K.I.S.S. for the Cause!

In Kimberly’s post yesterday she expounded the virtues of the K.I.S.S principle when it comes to holiday gift shopping. No one subscribes to that philosophy more than my wife and I. In fact we discovered an interesting way to take care of holiday shopping for friends and family just by stopping into a South Carolina Federal Credit Union Branch.

Visa Gift Cards and MUSC Children’s Hospital Holiday Cards…the perfect match!

That’s right. South Carolina Federal now sells Visa Gift Cards in all branches. These Gift Cards are available in denominations from $5 to $1000, can be given to anyone as a gift, and are replaceable if lost or stolen.

Then ask those helpful folks in the credit union branch for a package of MUSC Children’s Hospital Holiday Cards. Each year patients, siblings and young friends of the Children's Hospital contribute their creative artwork for the holiday card program. All proceeds benefit the research and programs at the MUSC Children's Hospital.

While in the Branch you can write out your MUSC Holiday Cards, include Visa Gift Cards, address and stamp them, and the Branch Manager will mail them for you (please bring your own stamps). When you walk out of the branch you may be able to cross off a sizable portion of your holiday gift-giving list.  You'll feel even better knowing you’ve helped with important research at MUSC Children's Hospital.  Now isn't that the essence of LIFE SIMPLIFIED this holiday season?

K.I.S.S. for the holidays!

Once the Thanksgiving feast becomes the stuff of sandwiches and soup, the holiday season officially begins. (Welcome!) It also ushers in an ideal opportunity to reflect on the wisdom of the K.I.S.S. formula.

Wikipedia tells us K.I.S.S. “is a modern acronym for the empirical principle, ‘Keep It Short and Simple,’ or the more recent and disparaging ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid.’” Whichever phrasing resonates most with you, the important thing is to take heed and keep your wits about you during this busy time. Simplify your life this holiday season by identifying sources of distress, be they related to money, relationships, health, or something else, and do what you can to minimize the mess. K.I.S.S. for the holidays!

This week, our bloggers will describe some of the things that ruffled their holiday feathers until they figured out crafty ways to K.I.S.S. After all, our mission at the credit union is to do all we can to simplify your life, so let our words be your mistletoe and K.I.S.S. away!

What tactics do you and/or your family put in place to K.I.S.S. during the holidays?

Store Brand vs. Name Brand

When my husband and I moved to where we live now, we were very happy to find out that there was a Publix right down the street. We didn’t have a Publix near our old address, so this new convenience was quite exciting to us. When we first started shopping at Publix, we bought our usual name brand items such as Sprite, Coburg milk, Breyers® yogurt, Johnson’s ® baby powder, Bounty paper towels, etc…As we continued shopping there weekend after weekend, we slowly started trying Publix brands. We started out by trying their lemon-lime soda which is their version of Sprite and we then moved on to trying their milk. We were quite impressed with the taste and knowing that we paid less than the name brand improved the great taste even more!

 

We continued trying their brands by buying their brand of yogurt, baby powder, and paper towels. Again, we were impressed and loved the savings! In the past, we tried buying store brand items from different grocery stores, but never seemed satisfied and wished we would have spent the extra cents to get the name brand, but Publix brand is a different story. It is quality and taste for a lower price. I am not trying to advertise or endorse Publix, I am simply sharing a grocery bill success story!

 

Are you a name brand shopper or store brand shopper?

 

Chao for now,

Leslita

What do you mean you're a Clemson fan?

Guest blogger Brandon explains why he looks forward to the Clemson/Carolina game each year.

This time of year, I look forward to the holidays, spending time with my family and all the great things that come with it. But none of these compare to the anticipation of the big game.

See, I have a unique perspective on the rivalry that is South Carolina vs. Clemson. My Grandfather was a huge Clemson fan, my Father was a huge Clemson fan and I gladly follow in that tradition. I have watched hundreds of Clemson games on TV, been to a few dozen games in Death Valley, been to many bowl games and I read multiple websites every day soaking up any news I can about the tigers.

