4 things you should NOT do with your December Salary/Bonus

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas! Festive, colourful, filled with religious symbolism and a spendthrift’s playground.

The Christmas season always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, because I grew up spending most of them in the cool climes of Manchester, Jamaica with my great grandmother, so many years ago.

It meant a time for gifts (if I was lucky), sorrel and my Gramma’s perfect Christmas cake! For the times I spent Christmas at home in Kingston I would join the excited throngs in Half Way Tree on Christmas Eve for Gran’ market. That meant walking around with my mom, looking for clothes or toys or anything good they had on sale.

Only when I became an adult, did I come to fully appreciate the commercial aspect of Christmas, and how, for the most part it has become our most faithful reaction to the season that is supposed to be about good will to all men.

December payday plus bonus pay (if you are so fortunate) is one of the most anticipated all year. Unfortunately, it is also the one with the most regrets.

So to make this easy, I’m going to share with you four things that you shouldn’t be doing with your pay check or bonus this Christmas.

Beg Fren’

If they were not your friend throughout the year, don’t let the repetitive Christmas carols woo you into believing December is the time to change all that. The fact is Christmas is a weird season. A whole month of goodwill, giving, merriment, eating, drinking, ‘happy times’ – don’t drink too much of the spiked sorrel.

People will wander back into your life, because for some, it’s a good time to let bygones be bygones.

I say keep it moving and enjoy your season with the knowledge that when you’re broke on January 10, they will not be around to help you out.

How many times have people resurfaced during Christmas, just in time for you to go out with them to a party or some other event? Being as caught up as you are, you don’t take the time to consider that maybe, I don’t want to be doing this, with this person, right now.

But you throw caution to the wind, because, Christmas.

Don’t do it!

P.S. – Apply this rule to problematic members of your family as needed.

Pay for that Annual Gym membership

Ok ok… hear me out on this one. It sounds good right?

And for some, it’s a most noble decision to join the gym and get your body ready for Carnival or whatever other goal you have in mind for 2018. But do you really believe sinking your hard earned cash into that sumptuous discounted annual gym membership fee, with your December salary is a wise choice, at Christmas?

For those who are already committed and truly want to join the gym, then by all means put that money down.

But if you are like many of us, who simply want to assuage our ego and trick our brain into believing that spending all that money, one time, near the beginning of a new year, will push us to actually go to the gym, THINK AGAIN!

Don’t fool yourself. If you want to pay for a year, do it in February, when the New Year’s resolution folks have stopped going. At least by then it won’t be as full.

Go to every Party

Christmas was apparently invented as one big season of parties. In fact, the week between Christmas Eve and New Years Day, is practically party palooza everywhere. And why not? What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than with reverie and debauchery (drinks optional if you like).

But as we all know, the cost for parties, is not just the entry fee. It includes the wardrobe to match each event, especially if they are themed. A good paycheck melts like butter in hot sun in the midst of party season, and it can get out of hand if you’re seeking the next high every night.

If you must go to a few, have a strategy and make it work. Be warned however, parties sometimes, just pop-up and before you know it, you’re caught in the frenzy of trying to look the part.

Impress Family

Family ‘get-togethers’ during Christmas are inevitable for many of us. This means, renewing life rivalries with that cousin who seems to have it all: the job, the money, the car, the house.

How do you match up?

Blowing your hard earned funds on ‘things’ solely to impress family members, in an effort to make a good impression is a definite No No.

So yes, it is quite noble for you to want to buy that new SMART TV for your mom for Christmas. And I know she would appreciate the fact that it’s 40 inches. But be honest with yourself, the only reason you’re buying it is to impress your aunts and cousins, not to mention your other siblings. Because, you know darned well your mom can barely use a touch screen phone.

Christmas is the season of being EXTRA but if doing the most means being broke on December 29 then you’re probably doing it wrong.

Keep it Locked

Christmas is fun, the excitement is all around but here is the good news – you can enjoy it without making yourself broke before year’s end. What’s more, with all the distraction that the month of December brings, it’s sometimes easy for us to get lost in the shuffle and forget our priorities. Stay focused.

Let me know if you have any other Christmas spending No No’s.

Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

Kevin

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