Financial Planner Luke Smith joined 2CC Talking Canberra 1206AM in Money Matters, which aired on Friday 15 December 2023. This week’s show asks a cracker of a question as the Christmas holidays approach quickly: How can I get through Christmas without blowing the budget? Perhaps more than at any other time during the year, Christmas brings a lot of expectations and emotions with it that can impact how you spend.
Key topics covered include:
- Is it time to have a plan around Christmas spending?
- Do you ask people what they want for Christmas or are you buying something just for the sake of buying something?
- Set up an agreement with your family – can you just by for the kids?
- Can you put a limit on how much you spend of a Christmas gift.
- Online shopping might help you plan better and avoid queues.
- Check your credit card limit and lower it if you need to.
- Shop with cash, you can’t overspend when you only have cash to pay with.
- Post Christmas sales provide cheaper gifts if people can wait.
- If you do find yourself with credit card debt in January, turn it into a personal loan with lower interest, or switch to a credit card that offers transfer with free interest for a period.
- Don’t compete with others when it comes to gift giving. Do what’s right for your budget.
- Luke shares his top tips around Christmas spending.
Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – ‘The Strategy Stacker – Luke Talks Money’
Are you thinking about your financial plans next year?
Luke as a Financial Planner can help you set up a financial planning strategy to help you achieve your personal financial goals, including investment, super and retirement. Make an appointment to confidentially discuss your goals. Call Envision Financial Services on 6260 4749. You can use the contact us form to make an appointment, for a confidential discussion about your situation.
Luke will return to 2CC to talk about other ‘Money Matters’ next week – it’s the final show of the year. You can also catch up with ‘The Strategy Stacker – Luke Talks Money’ podcast at a time that suits you.
We look forward to your company again and Luke’s book Smart Money Strategy is out now and makes a great Christmas gift.
