Question: We'd love to get away for a fun weekend, but don't want to dip into savings. Can you give me some ideas for a low-cost, weekend getaway during the winter?
2 min read
Simple Resolutions for Any Time of Year
It's that time of year when many people make "New Year's Resolutions"– but I stopped setting New Year’s Resolutions several years ago. I had just finished participating in an 8-week health challenge during the Fall. After the challenge, I resolved to continue living that healthy lifestyle but didn’t want to wait until January 1st. So, I stuck to that program on my own for one year, and got in the best shape I have ever been in physically. (It was the only time in my life I have had a “six pack” of ab muscles.)
Topics: Goals Budgeting
2 min read
Cold, Calculated Savings: Items to Buy in Winter
Every December you are bombarded with suggestions (some subtle, some not-so-much) for items to buy for the holidays. But what about items to buy AFTER the holidays? If you can wait a few days or weeks to pick up a few of the below items, you could land yourself some outrageous deals. In fact, if a loved one wants an item on the list below, you might even want to give them a gift card and advise them to pick it up when it goes on sale. That way, they not only get what they want, but they also get more money to spend on other things they want.
Jewelry
The period between the December holidays and Valentine’s Day is a real doldrums for those in the bling business. In fact, if you are planning on buying your significant other some adornment for Valentine’s Day, the prices in early January could be drastically different from what they will be a month later.
Two wheels and a seat
If you are in a cold weather part of the country, folks in your area don’t think of winter as the best time to ride with the wind in their face. As a result, they tend to not buy their new wheels then. Retailers know this and are desperate to move motorcycles and bicycles after the holidays. If you were planning on getting a set of wheels, look for special sales and other deals in the first part of the year.
A house
It’s almost an iron-clad guarantee that if there is a otherwise enjoyable or rewarding activity that you really wouldn’t want to do in winter, you can score a deal on it during January or February. That’s goes for buying a home too. Most people don’t want to scrape aside snow to get a closer look at a patio or deck. If you can find a property that has already been on the market for a few months and doesn’t look to be going anytime soon, you might be able to get the seller to accept a lowball offer.
Video games
Games have become a hugely popular holiday gift request for people of all ages. Since retailers know this, they fill their prices with helium and see how high people will jump to catch them. After the holiday a lot of the price inflation has leaked out and the cost comes back down to earth, perhaps even at the lowest level of the year.
Cameras
The big electronics trade shows happens in January and February, which means new camera models are unveiled. If you can wait until after these shows are over, you can get a perfectly fine “old” model at a great bargain.
Things for next winter
Whether it’s holiday decorations or winter clothes, the “Stock-up and Stash” approach can save you a bundle, if you’ve got the room. However, avoid paying $100 per month for a storage locker so you can provide a home for your “deals.”
©2013 Balance