Nothing unique about being a fan, but there is a twist. I graduated from the University of South Carolina. Yes, a die-hard Clemson fan that went to USC.

I was accepted at both schools, but chose to go to South Carolina. For me it wasn’t allegiance to the football team or a campus that drove my decision. It was based on money.

I had to pay my own way through school so I focused on getting the best value I could from my education. I had family in West Columbia and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to save a few dollars by not paying rent. As well, I went to high school in New York, so I had to establish residency. That can be hard to do living on campus.

I still wore my orange on campus every Friday and supported the Tigers in any way I could. I had to sacrifice quite a bit being surrounded by Gamecock fans, but I grew to like and even become friends with some of them. I knew I had to make those sacrifices, but given my financial situation, it was the right decision. We all know the economy is weak and everyone is making sacrifices…what are some of the sacrifices you are making this holiday season?

It's MINE! No, It's MINE!

Anybody familiar with the character Stingy from Lazy Town? Stingy’s favorite quote is, “It's Mine!” This is the character I think of when my girls are fighting over a toy they both claim complete ownership of. Yes, I am referring to sibling rivalry, quick scenario:

- 3 year old takes toy from 1 year old, shouting “that’s mine!”

- 1 year old screams, "mine" simultaneously looking in my direction

- Mommy comes running and takes the toy from the 3 year old, giving it back to the 1 year old stating, “You have to share with your sister!”

After a few re-runs of this episode, I realized my interventions probably were not teaching both children the best lesson. First of all, mommy is not always going to be around to save the day. My girls may start expecting my help and wait for me to come to the rescue rather than learning to work out the problems on their own (I know, I know… a little tricky when dealing with toddlers). There's also the risk I may be inadvertently sending a message to my 3 year old that I am always trying to protect the 1 year old, which may foster even more resentment.

Anger is a part of being human, and it's certainly normal for siblings to get upset with one another. However, the key is teaching appropriate responses/reactions to those feelings of anger (again, tricky with toddlers but better to start now). Here are a couple of techniques we have found helpful:

- The “Good Girl” Chart- the girls earn stickers and ultimately a prize for good behavior. It may be natural for parents to ignore children when they are playing nicely together and pay attention when a problem arises. Behaviors that are ignored (go unrewarded) decrease while behaviors which receive attention (are rewarded) increase. The “Good Girl” chart encourages the good behavior.

- The “Rules” Chart- Highlights unacceptable behavior (No Throwing, No Hitting, No Yelling, etc.); make sure the kids understand the consequences if they do not follow the rules. It is wise to only pick your top 3-5 unacceptable rules as opposed to having a ton of small scale, “chew with your mouth close” rules. This teaches children that they're responsible for their own actions, regardless of the situation or how provoked they felt, and discourages any attempts to negotiate regarding who was "right" or "wrong."

What techniques do you use with your child(ren) to encourage appropriate behavior?

Time for the Big Game…and some well-meaning community projects

Only one team will win the upcoming Clemson/Carolina grudge match and claim bragging rights for another year, but it’ll be a win-win for a number of South Carolina community organizations.

Just a few short months ago, we were blogging about the start of the college football season. Both Carolina and Clemson fans were staking out their positions. This coming Saturday, it’ll be time for both sides to finally put on their “A” game as they take the field in Columbia.

Behind all the bravado and trash-talking, it’s worth noting that a number of South Carolina community organizations will be beneficiaries of the Big Game:

• This year, the annual Clemson-USC Blood Drive celebrates a quarter century of giving. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans of the Tigers and Gamecocks will roll up their sleeves and donate an estimated 8000 units of blood.

• A group of Pelion, S.C. Middle School Students are using the spirit of friendly competition to pump up a local food pantry and raise funds for the school.  Students hope to collect more than 2000 food items.  In addition, money raised from this campaign will fund service learning projects throughout the year.

Listening to a local sports radio station, I heard even more rivalry stories that focused on community service projects tied to the Clemson/Carolina game.

