to Have a Stress-Free Holiday Season
The holiday season is supposed to be the most joyful time of the year – so why does it seem to be a source of huge stress for us? For most of us, it’s the most expensive time of the year. It’s also a time when we have many events to attend, traditions to hold, and obligations to fulfill. The holiday season is about family, friends, and celebration. These tips will help you celebrate the holidays without all of the stress.
1. Plan out all your presents in advance.
As soon as you can, sit down and write a list of everyone that you want to get presents for this season. Decide how much your budget will be for gifts and begin writing down gift ideas for each person. Do some research to figure out how much each gift will cost. Once you’re done with your brainstorming session, see which gifts fit into your budget and which will bring you over budget. Decide on your final list and begin shopping! Having a list of items that you need to buy eliminates the stress of going into a store blind, hoping that you might find something good. It also helps to keep you within budget by preventing expensive impulse buys. Buying gifts is a major source of stress during the holiday season, and this will make the process much easier.
2. Attend only the events that matter.
If you find yourself overwhelmed with party invites, remember that you are allowed to say no. The holiday season is about spending time with people who are near and dear to your heart. If you’re invited to a party where you may not know everyone, you can politely turn down the invitation. Only RSVP to the parties and events that you actually want to attend, don’t spend your time at events that you didn’t want to go to in the first place.
3. Ditch the sit-down dinner.
If you throw holiday parties, forget about the sit-down dinner. They’re expensive, time consuming, and there’s no way that you can enjoy your own party if you spend the whole event cooking and cleaning the dishes. Instead, have a potluck style party; ask your guests to bring finger foods and appetizers and set up everything buffet-style. This allows everyone (including you!) to mingle, celebrate, and eat without any stress.
4. Don’t forget to treat yourself.
The holidays are all about giving and selflessness, but you can’t forget about you! To avoid burn out this season, make sure to set aside some time to yourself. Whether it’s taking yourself out to lunch or binge watching Stranger Things 2, do whatever you need to do to recharge your battery.
5. Forget the credit cards and take out a Holiday Loan.
Between presents, food, and decorations (oh, my!), the holiday bills add up quickly. Most stores this season will try to sell you on their store credit cards, saying they’ll give you a discount on your purchase, but you’ll end up paying back that discount and more with the interest rates that they charge. Instead of maxing out high-interest credit cards, take out a Holiday Loan with us. With low interest rates and a twelve-month installment, our Holiday Loan is a stress-free way to get more funds this holiday season.
Remember that this season is meant to be joyful! Take these tips and use them to help reduce stress this season and enjoy the holidays to their fullest.