This post is in collaboration with Bank of Ireland.
With the Christmas season fast approaching, now is the time to start planning how to save for the festive splurge, according to personal finance expert and MoneyWhizz founder Frank Conway. It’s a tough time for a lot of parents trying to have enough money to cover all of the expenses Christmas brings with it.
To help parents plan a stress and debt-free Christmas, Frank will be presenting FREE Christmas budgeting seminars in Waterford, Galway and Dublin this month in association with Bank of Ireland. Seminars will cover a range of topics to help attendees evaluate their relationship with money, show them how to drive bargains and guide them through prioritizing wants and needs.
It’s wonderful to start educating children about money from a young age. Bank of Ireland has also collaborated with Frank Conway, to produce a new series of money management education magazines for teachers and students in primary schools throughout Ireland.
Franks top 5 tips for a stress-free Christmas are:
1. Start early: Everyone envies those clever people who start their Christmas shopping early for good reason. Being organized means you can keep an eye out for bargains in the lead up to Christmas and spread the cost of gifts over many months.
2. Make a list and check it twice: Having a realistic Christmas gift list of who you need to buy for completed early means that you can do your research allowing accurate budging and avoiding any last-minute panic spending.
3. Leave the credit card at home: Using your credit card to pay for items in the lead up to Christmas is so tempting but it can be one of the most expensive forms of borrowing. A credit card really should be used as a credit ambulance, i.e. only when you really need it. Leave it at home when you go shopping and instead only bring your cash and debit card.
4. Turn your advent calendar into an event calendar: Gifts are undoubtedly one of the biggest burdens on our pockets in the lead up to Christmas, but so are events. Big social gatherings like weddings and parties can require a big chunk of change when you take babysitters, accommodation, gift, transport and outfits into consideration. Keep a calendar of all your planned activities and put a realistic expense beside each so you can accurately track what you can afford.
5. A fresh approach: More and more, I hear of people agreeing a spending limit or doing Secret Santa with friends and family and it is a fantastic idea. Teaching children that there is a limit is a great way of showing them how to manage their own money.
Free Budgeting Seminars with more tips for Christmas bliss
Personal Finance Expert Frank Conway said, “I am looking forward to joining Bank of Ireland in Dublin, Waterford and Galway to help parents plan a stress-free Christmas by teaching them how to budget for festive expenses without relying on credit. The seminar will cover a broad range of topics and I hope it will give those attending the confidence to manage their money this Christmas and even start to plan their long-term financial decisions. The tools I will be teaching will be simple to understand and easy to apply.”
To register your attendance please visit:
• WATERFORD: Wednesday, November 17th in the Bank of Ireland Ardkeen from 6pm to 8pm. Click HERE register to this event.
• GALWAY: Tuesday, November 22nd in the Bank of Ireland Mainguard Street from 6pm to 8pm. Click HERE register to this event.
• DUBLIN: Tuesday, November 29th in the Bank of Ireland branch Montrose from 6pm to 8pm.Click HERE register to this event.
Ollie Magazine
Pictured above enjoying Ollie Magazine with Frank Conway are Emma Ward (5) and Benjamin Ward (7). The Ollie magazine is being issued to primary schools this week, helping teachers to understand and teach schoolchildren about money management.
With Ireland scoring lower than many developed countries when it comes to basic financial literacy, the money management series Ollie is the first of its kind in Ireland and aims to provide kids of primary age with the tools and information to understand the basics, giving them a solid basis for developing strong money management skills for the future.
The seminars sound so informative & Ollie magazine is such a wonderful way to educating children about money. The next seminar starts on 22 November 2016. You can register using the links above.
What money-saving or budgeting techniques do you use at Christmas time?
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