There is no doubt that the Game this Saturday is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years. Regardless of the outcome, it’s good to see that a number of South Carolina community organizations will walk away winners.

Credit unions vs. banks

It's rivalry week here at SiMPLECENTS, so we'll begin with a subject close to our hearts: credit unions vs. banks. For your consideration today: the fact that two things can be similar without being the same. If you’re a die-hard Clemson fan, for example, you probably don’t sport garnet and black on game day because you figure school colors are school colors. If you’re a “dog person,” you probably don’t profess love for cats because “it’s a pet, right?, so same difference?” Like the examples above, credit unions and banks are apples and oranges.  Both are financial institutions but they are unique as possible in terms of their operating philosophies and goals. 

1.  Credit unions are not-for-profit; banks are for profit. Credit unions are financial cooperatives. Members pool their savings to provide reasonably priced products and services to one another.  A credit union’s earnings return directly to members in the form of loans and rate and fee benefits, instead of ending up in some stockholder’s wallet. On that note... 

2.  Credit unions are owned and operated by the people who use its services; banks are run by stockholders. (This gets to the crux of why credit unions use the term “member,” while banks have “customers.”) Every credit union member is an equal owner of the institution and every member has a say in the how the credit union is run, because membership includes the right to elect fellow members to the credit union’s volunteer board of directors. Unlike bank stockholders, who are driven by profit motive, credit union volunteers make decisions based on what it best for the entire membership. 

3.  The NCUA insures credit unions; the FDIC insures banks. Both the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) are agencies of the U.S. government and both guarantee deposits and IRAs up to $250k through Dec. 31, 2013. And of course, South Carolina Federal Credit Union is fully insured by the NCUA. (Take this opportunity to ditch any banks or credit unions that hold your money if one of these federal institutions does not insure them.) Here’s more on this subject.

4.  Credit unions serve a passionate social purpose because it’s part of our reason for being; banks give back because U.S. federal law requires it.  The guiding philosophy of the credit union industry always has been “not for profit, not for charity, but for service.” It’s why we reach out to people and communities of modest means and the underserved, and it’s why we offer free financial education workshops and volunteer in our communities. 

So next time you're about to utter the phrase, “South Carolina Federal is my bank,” you may want to take deliberate pride in saying, instead, that it’s your credit union. What about credit unions brought you into the fold?

Be Thankful for the Charmin!

A little over a year ago, I discovered Upromise. I used to see the Upromise logo on many store shelves in the grocery store, but never really paid attention or investigated what the logo meant. I soon found out it was a hidden gem (Well, at least for me it was a hidden gem. I’m sure thousands of other people already knew about it).

It’s a program designed to help you save money for your child’s college. You simply log on to Upromise and sign up for a free account. (When you are creating your account, you will get some product and credit offers, but I skipped over those).

You can add credit/debit cards, grocery cards, and pre-paid/gift cards so that every time you use those registered cards to purchase a participating product (i.e. Charmin® bath tissue or Beech–Nut® baby food), you earn savings in your Upromise account. Each product has a specific percentage assigned to it. For example, Charmin® bath tissue earns you 1% and Beech–Nut® baby food earns you 2%. So if you buy 2 jars of Beech–Nut® baby food for $0.80, you get $0.02 deposited in to your Upromise account. Upromise savings is not restricted to just groceries. You earn savings by making purchases at select retail stores, gas stations, restaurants, travel agencies, and more!

Another cool thing about Upromise, is that you can invite family and friends to be guest shoppers so that every time they buy a participating product, the savings goes into your Upromise account. Imagine adding all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc, to your kid’s Upromise account! Cha-Ching! You’ll be able to afford Harvard! Haha! You can even link your Upromise account to a 529 account or a student loan account.

I opened a Upromise account for my son in September of 2008 and I must say that I have been very impressed with the program. Opening the account was simple and keeping track of my account online is easy and convenient.

