Jeremy Fulton, Financial Wellness Coach

Tag: giving

  • 3 ways to keep Christmas from surprising you this year.

    3 ways to keep Christmas from surprising you this year.

    Yes, I know its only February, and you have 10 whole months till Santa comes down the chimney.  So, why think about it now?

    I’ll point you to my motto:

    “Have a Plan, Not a Payment”

    How would it feel to get through your Christmas shopping, knowing you didn’t blow your budget and still gave all the gifts you wanted to?

    Pretty good, right?

    Here are 3 simple things that can enable you to do just that!

    1. Determine who you will buy for, and how much you will spend

      This could take some thinking and discussion with your spouse; I’ll wait here till you figure it out. Surprised by how much you want to spend?  Hold on, it gets better!

      This is the first step of your plan, figuring out the end goal!

    2. Add up the total and divide by 9

      No, you didn’t loose a month; I’m assuming you will start saving in March and shop in November.

      Put this number under the “Christmas” category in your Cash Flow Plan.  Since you and your spouse agreed to the amount per person, this should go into the budget w/o much discussion, except where to cut the monthly amount from.

      I imagine that this number is much more manageable then the value determined in step 1.

    3. Each month put that amount aside in an envelope or separate savings account, earmarked for Christmas.

    There are a few unexpected advantages to this method:

    • No fighting over how much is spent on Black Friday
    • If you run across a great deal in July, you will have the money already to buy the gift; just make sure you hide it well!
    • When the bills come in January of 2016, there won’t be one for Christmas gifts!

    So, think you can do this?

  • Giving Thanks

    Giving Thanks

    Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. Many like to take a moment and reflect on all that they are grateful for. Some see it as a 4-day weekend that they can pig out during. Others see it as the day before Black Friday, where they can fight crowds for a super deal on low quality electronics.

    I have to admit that in the past I’ve done more of the latter two than the first. But things have changed in my life in the past couple years that have caused me to change how I see the world and my life. Just over a year ago I left singleness for good and married the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and now we are expecting our first child, due in May!! Between those two major events I’ve become more outward focused and less selfish. I’ve learned how fulfilling it is to serve my wife as a husband; more so than anything I did while single.

    I won’t bore you with an exhaustive list of every good thing in my life, but I do want to express my gratitude for a few things I’m most grateful for, things I thank my Creator for often.
    – My relationship with Jesus Christ, and the grace and mercy He’s granted to me
    – My wife; I waited a LONG time to find her, and my life is so much the richer due to her love
    – Our child; I’ve waited a long time to be a dad, and an so excited to be one!
    – Having family close enough to spend holidays with; I’ve lived for so long thousands of miles from my family that having my in-laws close has been a blessing
    – My career as a Personal Financial Coach; I get so much joy and fulfillment helping others change their lives! It’s amazing to have a job that I love so much!

    I hope you take some time and reflect on what you are thankful for, and remember those that are less fortunate. Your life may be tough, difficult, and painful, but there is always a silver lining to the cloud if you just look hard enough.

    What are you most thankful for? Please share with us in the comments section 🙂

  • Re-blog: A Booby Trap in the Christian Budget

    Re-blog: A Booby Trap in the Christian Budget

    My wife discovered this blog post today on DesiringGod.org and thought I would be interested in it.  I read it and though it was well written and had a great message for those of us who are interested in being intentional with our finances and doing the most good we can (for us, our family, and friends) with our money.

    So, without further ado, here is the first section, and a link to read the entire post.  I welcome your comments and discussion on this write-up:

    “The Bible is clear that we will put our money where our hearts are, so it is important that we regularly test our treasure. There are lots of ways to lose our life over a love for money. We want our money to serve our greatest lasting good and happiness, not kill it. So I proposed four questions to keep close to your wallet:

    1. Is my spending marked by Christian generosity?
    2. What does my spending say about what makes me most happy?
    3. Does my spending suggest I’m collecting for this life?
    4. Is my spending explicitly supporting the spread of the gospel?

    Here, I’d like to add a fifth aimed at the frugal among us: Is my spending so cautious that it’s captured my heart and keeps me from loving those close to me well?….”

    A Booby Trap in the Christian Budget