So this Thanksgiving, when I make my list of items to buy, I’ll make sure they’re items that earn me Upromise savings so that when my son gets ready to head off to college, he will say “Mom, thanks for buying all that Charmin® bath tissue!”

What little things are you thankful for?

Chao for now,

Leslita

...Don't Just Utter The Words, Live By Them

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John F. Kennedy

I think of each holiday as a time to teach my girls what the true meaning of the holiday is. My approach for each holiday is to help them look beyond the tangibles and give thanks for being blessed with a loving family and to celebrate life…not just on a holiday but every day.

I can vividly recall my teenage and twenty something years in NYC on Thanksgiving Day, which by the way was not so long ago (LOL!) watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, laughing/conversing with family, while eating turkey, sweet potato pie, corn bread, collard greens, smoked neck bone, etc.(yum yum, I know some of you know what I am talking about!). Fast forward to present day and we have a whole new generation at the table and I want their memories to be just as fond.

This Thanksgiving Day, remember what you truly have to be thankful for. Take a good, hard look around you and realize while you may not have everything you want, what you want may not be necessarily what you need and probably not the most important.

Being thankful for gifts we didn't know we needed

Do you remember the song that says “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers”? Well, some of the Contact Center’s greatest gifts are introducing Members to products and services they need, but maybe didn’t know they needed.

Take for example a call about a loan received by Kristina, a Contact Center Representative here at South Carolina Federal Credit Union. As the conversation progressed and Kristina was answering questions, the Member was not sure if he would qualify for a loan due to delinquent accounts elsewhere. At this point, Kristina suggested that the member contact South Carolina Federal’s free BALANCE Financial Fitness Program as BALANCE offers confidential counseling on financial issues such as this.

In the end, the Member was happy he learned of a service that could possibly help him get a loan in the future.  He thanked Kristina for offering him the service he really needed... the ”gift” of BALANCE.

Have you received a “gift” that, perhaps, you didn’t know you needed?

On this week before Thanksgiving, Kevin the Service Guy wants to know.

Give thanks by giving back

There’s certainly nothing wrong with eating yourself silly and lazing away the night watching football on Thanksgiving, but if you’re grateful for anything at all this year, consider making more of the holiday. Honor your gratitude by considering ways you can give back. Some social action can be accomplished that day. For other works, you might simply make a commitment on Nov. 26 to follow through in days ahead. For instance, you could: 

• Volunteer at a soup kitchen or shelter. 
• Invite elderly, widowed or stranded college students to share your Thanksgiving feast. 
• Dole out random acts of kindness.
• Contact a local tree farm about donating a Christmas tree to a nursing home, homeless shelter or less fortunate family. 
• Become an advocate. Contact your legislators on issues close to your heart. 
• Go through your closets for items to donate to a crisis center.

Respected community service organizations can help you find a project or cause that resonates with you. Contact United Way, Feeding America Food Bank, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity, among others, to learn more about their missions and goals and see if they are a fit for you. Or visit sciway.net for the websites of statewide and regional community organizations you might like to support with your time and talents. 

On Thanksgiving Day, make sure your family or loved ones know for whom and what you are thankful. You could become a living example of gratitude by giving from whatever blessings you have to bring blessings to others. As our bloggers this week reveal what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving, will you help kick off the theme by telling us where your gratitude lies?

Brave Little Soldiers

My first cousin William is a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army and his wife, Crystal, is a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army. In 2002, they both got orders to go to Iraq for a year. Their orders ended up getting extended until 2004. Of course they took their orders with pride and patriotism, but their first thought was, “What will happen to our son?”

They were in San Antonio,Texas at the time with no close family around, so William called my aunt (baby’s grandmother) and my grandmother (baby’s great grandmother) in Charleston, SC, and asked if he could stay with them. Of course they said yes.

I will never forget how sad everyone was. Two parents had to leave their son behind not knowing if they would return alive to see his smiling face or be able to take him to his first day of Kindergarten. A son said good-bye to his parents thinking that they would be back in a few hours to pick him up.

Each day he would ask, “Where are mommy and daddy?” We would all tell him that they were at work. Even though he was a young toddler at the time, he realized after a few days that mommy and daddy had been at work for a really long time!

William and Chrystal returned safely from Iraq in 2004 and were happily reunited with their son. This Veteran’s Day, I salute all who have and do serve, but I also salute the brave little soldiers who are left behind when a parent or parents are called to fight for freedom!

Have a similar story? I want to hear it, so send me a comment!

Chao for now,

Leslita

Who is my hero?

Main Entry: he·ro

Pronunciation: \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin heros, from Greek hērōs

Date: 14th century

1 a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage

Before beginning my blog today, I wanted to see how Webster had defined a "hero." I must admit that the first definition took me just a little bit by surprise. It never occurred to me that a "hero" was first thought of as a figure that existed in stories long ago. My "hero" is my dad, Troy a/k/a Slim a/k/a fuzzball.

Slim served in World War II from 1945 until December 1946. He was stationed at Okinawa, Japan. Slim has many stories about his experience. They contain vivid images of being chased, bombs exploding, and the faces of death spread about the ground around him. But, the ones that involve him using force to protect his life are very private.

I sometimes forget just how real this experience was for dad. One of the stories that caught my attention as a young lad was when he spoke about receiving orders to get on a plane and head to a new assignment. It was a cold, rainy day and the plane had been delayed for several hours. My dad was so fatigued that he fell asleep in a dry corner of the airport. To his surprise when he awoke, the plane had left without him. The bigger surprise is that the plane never made it to its final destination. Had my dad not fallen asleep, this blog would not have been written ... at least certainly not by me.

Take a moment this week and be sure to acknowledge a Veteran for the service they are giving, gave, or about to be given. Be thankful this Thursday and tell me who is your "hero" and what story do you have to share.  

A Simple Way of Saying “Thank you”

A friend and I were waiting to have our orders taken at a very popular lunch spot a few weeks ago. A man in military dress entered the restaurant and stood in the back of the line waiting for service. As my friend and I conversed I saw her glance at the gentleman a couple of times.

As we approached the register she enthusiastically said to him, “come on up here, and thank you for what you do!” and allowed him to get in front of her to place his order. You could tell the gentleman was caught by surprise as he stated, “yes ma’m” and walked to the head of the line.

This small gesture spoke volumes and it made me wonder how often he heard those words, “Thank You."

Being the wife of a veteran I know the solider and family make tremendous sacrifices in support of freedom for this county.

“Thank you” to the veteran and active military members who have fought or are fighting for our freedom.

When is the last time you told a veteran or an active member of the military, “Thank You?"

Supporting our troops this Veterans Week

What would you be thinking if your son was being deployed to Afghanistan for the first time? Well, that’s what I asked my brother's wife, Treva, this past weekend. Treva’s son, Travis, is a United States Marine and he just left for combat post in Afghanistan last Wednesday for a tour expected to last nine months.

So what was Treva thinking as she saw her son depart? Fear and Pride. Treva was very candid about both. On one hand, she fears for Travis’ safety as the fighting in Afghanistan has escalated. On the other hand, Treva said she feels an immense amount of pride for what her son is doing. This is what he and his unit have trained for. She said they departed with confidence and determination that they could, and will, make a difference.

As we recognize our Veterans this week let’s also remember that we have many young Americans (like Travis) who are being deployed for the first time to active combat zones throughout the Middle East.  As long as we have American troops deployed in combat around the globe we must continue to show our support for them. There is no room for “war weariness”.  Let’s leave the politics to the politicians.

For Treva and the thousands of other mothers out there with sons and daughters deployed to a war zone, their primary concern is for the safety of their family members and the other men and women of their unit. This is something we all need to remember this Veterans week.

Honored to serve those who serve(d)

This Wednesday, Nov. 11, South Carolina Federal Credit Union will be closed in honor of Veterans Day. While our employees, like many Americans, look forward to the mid-week break, Veterans Day is more than just a holiday for the credit union, since we have a long history of service to and affiliation with our military.

Did you know South Carolina Federal originated as the Navy Yard Employees Credit Union in 1936? Picture our 14 founding fathers, who worked maintaining Navy ships, seated at a table in the Shipyard cafeteria. Each one contributed $5 (equivalent to about $76 today) because he believed in what credit unions stand for: ethics, cooperation, member focus and community mindedness. The result was formation of a credit union that promoted thrift and offered credit at affordable rates.

Seventy-three years later in 2009, the credit union’s connection to our armed forces remains strong. We count numerous service men and women among our membership, volunteer leaders and employees. In fact, last week at South Carolina Federal, 231 employees responded to a poll that asked whether they or at least one family member had served in a branch of the armed services and 88 percent replied in the affirmative.

If you are a veteran, or someone special to you has served or presently is on active duty, we thank you for your sacrifice to the greater good. Veterans Day is a celebration we’ll honor proudly this week. How will you mark the day?

Is ONE big present too little?

When I was growing up, my school friends would always talk about all the toys and games they had listed on their Christmas list. After Christmas break, I would hear them talk about how they got everything on their list and sometimes more! Not me! I would get one big gift such as a bike or roller blades and a few small gifts such as a shirt, socks, and some cute barrettes for my hair.

Where my parents being stingy? No, they were teaching me that Christmas is not all about gifts. It is about family. I would get a gift or two from my grandmothers and aunts, but nothing big or pricey. To be honest, Christmas was never a huge gift giving time in my family. When I say family, I mean immediate family, because I have a cousin, who shall remain nameless, that would ask for some pretty extravagant gifts during Christmas time and if he didn’t get everything he asked for, he would throw a fit! (What a brat! Love ya cuz, but you were a brat! Haha!)

My parents raised me to focus more on the Christmas dinner menu and spending that day with family. My parents frugal gift giving made me get more excited about ham, cookies, and seeing family rather than the Sony Walkman that I might have waiting for me under the tree. (Sony Walkman, ha! Yes, I am an 80’s child).

This Christmas, my husband and I plan on buying our son one nice gift ($60 or less) and one or two small gifts. We want our son to grow up looking forward to Midnight Mass, Christmas dinner, and spending time with family, and not how many presents are waiting for him under the tree.

Do you think showering children with tons of gifts at Christmas time is positive or does it create bratiness?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Get Your Stress-Free ONLINE Holiday Shopping ON!

Since I would prefer not to spend several hours in department stores with 2 inquisitive and energetic toddlers, I am strongly considering alternative holiday shopping options this year. Did I mention any option besides spending several hours in department stores with 2 inquisitive and energetic toddlers, LOL!

My first alternative is online shopping. Of course online shopping has grown immensely within the past few years. The biggest advantage for me is time! The simplicity of being able to shop on-line while the kids are napping or down for the night is priceless!

Plus, you can simultaneously look for an item at several different stores without having to walk from one end of a mall to another. You can also skim customer reviews on presents so you can easily choose the toy your child(ren) wants.

Ladies and gents, online rebates and coupons should be your new best friends. Put on your super-sleuth hat and do a little detective work! It could be as easy as doing a Google search for the item you want and typing “coupon” or “rebate” behind the product you are searching for.

For many of us, holiday shopping is a laborious process often completed over a span of several days. This working wife and mom is all about taking the “chore” out of this holiday season and making it into an enjoyable experience. What about you?

Why does my wife talk in 'gift' code?

I cannot be the only guy on the planet who thinks that his wife talks in 'shopping' code when it comes to getting her a gift for the holidays. I get clues all year long and sometimes they don't even seem like a 'hint' at all. In some cases, they get so confusing that I'm not sure if I'm getting a clue to buy, or the clue what not to buy. What's wrong with 'hit-me-over-the head' obvious?

It's stressful playing these guessing games. At least it's like 'guessing' for me. Wife, on the other hand, thinks she is being informative and suggestive. Hey, I'm a guy and what you need to do is spell it out in big letters ... D ... I ... A ... M ... O ... N ... D ... S! At least I'd know what I'm up against. But, ohhhhh nooooo, that would take all the fun out of it for her, she has told me. You know where this is going. Fun for her, torture for me.

Personally, I think this is a form of the "I Spy" game and you're playing with a clever person who will pick a color that has more than one answer. (Don't even pretend to have that shocked, "who-me?" look. Or, the indignant response, "I've never ever thought of that!")

I need all the help I can get. It took me two anniversaries to figure out that buying an appliance was not the type of 'personal' gift honey bunches had in mind.

Women: if you're reading this (there has already been an "Amen" from the guys), please give us a break in 2010 and tell us early what you want. This is especially important if you are trying to buy gifts on a budget. It's a little easier saving for bigger ticket items when you have longer to prepare; besides, in my hallway,"if 'mama ain't happy, then nobody is happy'"means just that.

It's Tuesday, so be straight with some thoughts on how to get around this dilemma for the upcoming gift giving season. Talk tough with Troy and give "decoder boy" some help! (Since I don't know the puzzle, I'll have to spin again.)

Will you be avoiding post-holiday sticker shock?

In her Monday post, Kimberly talked about her “heartless” approach to holiday shopping and how she sticks to a “realistic, defined budget”. In preparing today’s post on the upcoming holiday shopping season, I spoke with Contact Center and Branch employees here at South Carolina Federal Credit Union about suggestions they had for members as the shopping season prepares to ramp up. Their recommendations focused on one area: set a budget and track your spending to that budget.

The folks here at the credit union tell of great conversations with members who know where every dime is spent (using tools like iTeller, Teller Talk, and FinanceWorks). They also have experiences helping members who let their spending spiral out of control and face a rude awakening in January when those dreaded holiday bills arrive. These are the folks who either didn’t set a budget or neglected to track their spending throughout the holidays.

This is not the first thing you’ll read about effective budgeting for the upcoming holiday season. No doubt the mainstream media will inundate us in statistics showing how spending is increasing or decreasing as if this should somehow impact YOUR spending.

So, the question for today is: how do you avoid the hype and stick to your budget this holiday season? It would appear most try but many fail. Perhaps sharing your success strategy will help others so they don’t get unwanted sticker shock in January. Kevin the service guy wants to know.

My “heartless” approach to holiday shopping

The passing of Halloween signals one unavoidable thing. Take a look around nearly any retail store and you’re forced to realize it’s on. Let the holiday shopping season begin.

My husband and I have designed a fail-proof strategy to ensure that we don’t fall into fits at the resurgence of sugared cranberries, sleigh bells and monogrammed tree skirts. We save diligently, each time one of us is paid, for the phenomenon known as the holiday season. Our dorky discipline actually manages to make this one of the calmest and most rational periods of the entire year. Fortunately, all is not lost of you haven’t saved a dime and are one of millions who cannot believe the holidays are coming again in December this year.

Whatever the number of people or pets to whom you give during the holidays, and whatever your budget, you can choose to safeguard your sanity. Take your heart out of the equation and make holiday shopping an emotionless process (not the giving, mind you, but the purchasing). Assign a dollar value to each gift recipient’s name before you sit down at the computer or set foot in the store; then, refuse to budge. If you struggle with taking a hard line and want to use a little more for that perfect gift, be willing to skim from the dollar amount you’d reserved originally for someone else. It’s that cut and dry.

Am I decided to the point of coldness when it comes to holiday shopping? Yes, but I also glide into January with a clear conscience and no credit card balance. My calculated decisions about gift buying spare me the agony of wondering whether I can afford groceries in January. Working my list with a realistic, defined budget in hand grants me the freedom truly to give gifts with a warm and happy heart.

While some fret at the prospect of holiday shopping, I say: bring it!  I’ve made my list, checked my budget twice and no retail establishment will get a penny more than I’m prepared to give. What's your strategy to get through the holiday shopping in one piece?